Institute of Hotel Management, Lucknow
One of the oldest government promoted hotel management institutes in India, IHML’s 23 batches of graduates occupy important positions in the hospitality and allied industries |
| IHML campus vista: enviable reputation |
Spread over four lush acres in the heart of the city, the Institute of Hotel Management, Lucknow (IHML), is the fifth oldest government established hotel management institute in India. Promoted in 1969 as the Food Craft Institute, it was upgraded to the status of a full-fledged hotel management business school offering a three year B.Sc degree in hospitality and hotel administration under the aegis of the ministry of tourism, in 1980. Today, the 23 batches of students who have graduated from IHML and occupy important positions in the hospitality and allied industries, are a testimony to its success. Eminent alumni include Virag Joshi, CEO Pizza Hut, Anurag Bajaj, general manager, Hotel Marina, Mumbai and Rashi Puri, general manager, Gemini Continental, Lucknow. The IHML bachelor of science programme, offered jointly with the National Council of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) and the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), imparts training in core areas such as food production, food and beverage service, front office operation and housekeeping. These are combined with training inputs in sales and marketing, financial management, human resource development, hotel and catering law and property management besides entrepreneurship development. While NCHMCT provides the hospi-tality and catering curriculum, IGNOU’s course material includes study programmes in tourism management, English communication skills, HRD and entrepreneurship.
"Although there is no official ranking of hotel management institutes by NCHMCT, I believe IHML, being one of the oldest, is among the top choices of students who write the joint entrance exam of hotel management institutes supervised by NCHMCT," says Arun Kumar Singh, principal of IHML. An alumnus of the Thames Valley University, UK, Singh is also credited with the promotion and upgradation of the Food Craft Institute, Jodhpur.
The enviable reputation IHML enjoys among the rising number of aspirational hotel management students could be attributed to the institute’s high quality 16-member faculty which includes professionals with career stints in the International Labour Organisation, government of India and several top-rung hotel chains. Moreover six hands-on professionals from the hospitality and corporate sectors constitute the institute’s crack visiting faculty.
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| A.K. Singh |
"A growing number of our graduates are being recruited in industries such as banking and entertainment which have no direct connection with hospitality. Moreover our students routinely attain vice presidential positions in corporate enterprises while many have become successful entrepreneurs. I attribute this to the all round personality development education provided by IHML," avers Singh. This employment mix is also reflected in the companies which visit the IHML campus for placement. Last year, the list included ICICI Prudential, Jet Airways, Wills Lifestyle, Max Health Care, Raddisson Hotels, Taj Group, Overture and Hyatt Regency among others. The 600-member alumni association also serves as a strong recruiting network.
According to Singh, the distinguishing characteristic of the IHML B.Sc degree is the high premium on practical training. "It makes all the difference," says Singh, "that we insist upon a 22-week industry internship programme for our students in the second term. Students can choose to intern in any part of the country and many are recruited in the training period itself. Even the curriculum is designed such, that of 35 hours of classes per week, almost 26 have a practical training component. A number of private institutes have entered the hospitality field but they don’t provide their students with such variety or depth of practical hands-on experience." Abhinav Singh, a third-year student at the institute agrees. "The gruelling practical training helps student mature personally and professionally. The industry exposure I have received in three years has been beneficial. For instance we were called in to help with the catering and hospitality arrangements at the wedding of the son of former deputy prime minister L.K. Advani and the mass wedding of the sons of Sahara India chief Subrata Roy. They provided invaluable practical experience."
Moreover IHML prides itself on its superior infrastructure and academic facilities. The campus boasts 12,000 sq metres of constructed area spread over three floors, three kitchens, a bakery, a computer lab with 20 computers, an on-campus cyber café with 16 computers, a training restaurant, audio visual room, front office, confectionery, lab room, a library stocked with 40,000 volumes, a 40,000 sq ft playing field and two hostels. The girls’ hostel accommodates 60 students while the boys’ hostel has room for twice the number.
Apart from its signature B.Sc programme, IHML also offers customised training programmes for in-service tourism and hospitality professionals. "We help organisations which don’t have in-house training departments to develop and upgrade their employees’ skills. Last year we conducted 100 programmes for organisations as varied as the National Botanical Research Institute and the local golf club. At the Munshiganj Guesthouse in Rae Bareilly we trained two chefs in Italian cuisine when Sonia Gandhi had come to stay. Moreover as part of a government sponsored initiative we are training chefs, waiters etc who work in roadside dhabas in hygiene, communication, subject knowledge, and food presentation techniques and technologies. Under this initiative we have covered most of the Lucknow-Kanpur highway," says Singh who adds that these customised training programmes have helped the institute generate revenue and reduce its dependence on government funding.
Singh is confident of the institute’s future. Immediate plans include promotion of a small hotel on-campus. "Since Lucknow does not have too many top-grade hotels, we need to provide in-house training facilities to our students. Our own hotel will mean more hands-on experience for students, who will be industry ready when they graduate," he says.
Admission and fees
Admission into the Institute of Hotel Management, Lucknow is through a combined all-India joint entrance exam conducted for 24 hotel management institutes under the aegis of the National Council of Hotel Management and Catering Technology. The total intake of the 24 institutes is 3,000 annually, of which IHML admits 180. The written test is followed by counselling.
Minimum qualification for admission into the three-year B.Sc degree in hospitality and hotel administration is Plus Two or its equivalent with English as a compulsory subject.
Tuition fee: First term: Rs. 24,590; second term: Rs. 20,690
At the time of admission students are required to deposit Rs.10,000 with the NCHMCT
Hostel fees (annual): Rs.14,500
Uniform charges: Rs 3,000
Books, stationery and kitchen kit: Rs 2,000
For further information write to the Principal, IHML, Sector G, Aliganj, Lucknow: 226024, Uttar Pradesh. Tel: 0522-2326772; e-mail: ihm@sanharnet.in; website: www.ihmlucknow.com
Vidya Pandit (Lucknow)
The University of York, UK
Four decades since it was promoted in the 1960s, york university has established a global reputation and is consistently ranked among the top 10 uk varsities on most quality parameters
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| York University: unique collegiate system |
Promoted in the 1960s during the expansion period of higher education in Britain, the University of York has since established a global reputation and is consistently ranked in the top ten UK varsities on most quality parameters. The Sunday Times 2005 league table accords it seventh rank among 97 universities and first in the teaching quality parameter. Moreover 18 of the 23 subjects assessed in the most recent national Research Assessment Exercise were deemed internationally excellent. Two hours from London by train, York University has an aggregate enrollment of 10,700 students, 8,100 of them full-time undergrads, studying in 30 academic departments and research centres which offer a range of subjects in the arts, social sciences and science and technology. The 42-year-old university has developed a unique collegiate system under which every student becomes a member of one of seven undergraduate colleges — Alcuin, Derwent, Goodricke, Halifax, James, Langwith and Vanbrugh. As well as providing residential, social and catering facilities, most colleges also house academic staff, departmental offices and seminar and lecture rooms. Living, learning and social activities are centred within the constituent colleges of the university.
Comments Prof. Brian Cantor, vice chancellor of York: "The creativity, intelligence, humour, diligence and sheer brilliance of people, has made this university the outstanding success it is. York is noted for its friendliness, non-hierarchical atmosphere, and collegiate approach. We can match this proudly with high quality teaching, research, and working with our community. So, whilst we still seem young, we have firm roots and the future is positive."
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ork. An important political, cultural, religious and trading centre since Roman times, York retains architectural vestiges of every age, from ancient city walls, winding medieval streets to elegant Georgian town houses. The city’s major landmark is the Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe. Cars are banned in many parts of the city, so street life, traders and performers flourish in places like King’s Square and Stonegate.But there’s more to York (pop. 180,000) than its history. Its cosmopolitan character offers students an array of pubs, bars, restaurants and quaint cafes. A variety of venues offer drama, dance, music and opera. An all-night rail service puts nightlife in Leeds and even Manchester within easy reach. Moreover York is also a cyclist’s haven — there are over 1,000 cycle parking spaces and a network of over 40 km of safe cycle routes in and around the city centre.
The climate is seasonal. Summer temperatures rise to 25oC while winter can be very cold (below freezing). Autumn and spring temperatures average around 12-15oC.
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ampus facilities. The main university campus is in Heslington, on the edge of the city. Here the seven colleges, usually a mix of academic offices, student accommodation and social facilities, are grouped around a large lake across 200 acres of landscaped parkland. Campus life is quiet and generally traffic free, and there are frequent bus services to the city and a good network of cycle paths. On-campus facilities include shops (including the university bookshop), banks, dining halls, snack bars, a post office and two pubs. In addition the university occupies a second campus in downtown York. King’s Manor, a group of mostly Grade 1 medieval buildings with later additions, houses the department of archaeology and some staff in the departments of English, history and history of art. Travel time between the two campuses is 25 minutes by bus.
The J.B. Morrell Library, the Raymond Burton Library and the Borthwick Institute for Archives occupy a complex of buildings on the main campus, within easy walking distance of departments and colleges. These libraries contain over 800,000 volumes and 3,500 current printed journals. King’s Manor library contains a valuable collection of architecture, architectural conservation and medieval studies texts.
For computer access, PCs are located throughout the campus (with 24 hour availability) to provide e-mail, internet and other services. Social life at the university is extensive and some 100 clubs and societies cater to a wide range of interests. An Overseas Students Association organises social events, talks and excursions and the campus hosts a wide range of events — concerts, films, theatre, exhibitions, and discos. Sports are well provided for with two sports halls, badminton, squash and tennis courts, a running track and an all-weather pitch. The rowing club has a boathouse on the river.
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dmission. All applications to first year undergrad courses to York must be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). A list of degree programmes is available in the UCAS Directory, available in all British Council offices in India, together with a 2006 entry application form. UCAS started recei-ving applications for 2006 admissions from September 1, 2005. The closing date for medicine at Hull York Medical School was October 15, 2005 and for all other courses January 15, 2006.The minimum eligibility criterion for admission is successful completion of Plus Two. Additionally overseas students whose mother tongue is not English have to show evidence of English language ability. An IELTS score of 6 or above or a TOEFL score of 550 is required as a minimum, although many departments ask for higher scores. For further information contact Admission and Schools Liaison Office, University of York, Heslington, York Y010 5DD; tel: 01904 433533/ 433 539; e-mail: admissions@york.ac.uk/ international@york.ac.uk, website: www.york.ac.uk.
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ccommodation. All first year single undergrads are guaranteed university owned accommodation situated on or within a mile of the campus. In addition to teaching rooms, libraries and academic departments, the colleges provide substantial (over 2,300 first-year places) mixed residential accommodation. This consists of en-suite study-bedroom or single study bedroom with washbasins and shared bathrooms. Other university accommodation is about five minutes walk from the campus centre. Together they offer 110 single study bedrooms, shared kitchens, a common room, laundry, television and telephones. Students who prefer private housing are guided by York University’s accommodation office.
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egree programmes. York offers undergrad and postgrad degree programmes across 30 academic departments covering a range of subjects in the arts, social sciences and science and technology (see box). The university also offers a degree in medicine through the Hull York Medical School.
Scholastic options at York
Over 30 academic faculties at York offer opportunities for undergrad and postgrad study in a range of subjects spanning arts, sciences and social sciences. They include:
Arts. Archaeology, educational studies, English, history, history of art, language and linguistic science, music, philosophy, eighteenth-century studies, and medieval studies
Social sciences. Economics, social policy and social work, sociology, women’s studies, school of politics, economics and philosophy
Sciences. Biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, electronic engineering, environment, health sciences, management studies, mathematics, physics, psychology, Hull York Medical SchoolBill of costs
(annual)
Tuition fee: £8,430-11,130
Living expenses: £5,100-6,200NB £=Rs.82
Summiya Yasmeen