The Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration of Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) and Hong Kong Hotels Association (HKHA) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster the continuous education, training and talent development in the hospitality sector.

The MoU was signed by the Dean of the School Prof. Alan Au Kai-ming and the Chairman of HKHA Mr Peter Wong. Under the MoU, both parties will leverage their respective expertise to drive growth in the hotel industry by promoting continuous development and lifelong learning among practitioners. Among the number of exciting initiatives stemming from this collaboration is the development of a new master's programme at HKMU. This programme aims to cater to the educational and career development needs of hoteliers and other industry professionals, enriching their management knowledge while propelling their professional advancement.

Addressing the ceremony, Prof. Alan Au underscored the Business School's commitment to expanding experiential learning and internship opportunities for its students. This aligns with the Government’s initiatives to develop universities of applied sciences in Hong Kong, as outlined in the 2023 Policy Address. “At HKMU, we aim to offer practical and applied business programmes that tap into our strong ties with the industry,” he said. “We have always been grateful for the generous support of HKHA in providing valuable work opportunities for our students and graduates. In return, we are eager to reciprocate by dedicating our academic resources and expertise to the continuing education and professional development of hoteliers.”

Mr. Peter Wong emphasized the pivotal role of talent retention and the ongoing development of mid-level supervisors in ensuring the sustainable growth of international and local hotel brands in Hong Kong. “We are obliged to collaborate with prestigious universities,” he said. “We have developed several strategies to address the manpower challenges in the hotel industry, including our collaboration with HKMU on the Master's programme, with the ultimate goal of establishing Hong Kong as the training hub for hotels in the Greater Bay Area.”