There are plenty of reasons to love being a part of Les Roches Jin Jiang, but one of the outstanding reasons is the opportunity we give our students to grow holistically. From LRJJ’s immersive, hands-on approach to education, to the various cultural activities conducted on campus, the Les Roches way of life transforms students into the industry change makers they set out to be. And the best part: they have fun along the way, too!

And this is why our students love being part of LRJJ: everyday, our students are challenged to stretch their capacities, while being part of a community they learn to love like a family. Here, two students weigh in on how LRJJ’s immersive education and multicultural community helped them grow personally and professionally.

 

A Diverse Community to Connect With

With 3 global campuses and over 100 nationalities on campus, we at Les Roches Jin Jiang are committed to providing our students with a welcoming, multicultural environment that also feels like home. We believe it prepares them for the diverse and fast-paced Hospitality industry, where our students would have to learn to navigate different cultures and communities.

For Cherry Nazli, a Hotel Management student from Indonesia, this diverse community is what made going to LRJJ “the best choice she had ever made.”

“When I first came to Les Roches Jin Jiang, I thought all I was ever going to do was study and attend lectures,” she said. “Turns out, LRJJ also teaches us how to have fun! LRJJ doesn’t just teach us subjects and give us materials to study–they teach us how to have fun and bond with others.”

Bati Karadag, another Hotel Management student from Germany, shared similar sentiments. A diverse community didn’t just help him bond with others–it helped him widen his perspective.

“There were many different students from various cultural backgrounds, but they all shared the same friendly attitude and mindset of learning from one another’s cultures and traditions,” he said. “Some of my favorite moments in particular are our morning coffee breaks, where we would all get together with the faculty and have a lovely chat for 15 minutes before class. This was the finest part of my day since we could chat about whatever we wanted, and respect each other’s ideas and opinions on everything.”

However, connecting with diverse cultures doesn’t just make connections–it helps build professional competencies. In Cherry’s case, immersing herself in this community also taught her how to network and communicate confidently.

“At first, communicating with new people was difficult for me. Even presenting in front of the class was a challenge!” she said. “LRJJ has trained me to be fearless and taught me how to talk to  new people and build connections.”

Bati also agreed that the diverse LRJJ community taught him how to better deal with other people. “Les Roches Jin Jiang  helps students to acquire the right attitude needed in hospitality, which is all about making your friends or prospective customers feel welcome and appreciated.”

 

Professional Development Through Hands-On Engagement

Speaking of internships, we believe that one of the best ways to learn is through real professional experience. Internships also provide our students with the opportunity to apply everything they learned in the classroom to real world situations, gain practical professional experience, and grow their network with some of the biggest names in the industry.

To top it all off, there is no better place to develop as an industry professional than in the cosmopolitan city of Shanghai. As one of the most diverse and fastest growing economies in the world, Shanghai is bustling with guests–from business people to travellers–resulting in a constantly developing hospitality sector. With a population of over 26 million, Shanghai is one of the most invaluable places to gain a competitive advantage in this sector.

Bati, who did his 6-month internship at the W Hotel in Suzhou as a Management Trainee in the Food & Beverage, Sales &  Marketing and Rooms division, would agree.

“The curriculum enables foreign students to learn Chinese at a variety of levels while also improving their communication skills,” he said. “The expanding luxury market in mainland China will rely heavily on hospitality experts who are familiar with the luxury hospitality culture and language.”

He also revealed that his internship helped him discover more about himself, further refine his professional competencies, and learn more about the industry in the process. “One of the things that I discovered about myself was that I can manage people well, and that I am always ready to come up with creative solutions to almost any problem,” he said. “I also realized that multitasking wasn’t the most difficult part of my job–it was making sure I could influence others to cooperate so we could have a positive outcome at work. Thankfully, I was able to apply what I learned from LRJJ to achieve this goal!”

If there is one thing that we at Les Roches take seriously, it’s that we love setting our students up for success. We don’t just do that with our lectures–we do that with a combination of practical learning and immersion in community.

The result: a competent, well-rounded individual whose skills are an asset to the Hospitality Industry and beyond. With the quality of education, training and community, students of Les Roches Jin Jiang are presented with a world of opportunities.  The next generation of industry changemakers begins with us.

“Whether you intend to work in the hospitality industry for a long time, or just want to use a job in the field as a stepping stone to other opportunities, the skills, customer service knowledge, and emotional intelligence gained in the industry are transferable and can be used in your personal life as well as in other industries,” said Bati. “Employers value the skill set that hospitality students bring to the table. Because of the range of talents and experiences of people who have thrived in the hospitality and service sector, investing in a hospitality education can open up a world of  options.”