info-suisse December 2014 -January 2015
Tourism | Education
December 2014

Discover the Art of Hospitality in Switzerland

(Nadine Hoehener)
Switzerland is known for quality and excellence. Being considered the birthplace of hospitality, Switzerland’s hotel management schools are amongst the most prestigious in the world. Students are taught the skills that are sought by employers around the globe to ensure a successful career in the hospitality business, one of the world’s fastest growing industries.



The Swiss Education Group (SEG) is Switzerland’s largest network of English speaking hotel management schools. Over 6300 students from all around the world are welcomed every year. On seven stunning campuses across the country, SEG offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in hospitality management including:

• Hotel Management • International Business • Tourism • Resort and Spa Management • Design • Culinary Arts • Catering • Events Management • Finance • Marketing • Human Resources

Originally from Montreal, Valérie Des Rosiers decided some time ago to travel to Switzerland and get her Bachelor of Business Administration in Hospitality Management at HIM, Hotel Institute Montreux.

“I have always loved having people over at home. The well being of my guests has always been important to me and I paid a lot of attention to detail. After studying sports medicine for a year, I figured out that hospitality management suited my aspirations much better as it provides the perfect balance between business management theory and the use of my personal skills such as creativity.”

Staying true to the traditions of Swiss hospitality management, all programs of the Swiss Education Group combine academic learning with practical experience and are designed to meet the needs of the hospitality industry. Over 180 recruiters from hospitality companies around the world travel to Switzerland twice a year to attend the International Recruitment Forum where they hire SEG students for internships and management training positions. With the excellent reputation of its schools, the Swiss Education Group enjoys valuable partnership with many of the world’s leading companies in the hospitality field.

Valérie did her first internship at the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace as a Chef de Rang: “It was a great opportunity to enter an international AND Canadian hotel chain. During those six months I developed a strong confidence in myself in terms of leadership and made a number of valuable contacts.” Her second internship was as an event coordinator at Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris where both her leadership and organizational skills were brought to another level. “Now I feel ready to confront pretty much any situation with a rational attitude.”

The expertise that students gain during their internships certainly affects their future career in a positive way and increases their chances on the job market. In terms of academics, SEG member schools are subject to a stringent quality assurance which ensures students receive the renowned high-level of Swiss education. In collaboration with prestigious university partners from England and the United States, they are able to offer double degrees continuously reaching for excellence in training tomorrow’s leaders. “The fact that HIM is partnered with Northwood University gives a major advantage to those who wish to pursue a career in North America.”

Since the establishment of its first hotel school, SEG has grown to become a world leading hospitality education network and has set new standards in the hospitality industry. Introducing the iPad as a learning device to all students and lecturers set the most recent milestone. The use of this modern technology opens up new perspectives and adds a new dimension of interactivity to the learning experience.

If Valérie was to give advice to students who consider studying hospitality management, it would be the following: “Hospitality is a very broad field. You don’t necessarily need to know what exactly you want to do before entering a hospitality school, as opposed to a law school for example. A lot of people I have met figured it out while doing the program; the diploma opens many doors to opportunities in various fields. There are two fundamental things you need in hospitality that no school can teach; you must be an open-minded and friendly person. If that is what you are, I suggest you dive in.”

In 2014 the Swiss Education Group has opened an office in Montreal to better assist students living in North America with the application process and to widely promote the programs throughout the continent. With more than 120 nationalities, broad cultural diversity is certainly one of the main assets SEG has to offer along with the excellent quality of education, the large variety of tailor-made programs, the inspiring learning environment and the International Recruitment Forum which is designed to help student achieve their career aspirations.
SCCC Corporate Members
  • Rolex Canada Ltd.
  • Zurich Canada
  • Habib Canadian Bank  (Subsidiary of Habib Bank AG Zurich)
  • Custom Spring Corporate
  • Lette LLP
  • Swiss Business Hub
  • Roche Canada
  • Swissmar Ltd.
  • Hilti (Canada) Corporation
  • Endress + Hauser Canada Ltd
  • Switzerland Tourism
  • Adecco Employment Services Limited
  • Glencore
  • Lindt & Spruengli (Canada) Inc.