Experiential Learning At Its Best

Industry Roundtables

A series of industry full day seminar sessions that cover the major sectors of the industry (development & investment, operations, marketing, and revenue management) give students insight to the current issues and challenges which the industry are facing. Opportunity is created to interact with the industry experts during the seminar. Students have a deeper understanding on the different concentrations and have a clearer direction on their career path. Speakers at the Industry Roundtables represent the following top brands:

Master Class

The Master Class, taught by a faculty member, is an in-residence elective that requires in-depth survey and analysis of a leading brand’s operation.  Analogous to a “shadowing” project, students face the same real-life challenges as their host and learn to provide well-conceived, practical, and professional solutions. This is an elective which involves traveling to an organization’s location to experience the corporate culture, solve case-study problems, and present the results to the leadership team.

• Master Class 2007 - Strategic Hospitality Management at Banyan Tree Resort Lijiang, China
• Master Class 2008 - Casino & Entertainment Industries: Managing Human Capital and Hotel Development & Financing in Macau, China
• Master Class 2009 - Hospitality Industry in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, UAE
• Master Class 2010 - Sustainability in Bali, Indonesia
• Master Class 2011 - Community Tourism Initiatives in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series (DDLS)

Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration has hosted the Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series (DDLS) for over forty years.  The same series is hosted in Asia as one of the most valuable benchmarks of our MMH in Asia program.  The DDLS takes place every Spring to enable our students to learn from the most reputable leaders in the hospitality and related industries, in and around Asia. Over the years, the DDLS has hosted the most influential and accomplished leaders from every segment of the industry, and offers a unique opportunity for MMH students to meet with industry leaders in a small group setting to discuss career development topics. Speakers share their views about their personal management styles, critical industry-related issues, and possible career paths within the industry, amongst other topics.

Recent DDLS speakers in the MMH in Asia program include:

• Mr Peter Gowers, Chief Executive, Asia Pacific, InterContinental Hotel Group
• Mr Michael Issenberg, Chief Executive Officer, Accor Asia Pacific
• Mr Miguel Ko, President, Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts Pte Ltd
• Mr Chiaki Tanuma, President & Chief Executive Officer, Green House Co., Ltd
• Ms Chong Phit Lian, Chief Executive Officer, Jetstar Asia Airways Pte Ltd
• Mr David Ling, Managing Director, HVS Asia Pacific
• Mr Tony Davis, Chief Executive Officer, Tiger Airways
• Mr Robert Mclntosh, Director, CBRE Hotel, Asia Pacific
• Mr John Johnson, President, Raffles Hotels & Resorts
• Mr Dan Lynn, Managing Director, Expedia Asia Pacific