About EUTDH
Tourism and hotel management education A pioneer approach in Spain A unique educational programme in tourism and hotel studies Tourism and Hotel Management studies were first introduced at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) - Autonomous University of Barcelona - in 1993 with the foundation of the Escola Superior d'Hoteleria de Catalunya (ESCH) - Catalonia Higher School of Hospitality Studies - a higher education centre linked to the UAB. The project was completed four years later with the creation of a second attached school, the Escola Universitària de Turisme (EUT) - University School of Tourism. The concept constitutes a pioneer approach to tourism and hotel management education and is unique in Spain. The two schools have been jointly managed since 1999, and a single, Escola Universitària de Turisme i Direcció Hotelera (EUTD) - University School of Tourism and Hotel Management - was created in 2000. Synergies between the two specialities The Curricular structure at EUTDH allows students to transfer between programmes and obtain recognition for courses already taken in her first choice. As a result students can obtain both qualifications: Diploma in Tourism and Diploma in Hotel Management. The existence of two different programmes has made it possible not only to provide highly specialised studies, but also take advantage of the existing synergies in order to achieve economies of scale in the provision and use of resources, which fosters education at university standard. The School maintains close contact with tourism institutions and the hotel sector, which ensures adequate practical experience for the students, permits the direct participation of representatives of both private enterprise and public organisations in teaching, and guarantees a wide range of employment opportunities for graduates. Professional programme, industrial placements and employment service The Professional programme requires the application of considerable academic expertise in order to personalise the orientation of each student's career. it also entails a follow-up on an individual basis, with the aim of enhancing the students' professional profiles by concentrating on personal preferences, aptitudes and acquired jobskills. | |
Permanent contact with the tourism and hotel sectors Right from the start of the course, the students are brought into contact with the actual realities of the tourism sector. Agreements for practical work placements in a variety of top level companies and public bodies - in Spain and abroad - allow the students to appreciate the real applications of the theoretical knowledge they have acquired, and to acquire a wide-reaching and overall perspective, which, together, facilitate their insertion in the labour market. The Employment service facilitates students' access to the labour market, often even before they graduate. Detailed knowledge of each students' potential derived from the personal follow-up through the Professional programme, the service's permanent contacts with real day-to-day situations in the sector, and its continually updated data base of the students' CVs, actively stimulates access to jobs in the sector. Educational rigour and information technology Incorporation of information and communication technology The students at EUTDH are in constant contact with a telematic environment, which allows them to work from the outset with the aid of the new communication technologies, and apply these to their studies. Services provided include:
Information and communication technology is envisaged as a valuable management tool, which enhances the curricula as well as helping in the learning process. The students have access to the programmes most frequented used by the majority of the tourism and hotel companies. These include: the Savia/Amadeus reservations programme, for which EUTDH is an authorised training centre; computerised administration programmes for hotel establishments, including mainframe room-reception programmes and inventory administration systems, etc., such as Optims, RA2000 and others currently of widespread use in the sector. The constant challenge of maintaining scientific rigour and adapting teaching to the latest technological advances has led to the creation of a commitee to develop strategies for kwnowledge acquisition. In fact, the further education programmes already include bimodal courses, which combine classroom and distance learning techniques. Residential training in the Hotel Campus Practical application of knowledge Students acquire their hotel training in the Serhs Hotel Campus , which is located in the same building complex as the School. The hotel has 104 rooms; a congress and convention hall with capacity for 900 people in 2,500 m2; three restaurants with different styles: the rapid service Sirius cafeteria, La Marmita , which offers traditional cuisine, and a student cafeteria, which provides instruction in basic food preparation and service techniques. The Serhs Hotel Campus is an ideal setting for the students' residential practical training, as it gives them the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge acquired in the classroom to real-life situations, by performing the service and administrative duties necessary in the different departments. Post-graduate courses and ongoing education in consonance with the needs of the sector Highly specialised training and refresher courses The EUTDH programme of specialised training, ongoing education and post-graduate courses is based on the belief that this level of education should not simple be a continuation of standard courses, but rather adapt to the professional needs of the business world and the specific needs of the tourism, hospitality and catering sectors. The School attempts to detect existing deficits in highly specialised ongoing training in these fields, and cover them through Masters, post-graduate and specialist programmes, organised by the School in collaboration with other university centres or institutions within the tourism sector. The EUTDH made courses are also organised ad hoc to cover specific needs of companies or organisations on request. Research and Consulting, a stimulus to the development of the sector
International Centre for Tourism Research (Centre Internacional d'Estudis i Recerca del Turisme) Meeting point for university and tourism sector entities The EUTDH project, together with the active participation of the relevant university departments, has led to the creation of the International Centre for Tourism Studies and Research - Centre Internacional d'Estudis i Recerca del Turisme (CINERT). This Centre is a point of encounter and focus for the integration of the various sectors involved - public authorities and organisations, private enterprise and collaborating universities - with the ultimate objective of becoming an international forum. CINERT provides the impetus for research and consulting work in the fields of tourism and hospitality, incorporating both the research traditions of the university and the more applied perspective of tourism business. The Center also coordinates and promotes a wide range of postgraduate research scholarships for Doctoral candidates. Forecasting the evolution of tourism industry The annual publication Índex UAB d'Activitat Turística (UAB Tourist Activity Index) is elaborated by the Department of Applied Economics, under the auspicies of EUTDH. This index reflects the influence of tourism activity on the (tourist) GIP and makes it possible to calculate/forecast tourist demand. Consulting Services (Àrea de Consultoría) - ARC Consulting tailored to serve the tourism sector The various activities undertaken by the Consulting Service (ARC) aim to fulfil a double objective: provide practical application for research projects carried out by CINERT, and specialise in projects related to: the intersection between tourism and the environment, tourism and safety, and tourism and local tourist economy. The quality of ARC's consulting services is guaranteed by the presence of a multidisciplinary team of experts in each field. Arc provides services for:
ARC's three priority fields provide the following services:
Since its foundation, the School has mantained a quality policy, in which the entire staff has been involved, and which has affected all the School's activities, both teaching and other spheres. In October 1999, national and European quality certification (UNE-EN ISO 9002) was awarded to both its educational and administrative procedures, after auditing by the Laboratori General d'Assaigs i Investigacions (LGAI), thus becoming the only Spanish university institution with a quality certification. The quality objectives of the School have focused on:
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