Mr Carlo Schmed (left) presented the donation cheque to Professor Kaye Chon — Photo by Hong Kong PolyU

The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is pleased to have received a RMB300,000 donation from the HNA Hospitality Group (HNA) for the establishment of the "HNA Hospitality Group/Tangla Hotels & Resorts Students Internship Scholarship" at the SHTM.

With full support from the HNA, scholarships will be set up for SHTM students undertaking internship in the Group's hotels for three years commencing 2017. This is the first time that the HNA made a donation to the School.

The HNA Group is a fast expanding conglomerate headquartered in Haikou, Hainan, China. Founded in 1993, the Group has developed rapidly and internationally to encompass core businesses of aviation, hospitality, tourism, real estate, retail, finance, logistics, shipbuilding, eco-tech and entertainment.

In an effort to adapt to an ever-changing and dynamic international environment, the HNA looked to the SHTM to develop for their associates an advanced and specialised training and educational programme. The two institutions have come together recently to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate in different areas in support of talent training and development to include the establishment of scholarships to support SHTM students' education.

In receiving the donation cheque on behalf of the SHTM, Professor Kaye Chon, Dean and Chair Professor and Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management expressed his sincere thanks to Mr Carlo Schmed, HNA Vice President of Operations. Dean Chon said that this benefaction has not only provided a boost for the advancement of hospitality education, but also re-affirmed the industry's support for the SHTM. "The School is delighted that the scholarships would enable the SHTM to further step up our efforts in nurturing young talents with a passion for the industry," he remarked.

About PolyU School of Hotel and Tourism Management

For 45 years, 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 2023 for the seventh consecutive year; placed No. 1 globally in the "Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services" category in the University Ranking by Academic Performance in 2022/2023 for six 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 2024, 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 20 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/.

Pauline Ngan
Marketing Manager
+852 3400 2634
Hong Kong PolyU