The Connect Masters 1-2-1 Scholarship, worth US$2,000, is awarded every year exclusively to a student who has participated in the Connect Masters 1-2-1 scheme. Connect Masters 1-2-1, part of the QS World Grad School Tour, is a free service which allows prospective postgraduates to meet face-to-face with university representatives from around the world, allowing them to professionally discuss next steps for their career and studies.

This year’s winner is Lamarah Williams Steele, from the UK, who attended the Connect Masters 1-2-1 event in London in autumn 2015. Lamarah has been accepted to study a Masters in Management degree at IE Business School in Madrid, with a specialization in international business. She says the Connect Masters Scholarship will help to lighten the financial burden, enabling her to focus on achieving her education and career goals. She says: “Easing this worry means I can look forward to enjoying the whole experience. It also means I will have more resources to enjoy things that enhance my experience, such as study trips.”

Lamarah adds that attending the Connect Masters 1-2-1 event helped her to make a decision on where to apply for her master’s degree, saying: “Going to the fair and talking to a number of representatives at Connect 1-2-1 helped me navigate the postgraduate world”. She explains that the event helped her to feel more confident that she was the type of candidate business school are looking for, and to identify the school that would suit her best.

Entrepreneurial goals for the future

Lamarah previously studied a BSc in International Politics at Brunel University in the UK, graduating with first-class honors in July 2015. During this time, she took part in an exchange program to the University of Nottingham’s branch campus in Ningbo, China, which she says opened her mind and widened her world view. As part of this exchange program, she was awarded the Ningbo Government International Student Scholarship for Academic Excellence.

Since graduating, Lamarah has been working as a public affairs intern for Amazon, and has also completed a Civil Service Summer Diversity Program at the UK’s Department of Work and Pensions. Following this work experience, and her experience of studying abroad in China, Lamarah feels certain she’d like to study abroad again – this time in Spain. Keen to keep learning new things, and to develop and strengthen her existing skills, she says: “the best environment to do this is a diverse one, which is something that IE prides itself on.”

Looking to the future, Lamarah says her long-term goal is to “start a social enterprise organisation that focuses on giving children and young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds opportunities in sport and extra-curricular activities that would otherwise be unaffordable.” This interest in social entrepreneurship underlies her decision to study at IE Business School, which has a strong focus on entrepreneurship. She is keen to broaden her understanding of business, gaining specific knowledge on how to be a successful entrepreneur and create a new business, and says that by studying a Masters in Management at IE she hopes to “develop my entrepreneurial skills, my confidence, develop a diverse network of friends, continue to broaden my worldview and strengthen my leadership skills.”

Lamarah also offered some advice for other students applying for scholarships, saying: “Go for it. I think people assume that they don't have a chance because there will be a lot of people that apply for a particular scholarship, but that shouldn't stop you. You have nothing to lose by applying, and shouldn't doubt that you may be the type of person that an organisation is looking to award a scholarship to. You definitely do not have a chance of being awarded a scholarship if you don't apply for one.”

Sponsored by emlyon business school.

The “single largest employer, supporting one in every 11 jobs worldwide”, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council, and seen as a “catalyst for economic development and job creation” (Ernst & Young – Global Hospitality Industry Insights report for 2016), the hospitality industry is recognized the world over as a booming sector.

This vast sector is comprised of many diverse and rewarding hospitality careers. The food and beverage (F&B) segment, for example, is the largest area of the hospitality industry. Ranging from high-end restaurants to fast-food eateries and catering, F&B is a dynamic market across all continents. Highly linked to F&B is the accommodation segment, including hotels, bed and breakfast enterprises and other lodging options, as well as the travel and tourism category, which encompasses airlines, trains, cruise ships and amusement parks. You may also decide to pursue hospitality careers in event companies, spas, convention centers and more.

So which trends should you pay attention to when starting out in this highly competitive, flourishing and multidimensional industry? Furthermore, how can you acquire the skills that will help you understand and analyze these trends and the challenges that accompany innovative ideas? Read on for an overview of the key hospitality trends you need to be aware of, and the skills that will help you keep pace.

Key trends transforming the hospitality industry 

Whether you’re working on the business development plans of a fast food company or in the communication and marketing department of the Ritz-Carlton, there are a number of key industry trends you must take into consideration

1. The use of new technologies

First off, knowing how to use new technologies to your advantage is of paramount importance in today’s global hospitality industry. From mobile check-ins and geo-location to special discount apps, online advertisement and a digital concierge system, you will have to make sure that your customer’s experience is unique. In an article published on Hospitalitynet.com, Navis, an award-winning hospitality technology company, explains that “in 2016, 51.8% of travelers who book trips via digital means will do so using a mobile device.”

Linked to new technologies is the use of social media. Making sure that establishments are visible on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook or Foursquare is crucial in the hospitality industry. Why? Because social media networks are an integral part of the customer’s experience. While Hyatt Hotels launched a concierge service on Twitter a few years ago, allowing customers to find nearby parks for example, the Wynn Hotel & Casino located in Las Vegas provides a complimentary glass of champagne to all users who check-in on Foursquare. Social media can also be used to send promotional offers to customers like discount coupons for hotels or restaurants.

Also, because slot machines don’t appeal to the millennial generation as much as to previous generations, casino operators are thinking of ways to integrate social media within their gaming platforms and day-to-day operations. As explained by Ernst & Young in their Global Hospitality Insights: Top 10 Thoughts for 2016: “addressing this issue is critical to the long-term success of the gaming industry, as modern casinos earn approximately 70%-80% of their gaming revenue from slot machines.” The casino industry is therefore analyzing how hotels like Caesars Palace can rearrange their floor layouts, and slot manufacturers are evaluating how their games can become more interactive and social

2. Collecting data to improve customer experience

Another trend that future leaders of the hospitality industry must look out for is the use of advanced analytics, revenue management systems and customer segmentation, to increase loyalty. Customer loyalty programs have been around for years and while they are very useful in order to attract and retain clients, these programs need to evolve.  As mentioned by Ernst & Young in Global Hospitality Insights: Top 10 Thoughts for 2016, by using these data-collectors, “organizations have the ability to constantly surprise and delight customers by delivering unexpected rewards to them (e.g., upgrades, refreshments, entertainment and unique experiences).”

3. Taking sustainability into consideration

As sustainability is now a global matter, the hospitality industry needs to identify ways to comply with regulations and place this core subject at the heart of its strategies. While hotel groups such as Marriot, Hilton or AccorHotels aim to reduce their environmental impact, economic and social dimensions also come into play. In an article published on Hospitality.Net, Arturo Cuenllas, Founder of Conscious Hospitality,  a hospitality educational consultancy in management, leadership and sustainability claims that “sustainability must be definitively seen as a new quality management dimension, a source of innovation and as a new paradigm for the twenty-first century, though it still needs to keep up with other strategic variables such as providing memorable experiences, offering a good product and an outstanding service. And, of course, sustainability still needs to fulfil the classic economic axiom: to offer great value for money.”

How can you keep pace with these hospitality trends?

To jump-start your career in this expansive industry, you will need to develop the necessary skills and practical experience to analyze evolutions and tackle the challenges attached to industry trends.  This is whyemlyon business school,one of Europe’s top business schools, and Institut Paul Bocuse, a world-renowned school of hospitality management and gastronomy, have developed the MSc in International Hospitality Management. This 16-month full-time program delivered exclusively in English provides a balance of theory, strategic analysis and creativity, while allowing students to gain practical experience and build their professional network. Furthermore, having recently changed its pedagogical approach in order to ensure students’ needs are addressed and met through an adaptive method, this international program may be the perfect fit for you! Below are three ways this program will prepare you for hospitality careers.

4. Access to specialized courses

As part of the theoretical aspect of the MSc in International Hospitality Management, students have access to specific industry courses such as “Interpreting Hospitality Financial Data”, “The Electronic Marketplace”, “Managing Service Quality”, “Innovation Management”, “Revenue Management”, “Hospitality Finance”, “Environment & Eco-Tourism” and  “Advanced Wine Knowledge”.  Targeting current hot topics and hospitality trends, these courses will help you master the complexity of the sector and understand all its aspects.

In order to make sure all students start off the year with an equal knowledge of the hospitality industry, this unique international program also includes a Professional Immersion Module, set up specifically to help students with no hospitality management background immerse themselves in the operations and culture of hospitality from day one.

5. Gain practical experience with projects, an internship and company visits

Because putting into practice your theoretical knowledge is essential to your future career, the MSc in International Hospitality Management features different projects throughout the year. From developing an entrepreneurial business project and creating a virtual company, to working on a hospitality concept (such as a restaurant) and completing an in-company project, you will present your newly acquired knowledge in a concrete format.

You will also benefit from a four- to six-month internship, which will enable you to gain a tangible experience and boost your hospitality career prospects. Previous cohorts have interned with Hotel Pullman Paris, The Ritz Carlton Tenerife, Mama Shelter Paris, ClubMed, the AccorHotels group and the Fairmont Hotel in Monte Carlo.

6. Focus on a key market within the hospitality industry

According to Deloitte’s Hospitality 2015 report, it is predicted that by 2019, China will have exceeded the US in absolute industry growth. Penetration of domestic travel markets in China and India will yield the greatest long-term returns for international brands. This is why it is important for future hospitality leaders to understand Asian consumers’ needs, and how to take advantage of this huge growth opportunity.

In response to this growing market, the MSc in International Hospitality Management provides students with a semester in Shanghai, during which they study the Asian business environment, change management and hospitality brand design, as well as hospitality asset management and business models.

See yourself as part of the future generation of global hospitality leaders? Ready to face the challenges of this thriving sector? Already have ideas of how you can contribute to making this industry even greater? Discover the MSc in International Hospitality Management and jump-start your hospitality career today!

This year’s edition of the QS University Rankings: Arab Region, released today, sees Saudi Arabian universities maintain their lead, despite a sustained challenge from institutions in the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals holds onto the top spot, with Lebanon’s American University of Beirut also retaining second place.

Saudi Arabia is home to 19 of the 100 institutions featured, followed by Egypt with 15. When considering only the top 50, however, the United Arab Emirates is on a par with Saudi Arabia – each has 10 institutions ranked at this level.

Meanwhile, the very top of the table is relatively unchanged year-on-year – with the exception of Qatar University’s climb from 11^th to 9^th; this pushes Cairo University into 10^th and displaces Jordan University of Science and Technology, now 13^th.

First published in 2014, the QS University Rankings: Arab Region has been extended this year to cover just under 200 universities in the region (previously 150). A total of 17 countries are represented, with Somalia and Libya now appearing for the first time, following the expansion of the published range.

The ranking is compiled using nine performance indicators, reflecting academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, online impact, proportion of staff with a PhD, research publications, citations per paper, and proportion of international faculty and students. The full methodology can be reviewed here, and the published results can be sorted based on each individual indicator.

This year’s edition of the QS University Rankings: Asia sees the National University of Singapore retain the top spot, following its 12^th-place performance in last year’s QS World University Rankings®. This is also a strong year for Singapore’s other international institutions; Nanyang Technological University climbs from fourth to third, while Singapore Management University enters the ranking in 60^th position.

The University of Hong Kongis stable in second place, with three more Hong Kong-based institutions also within the top 10. China’s Tsinghua University climbs six places this year to rank fifth, overtaking Peking University, which is now ninth. Though South Korea’s two leading institutions have both fallen slightly, the country claims six of the top 20 spots – more than any other nation or territory.

While there are no new entries to the top 20, the National Taiwan University is edging closer, climbing one position to 21^st. There are also strong results for Indian institutions, with improved positions for 18 of the 21 featured in last year’s edition, and two new entries this year. IIT Bangalore remains India’s leader, climbing one place to 33^rd.

In terms of overall strength in numbers, Chinese universities dominate the table, accounting for 82 of the 350 featured institutions. Japan follows with 74 entries, while South Korea has 54, Taiwan 34 and India 23.

Published annually since 2009, the QS University Rankings: Asia aims to provide a comparison of the leading institutions in the region. For 2016, the ranking has been extended to feature the top 350 universities in Asia (from 300 last year), spread across 17 nations and territories, and selected from 920 institutions considered for inclusion.

This year is also the first time the ranking has incorporated proportion of academic staff with a PhD as part of the assessment process. This newly added indicator complements the existing assessment of faculty/student ratio, both aiming to provide proxy measures of institutional commitment to teaching quality.

The full methodology now draws on a total of 10 indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, staff with a PhD, papers published per faculty member, citations per paper, proportion of international staff and students, and proportion of outbound and inbound students.

The third edition of the QS University Rankings: Emerging Europe and Central Asia, released today, sees three Russian universities at the top. Lomonosov Moscow State University and Novosibirsk State University come first and second respectively – maintaining their positions from last year. Saint-Petersburg State University climbs from fifth to third place, completing the trio of table-topping Russian universities.

First published in 2014, the ranking has this year been extended to feature the top 200 (previously 150) institutions in Emerging Europe and Central Asia (EECA). It aims to celebrate and track the strengths of universities across this region, as a growing number of EECA countries invest in developing and internationalizing their higher education systems.

As well as dominating at the very top, Russian universities account for 64 of the 200 institutions ranked – far more than any other nation. However, the table is in fact much more diverse than this may suggest. The top 10 features leading institutions from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland and Turkey, and a total of 21 nations are represented overall.

Following Russia, Turkey is the second most-represented country in the ranking, with 20 universities featured. Next is Kazakhstan with 18 representatives, followed by Poland (15), Ukraine (14), Czech Republic (12) and Romania (11).

The ranking assesses universities using nine performance indicators, reflecting academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, research publications, citations per paper, online impact, proportion of staff with a PhD, and proportion of international staff and students. The full methodology can be reviewed here, and the published ranking can be sorted to show the results in each of these nine categories.

The QS University Rankings by Region for 2016 are released today, highlighting the top universities in Latin America, Asia, the Arab Region, and Emerging Europe & Central Asia (EECA). They are led, respectively, by Brazil’s Universidade de Sao Paulo, Singapore’s National University of Singapore, Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, and Russia’s Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Several of the tables have been extended this year, now covering the top 300 universities in Latin America, 350 (previously 300) in Asia, 100 in the Arab region, and 200 (previously 150) in the EECA countries.

These regional rankings aim to provide more in-depth comparisons than is possible through the overall QS World University Rankings®, assessing institutions across a larger number of performance indicators.

For in-depth exploration of the methodologies used to compile each ranking, and key trends in each region, read the free online supplements:

Supplements

• QS University Rankings: Latin America 2016
• QS University Rankings: Asia 2016
• QS University Rankings: Arab Region 2016
• QS University Rankings: EECA 2016

You can also follow the conversation on Twitter (#QSWUR).

First published in 2014, the annual QS Arab Region University Rankings highlights 160 leading universities in this part of the world. The methodology for this ranking has been developed with the aim of reflecting specific challenges and priorities for institutions in the region, drawing on the following 10 indicators. The percentages indicate the weighting given to each component when calculating the overall results. Find out more from the QS Intelligence Unit.

The overall results of the QS Arab Region University Rankings are published in an interactive online table, which allows users to compare universities’ performance on individual indicators, or view those with the highest combined scores. To access the full functionality of the table, you first need to log in or register as a site member – this is free and allows you to access exclusive content and resources.

First published in 2014, the QS EECA University Rankings highlights the top 400 universities in emerging Europe and central Asia. Aiming to celebrate and track the performance of higher education institutions in the EECA countries, the ranking uses a methodology adapted from the overall QS World University Rankings®, and similar to those used for QS’s other regional rankings.

A total of 10 factors are assessed, each of which contributes a certain proportion towards institutions’ overall scores. The results table can be sorted to compare universities on each of these nine indicators. Find out more from the QS Intelligence Unit.

The overall results of the QS EECA University Rankings are published in an interactive online table, which allows users to compare universities’ performance on individual indicators, or view those with the highest combined scores. To access the full functionality of the table, you first need to log in or register as a site member – this is free and allows you to access exclusive content and resources.

The regional ranking uses five basic criteria: research impact and productivity, teaching commitment, employability, online impact and internationalization. The method retains key indicators of the global ranking, such as Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation, and Faculty to Student Ratio, but also considers a set of performance metrics carefully tailored for the region. The following metrics are used:

Academic Reputation (30%)

Taken from the annual survey conducted by QS designed to evaluate the perceptions of academics from around the world regarding teaching and research quality at the best universities. In doing so, it has grown to become the world’s largest survey of academic opinion, and, in terms of size and scope, is an unparalleled means of measuring sentiment in the academic community. This year, over 130,000 responses were recorded globally.

Employer Reputation (20%)

The Employer Reputation metric is based on over 75,000 responses to the QS Employer Survey, and asks employers to identify those institutions from which they source the most competent, innovative, effective graduates. The QS Employer Survey is also the world’s largest of its kind.

Faculty to Student Ratio (10%)

This is the ratio between the number of academic staff and number of students. A higher number of teachers per student is an indirect indicator of the commitment of the institutions to high-quality teaching.

Staff with PhD (10%)

This indicator attempts to assess the quality of training of the academic staff, detecting the proportion of them that have reached the highest level of education in their area of expertise.

This is an indirect measure of the commitment of universities to high-quality teaching and research.

International research network (10%)

Using data provided by Scopus, this indicator assesses the degree of international openness in terms of research collaboration for each evaluated institution. To calculate this indicator the Margalef Index, widely used in the environmental sciences, has been adapted to produce a score that gives an indication of the diversity of an institution’s research collaborations with other institutions in different locations of the world.

Citations per Paper (10%)

This ratio measures the average number of citations obtained per publication, and is an estimate of the impact and quality of the scientific work done by universities. Data indexed by Scopus is also used. To avoid anomalous results, only the institutions producing more than 100 papers in the last five years are evaluated.

The paper and citation counts are normalized, ensuring that citations achieved in each of the five broad faculty areas are weighted equally.

For the QS Latin America University Rankings 2022 we analysed papers from a five-year window of 2015-2019, and citations from 2015-2020.

Papers per Faculty (5%)

This indicator seeks to determine the average number of scientific publications (papers) produced per faculty and evaluates the research productivity of the institutions. The data is extracted from Scopus (www.scopus.com). The paper count is normalized, ensuring that citations achieved in each of the five broad faculty areas are weighted equally.

Web Impact (5%)

This indicator seeks to assess the effectiveness with which institutions are making use of new technologies. Baseline information is provided by the Ranking Web of Universities (www.webometrics.info), although the results are refactored to exclude the Excellence indicator, which is already considered in the metrics related to scientific research.