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AH&LEI ties up with IGNOU for course in international hospitality management

Praveen K Singh - New Delhi

American Hotel & Lodging Association - Education Institute (EI-AH&LA) has tied-up with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to launch an under-graduate course in International Hospitality Management.

Speaking of the tie-up, Professor VN Rajsekharan Pillai, VC of IGNOU, said, "This is a step in the right direction. It is truly a global alliance in hospitality education. Industry focused courses and state-of-the-art learning resources developed by AH&LEI, integrated with IGNOU's reputed tourism courses provide India's students the best opportunity to earn a prestigious international degree on Indian soil at a great cost advantage."

Added Pillai, "Professionalism is of great importance for sustained success. Quality education and training hold the key."

Speaking of the alliance, Roy Kennington, CHA, president and COO of AH&LEI, expressed, "We are proud to be associated with India and with IGNOU in particular. India is a powerhouse of human capital and talent. With fast-paced growth and development in every sphere of activity, the travel and tourism sector has taken a quantum leap. Indian hospitality professionals who have been certified and benchmarked with global competencies and skill-sets are sought after universally."

KV Simon, the regional head of AH&LEI, said, "With this timely tie-up, India's growing human resource challenges can be met. This will also benefit Indian hospitality professionals."

Beginning with the next batch of IGNOU admission, the program would be available at IGNOU-AH&LEI approved program centers.