Basanta P. Joshi
Director/Head of School
AITM, School of Hotel Management
Hospitality sector has become a growing sector globally. While analyzing the world’s data, there are around four million hotels including small, medium and large ones. As many as seven thousand hotels meet the standard for touristic accommodation. Likewise, around 40 million workers have got employment opportunity in the world. Every year, 10% workforce gets retirement. In this sense, around four million human resources are required every year globally. In the context of Nepal, around 2500 star hotels are giving excellent services to global tourists. They provide employment opportunity to approximately 300,000 people. If we analyze the retirement data of staff, which is 10%, there is a demand of around 30 thousand human resources every year in hospitality sector in Nepal. However, Nepalese colleges produce only around four thousand workforce. This data clearly shows that still there is scarcity of skilled human resources in hospitality sector.
Basanta Joshi is the Director/Head of School at Asian Institute of Technology & Management, School of Hotel Management, affiliated to IMI— International Management Institute, Switzerland. He claims that the AITM faculty members do not just train the young school graduates; they transmute them into tomorrow’s leaders of the hospitality industry. He shares his view with College Readers. Excerpts:
How is the coordination between industries and colleges?
In the context of Nepal, this practice has not been fully due to various reasons. Most hotels are captured by worker unions, and these unions have control over new entries. Due to this reason, most Nepalese skilled human resources choose the way to go to an overseas country for employment and better opportunities. Still, there is no proper coordination between industries and academic institutions in Nepal.
In your opinion, what should be done to solve this problem?
The government should take effective steps to solve these problems. Universities and industries should build proper coordination by analyzing the market while preparing the courses and imparting education. Similarly, hotels should make strict rules and regulations while providing entry to service. They should determine the criteria of qualification, skill and efficiency as well as conduct required examination for new recruitment. Similarly, the Hotel Association should play a cooperative role with the government and service providing institutions.
You offer a foreign qualification of hotel management in Nepal. What differences are there between the courses of foreign and domestic universities?
In international education system, courses are designed by analyzing the market. They adopt the assignment and problem-solving teaching pedagogy. Our college offers hotel management course of Switzerland. Hotel management course of Switzerland has gained worldwide recognition. While talking about Nepalese universities’ assignment and problem-solving teaching, it has not been of much priority. Similarly, the courses are updated and timely revised at foreign universities, which is rare at Nepalese universities.
Could you please highlight the distinct features of your college?
We not only offer Swiss hospitality courses which are globally recognized and validated but also ensure Swiss standard infrastructure. Similarly, the teachers are highly experienced, dedicated, hardworking and professional. It provides all equipment and facilities required for quality education. Furthermore, the college focuses on exposure of students to global setting; so, it conducts frequent excursions, tours and visit programs to national and international universities/ colleges. More importantly, it has created an international job platform for its products. In fact, our college resembles facilities and infrastructures of international standard hotels where students learn all required skills, gain knowledge and engage in practical education.
Could you possibly tell us how many graduates have you helped graduate from your college and how is their performance in the global market?
Our college was established in 2006 AD. In a period of eleven years, we have been able to produce as many as 400 graduates. And around 70% of our products have embraced sterling job opportunities, and 5% to 10% have become entrepreneurs and the rest are pursuing higher education in foreign lands. All our products are showing jaw-dropping performance in their respective fields.
There looms a trend among ten-plus-two graduates that they should go to an overseas country for higher education. In your opinion, who is more responsible to stop them from going to foreign lands?
The policy of government plays a determinant role in minimizing the number of students going for higher studies to foreign lands. The government should maintain strict rules and regulations to avoid political influence in academic institutions. Similarly, the government should formulate encouraging policy to promote international education providing institutions like ours. However, the government has adopted discriminatory and discouraging policies for international education provider institutions, due to which a large number of students are going to foreign countries for their further studies. In my perspectives, we should learn specific things from a foreign country which has made tremendous progress in a particular field, i.e. Hospitality from Switzerland, Agriculture from Israel and Ethical Eastern Ideological Education from Nepal. So, the government should adopt appropriate policies to welcome myriads investors for foreign education in Nepal.
In your opinion, what qualities are required for students to possess that underpin their excellence in hospitality sector?
Service has great value in the present world. The value of goods is determined on the basis of the service they provide. Five star hotels in Nepal take around 800 rupees for a cup of tea. It is the value of hospitality not only of the cup of tea. So, students should possess the quality to be required in hospitality sector. Basically, smile, friendly nature and exposure are essential quality required for hospitality sector. Smartness has great value in service sector, particularly in hotel and tourism sector.
What suggestions would you like to give to ten-plus-two graduates for choosing a right college, faculty and subject?
Students should choose the subject of their interest, and subsequently, they should choose a faculty, infrastructure, management team, university affiliation, academic environment etc. while choosing a college. If the chosen college meets their requirement and commit to fulfill their aim and interest, students should get an admission in such college. We are fully committed to providing globally acclaimed education in Nepal at affordable fee structure.
