MOU to enhance authentic learning in tourism and hospitality

Tiếng Việt

MOU to enhance authentic learning in tourism and hospitality

RMIT Vietnam and Q Industries Vietnam have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to boost collaboration between the two organisations.

Signed on 19 March at Q Industries’ building located in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, the agreement furthers cooperation in a number of areas including Work Integrated Learning (WIL) courses, company tours, competition sponsorships, internships, management trainee programs, research, scholarships, events, and training.

Founder and Chairman of Q Industries Group Tony Quek was delighted with the opportunity to contribute to Vietnam through the connection with a world-renowned, well-established university like RMIT Vietnam.

“With the growth of the tourism and hospitality industry in Vietnam, there is an unprecedented demand for a well-trained work force to fill the roles in new hotels and resorts throughout the country,” Mr Quek said.

“Established in 1987 in Singapore as a focused hospitality solutions organisation, providing equipment and procurement solutions to a range of global hotels and resorts, Q Industries aims to participate in the growth and prosperity of Vietnam through education and training in hospitality. This desire to contribute to Vietnam is something we have in common with RMIT.”

Q Industries representatives took RMIT Vietnam guests on a tour of their building's facilities.

The partnership will provide RMIT students the opportunity to be trained in a fully-equipped professional culinary centre – Q.uriosity – and to have hands-on experience working in a fully operational restaurant – Q.itchen Factory.

RMIT Vietnam President Professor Gael McDonald said she hoped that through this partnership the University can develop more Tourism and Hospitality Management graduates who can lead the industry in Vietnam and internationally.

“Vietnam is the sixth fastest growing country in the world, as a tourist destination, and the fastest in Asia, according to a report by UNWTO, the world tourism organisation,” Professor McDonald said.

“In 2017, Vietnam tourism continued the growth momentum from 2016 and surpassed the expectations of the Government for a second year.

“The Government also set out the objective in Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW to achieve a target for the travel and tourism industry to contribute over 10 per cent of the total GDP by 2020.”

Professor McDonald said that RMIT Vietnam launched the Bachelor of Tourism & Hospitality Management degree two years ago, after “identifying the gaps in skilled employees in the tourism and hospitality management sector, especially in middle management, and seeing a big need for an international standard undergraduate program in this field.”

“We started with 45 students but this number has significantly grown since then.”

RMIT Students took park in a class about kitchen organisation at Q Industries

Professor McDonald shared that the F&B training students received at Q Industries last semester caught the attention of both local and international RMIT students.

“We now also have RMIT Melbourne students who have expressed interest to take up the F&B course as an elective course during their exchange program here,” she said.

Professor McDonald emphasised that the quality of facilities and experience of the Q Industries team should be highly commended and “RMIT is very proud to be Q Industries’ partner in educating the future of the hospitality workforce.”