PolyU Collaborates with Professional Bodies to Launch Club Managers’ Association SHTM Student Chapter
The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University launched the first student club in club management in Hong Kong on 9 October 2015. The Club Managers' Association SHTM Student Chapter collaborates with the Club Managers' Association of Hong Kong (CMAHK) and Club Managers' Association China Chapter, the professional bodies based in Hong Kong and Mainland China representing the interests of club...
The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University launched the first student club in club management in Hong Kong on 9 October 2015. The Club Managers' Association SHTM Student Chapter collaborates with the Club Managers' Association of Hong Kong (CMAHK) and Club Managers' Association China Chapter, the professional bodies based in Hong Kong and Mainland China representing the interests of club managers of their regions.
Joining the inauguration ceremony held at the SHTM's training restaurant Bistro 1979 were Mr Richard Coate, Vice President of CMA Hong Kong and General Manager of Hong Kong Cricket Club; Dr Alwyn Tai, CMA China Chapter President; Mr Robert Blythe, General Manager of Gold Coast Yacht and Country Club; Mr Noel Burns, General Manager of United Services Recreation Club; Mr Mark Gailey, General Manager of Hong Kong Golf Club Deep Water Bay; Mr Greg Hartigan, General Manager of Kowloon Cricket Club; Mr Neill Morgan, General Manager of Jewish Community Centre; Mr Fritz Sommerau, retired General Manager of Pacific Club and Mr Steven Tan, General Manager of Hong Kong Jockey Club.
"The establishment of the SHTM Student Chapter is a joint initiative of CMAHK, CMA China Chapter and the School," remarked Mr Ryan Smith, the School's Faculty Advisor of the SHTM Student Chapter. "The private club industry is a large industry in the world and thriving in Asia. The new Student Chapter provides a platform for SHTM students to network with their peers and industry professionals. They can enhance their understanding of the private club industry through participation in site visits, seminars and other activities," he observed.
With the generous support of CMAHK, one student member will be offered a scholarship in the amount of HK$30,000. Designed for students who are interested in pursuing a career in club management, the scholarship provides funding for students to attend conferences organised by Club Managers' Association of America.
This marks yet another recognition of the world-class standing of the SHTM as well as the rising importance of hospitality education in Asia and the world. Addressing guests attending the ceremony, Professor Kaye Chon, Dean and Chair Professor of the SHTM and Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management said, "Through this platform, the SHTM will further contribute to the effort in facilitating the education and professional development of industry practitioners and, in turn, help enhance the professional standard for related disciplines."
About PolyU School of Hotel and Tourism Management
For more than four decades, the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has refined a distinctive vision of hospitality and tourism education and become a world-leading hotel and tourism school. Ranked No. 1 in the world in the "Hospitality and Tourism Management" category in ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2024 for the eighth consecutive year; placed No. 1 globally in the "Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services" category in the University Ranking by Academic Performance in 2023/2024 for seven years in a row; rated No. 1 in the world in the "Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism" subject area by the CWUR Rankings by Subject 2017; and ranked No. 1 in Asia in the "Hospitality and Leisure Management" subject area in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, the SHTM is a symbol of excellence in the field, exemplifying its motto of Leading Hospitality and Tourism.
The School is driven by the need to serve its industry and academic communities through the advancement of education and dissemination of knowledge. With a strong international team of over 90 faculty members from 21 countries and regions around the world, the SHTM offers programmes at levels ranging from undergraduate to doctoral degrees. Through Hotel ICON, the School's groundbreaking teaching and research hotel and a vital aspect of its paradigm-shifting approach to hospitality and tourism education, the SHTM is advancing teaching, learning and research, and inspiring a new generation of passionate, pioneering professionals to take their positions as leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry.
Website: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/shtm/.