SIETAR Japan, Kansai Chapter, January 2016 Meeting
“The Global Hospitality Business:
Are University Hotel Management Programs in Japan Just the Latest Trend?”
Presenters: Satomi Nishihara (Osaka Gakuin University)
Nozomi Iwakiri (Osaka Gakuin University)
Date: Saturday, January 23, 2016 (2:00pm~5:00pm)
Place: Takatsuki Shiritsu Shogai Gakushu Center, 3rd floor, Room 1
(10 minutes walk from JR Takatsuki station or Hankyu Takatsukishi station.
http://www.city.takatsuki.
Tel. 072-674-7700
Fee: Free for members and students; 500 yen for non-members.
Language: English/Japanese
Social event: New Year’s Dinner after the session at a restaurant. Reservations for dinner required by
Wednesday, Jan. 20. Contact fujimotodonna@@
Description of the presentation:
With the Olympics on the horizon, the challenge of providing hospitality to visitors is gaining in importance. Hospitality, however, is not simply putting on a welcoming attitude. What many people do not know is that hospitality is a serious and respected field of study with a long history in Europe. European universities and colleges specialize in this multi-faceted area. Hospitality studies include business, language studies, communications, technology, finance, tourism, leadership development, sustainable development, history, nutrition, sports, and cooking. While some Japanese universities have recently moved to offering hospitality studies, the breadth and depth are clearly insufficient. This presentation will explain the basis of the hospitality business, the lessons that the European model offers, and the practicalities of how students can pursue a career in this important business. The presenters will provide their firsthand experience in this field, both as students in Europe and later as professionals in several countries, but specifically in the United Arab Emirates.
Profile of the presenters:
Satomi Nishihara is a Lecturer of Hospitality Management in the Business Administration Department of Osaka Gakuin University. She is currently working on research which links sustainable tourism with hospitality. Nishihara credits her current interest to her high school studies in College Alpin International Beau Soleil in Switzerland, an international boarding school. She attended Middlesex University in London, and École Hotelier de Glion (Glion University). After graduation she gained experience in both small family-owned hotels as well as 5-star international hotels in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Before returning to Japan a few years ago, she was Sales Manager at the Grand Hyatt Dubai holding responsibility for the local Japanese market and for East Asian corporate accounts connected to the leisure business.
Nozomi Iwakiri is the Executive Assistant for the Language Education Institute of Osaka Gakuin University. She graduated from Institut Hôtelier César Ritz in Switzerland and trained at Grand Hotel Zermatterhof, a high-end Swiss hotel. Her professional experience includes work in international hotels in the United States and the Middle East. She was part of the VIP team at the Grand Hyatt Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and a member of the cabin crew of Etihad Airways, the national airline of UAE.