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IMI University Centre IMI University Centre was founded by three entrepreneurs with extensive experience of hotel management and hotel management education in 1990 as an exclusive private English-speaking school of hotel management. The school is located in the heart of Switzerland near to the historic city of Luzern. IMI enrols around 460 international students a year on courses leading to Certificate, Diploma, Higher Diploma, Bachelor of Art with Honours and postgraduate qualifications including a choice of MBAs, one in International Hospitality Management and one in Swiss Hotel Management. IMI’s Certificates, Diplomas, Higher Diplomas and Bachelor’s degrees are validated by the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), UK, giving students the opportunity to experience Swiss excellence and obtain a UK qualification. As of 2011B, the IMI MBA in International Hospitality Management is also validated by Manchester Metropolitan University. With 65 staff, the IMI’s main (residential) campus has an enviable location in leafy Kastanienbaum, on the banks of Lake Luzern only 12 minutes from the city centre by bus. IMI University Centre has always maintained its focus on the individual. The personal care for its students and its rigid focus on employability is one of the main reasons it has attracted so many students from more than 50 different countries. IMI offers a holistic, academic, vocational and personalised education as an ideal preparation for a successful career in hospitality management Students can choose to study from the Certificate to the Diploma or Higher Diploma, Bachelor of Arts degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas or even an MBA in International Hospitality Management or an MBA in Swiss Hotel Management. All courses are taught in English. IMI’s vision is to be the leading Swiss University Centre with a worldwide reputation for the employability of our graduates in the hospitality and service industries based on academic, professional, personal and intercultural excellence. IMI has an international reputation for offering a warm, caring and holistic educational experience for its students. IMI is a unique educational establishment in Switzerland. It has remained deliberately small, with a maximum of 230 students per semester, so that students on all courses can be assured of highly personalised and individual support in their learning. This means, IMI is inclusive, not exclusive. Its students come from all over the world contributing to a truly international learning culture. IMI is committed to equal opportunities for all and supports diversity in all its forms. This is also reflected in the diverse backgrounds of faculty and staff who come from countries including the UK, Germany, France, Finland, Indonesia, Korea, Greece, Malta, the USA as well as Switzerland. IMI is a school where students can fulfill their academic, employment and social ambitions in a friendly and supportive environment without undue pressure. In addition to their academic studies, students may undertake a variety of paid practical trainings (internships) in Switzerland as well as overseas including, subject to satisfying employers’ requirements, the UK and the USA. Excellent industry contacts and an extensive alumni network support students’ own career development upon completion of the courses. IMI supports students in securing full time employment whilst in school and also as alumni. Opportunities for personal and social development are extensive. IMI was one of the first private hotel schools in Switzerland to adopt student personal development planning (PDP), an innovative UK process that is being adapted to the needs of different educational systems around the world. Personal development planning allows students to enhance and to provide evidence for their general transferable business and social skills that are highly valued by employers across all business sectors. IMI’s mission is the development of the ‘whole’ student. The school has a voluntary programme of social events as well as access to facilities for recreation and sport – taken together with the wider opportunities in the Luzern area for both indoor and outdoor recreation and sporting activities. IMI offers a unique combination of tradition and innovation in its approach to teaching and learning. With a superbly appointed training kitchen and restaurant as well as an accommodation laboratory, students can be assured that the vocational, operational and managerial skills required for success in the world’s fastest growing industry are being taught in the most appropriate environments. Spacious and well-equipped classrooms support other forms of teaching, learning and assessment, which include traditional lectures, live case studies, business development, creative problem solving and computer simulations. IMI’s commitment to its students learning is reflected in the fact that all its full time faculty are qualified to at least Master’s level and are trained or certified teachers. Thirty percent of the teaching staff are qualified to PhD level. Visiting faculty, all PhDs, are of a truly international stature and are leaders in their fields. The University Centre employs independent educational advisors to ensure that it remains at the forefront of best practice in education. Faculty also maintains awareness of developments the industry through consultancy, regular internships of their own and through IMl’s industry advisory board that ensures that the curriculum of all courses remains relevant to the industry’s needs. |
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