HOW CHANDIGARH UNIVERSITY ROSE TO THE TOP IN HOSPITALITY

Chandigarh University's University Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management has a "club system" that ensures students get hands-on training from the first semester.

- Atul Krishna

When the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 were announced in March, Chandigarh University was the only Indian university to be ranked in the top 101-150 institutions for hospitality and leisure management. The university was also ranked 25th in Asia for the same subject.

Officials attribute much of the university's success to the strong club systems that allow for hands-on learning. It also provides flexible degree options and free access to online repositories through various tie-ups. Teachers and officials at the university believe that its performance in the QS World University Rankings is due to a strong reputation among employers, which is one of the five parameters the rankings consider.

Chandigarh University's University Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (UITHM) offers two programmes each in the hospitality and tourism departments.

In hospitality, the institute offers BSc Hotel and Hospitality Management and BSc Culinary Sciences. The BSc Hotel and Hospitality Management is also offered as a four-year course along the lines of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 wherein students can graduate with a degree in three years and an honours degree in four. The tourism department offers BSc in Travel and Tourism Management and MBA in travel and hospitality management.

The club system

Officials at UITHM credit much of its good performance to the strong club system that is present at the Chandigarh University. Students at the university have to mandatorily be part of clubs such as those for bakery, housekeeping, event management, and others. These clubs have a mixture of students from different departments and semesters and they have to conduct events every week.