Maastricht Hotel School: Checking out the hotel industry

What do a Dutch TV cook, a 40-year-old Turkish student and a 17th century castle have in common? They all make up part of one of the fastest growing industries in the world, in which Maastricht is a forerunner – hotel and tourism.

In 2000, the Student’s Guide for Higher Education, the national board of Higher Vocational Education and the European Foundation for the Accreditation of Hotel School Programmes found the Management Hotel School Maastricht to be the best in the field nationwide.

The school was founded in 1950 but really took off in the 1970s, moving from the city centre to the 17th century Bethlehem Castle. It is now part of the Hogeschool Zuyd, which boasts 12,000 students, and has an impressive network of contacts with international companies and hotel chains, such as the Hilton, Holland Casino, Euro Disney and the International Congress and Convention Association.

It is now broadening its horizons with the recent introduction of a new MBA in Hotel and Tourism Management. Broken down into three parts, the programme is aimed at graduates and hotel and tourism professionals preparing to take the next step in their career. It is taught by a diverse spectrum of teachers, including guest lecturers from the industry.

“On the MBA programme, you will find people who are making a career switch or want to progress to senior management. They have to learn all the aspects of the industry, even cooking,” says Jeroen Oskam, the MBA Programme Director.

“Our oldest student is 44. We have one Dutch student and people from countries including Turkey, China, the UK, South America, Canada and Germany.”

Jeyan Akcay, a 40-year-old student from Turkey, is among them. “I was working as an executive assistant to the general manager in a hotel and timeshare in Turkey I had graduated in business administration but wanted an MBA,” she said. “The programme looked very promising as I am looking for international experience. I am very satisfied with the course and glad to be here.”

“The Dutch have a very good name in the industry. Tradition is a very important part,” explained Mr Oskam. “For example, due to the education system, students in Germany have to work several years in the industry, then they study before going back into it. It is a very long step in their career. It is a very long process. While in Spain, people are more focused on the material side of the profession, whereas we offer practical and theoretical studies.

“Hotel and tourism is one of the fastest growing industries due to people spending more on leisure and people travelling around a lot more,” he added. “The students want to pursue an international career and discover something different.”

The students have an impressive precedent to follow. Some graduates have stayed locally - you can find them in many hotels in Maastricht - and have also moved into other hospitality industries, such as management consultancies, marketing, sales and HR. While others have gone on to leading positions in prestigious companies such as the Ritz Carlton in New York and the Sheraton hotels, and can be found in companies all over Europe, America and China. Among the school’s list of former students is the President of the Hilton in Washington DC. Even the famous Dutch TV cook, Braakhekke, studied at the school.

By Louise Druce

Source: Crossroads print issue, December 2002