Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association partners ANC

Ceylon Hotel School Graduate Association President Samantha Gunarathne and American National College CEO/ Executive Director Dr. Punarjeeva Karunanayake sign the MOU for a new MBA program in hospitality management at Hilton Colombo yesterday. CHSGA Strategic Planning Committee Chairman Patrick Perera, Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga and University of West London Business School Dean Dr. Suresh Gamlath also in the picture - Pix by  Chamila Karunarathne 

• Initiative to offer MBA with Hospitality Management from University of West London
• Guaranteed scholarships to all Ceylon Hotel School graduates
• MBA to incorporate unique mentoring program

By Maleesha Sulthanagoda

The Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association (CHSGA) has partnered with American National College Education (ANC) to introduce an MBA with Hospitality Management in hopes of enhancing the growth of the hospitality sector of the country.

ANC Education CEO Dr. Punarjeewa Karunanayake speaking at the event said: “The relevance of hospitality has become very important over the last few years. To cater to the global recognition received bythe country’s hospitality industry, we needed to take the level of education about the industry to the next level. We aim to accommodate this recognition with the new MBA program.”

The CHSGA signed the MoU with ANC Education last week will offer a University of West London (UWL) MBA. The curriculum incorporates a mentoring programto enhance the extent of knowledge relation. 

CHSGA Strategy Committee Chairman Patrick Pereira outlined the role of the MBA programin the country’s modern hospitality industry: “The hospitalityand tourism industry has experienced unprecedented growth over the past few yearsand the outlook for future growth is even more impressive. The industry is one of the county’s largest generators of wealthand jobs. Therefore I believe that that the ANC-UWL MBA programme is a step in the right direction to amplify the state of the industry.” 

Minister of Tourismand Christian Affairs John Amaratunga attending the event said: “This MBA provides an opportunity for industry professionals to enlarge their scope of knowledge about the modern methods of business management in the hospitality industry. These types of programs are important if Sri Lanka is going to focus on tourism for the development of the economy. The country is still recovering from the events of Easter Sunday attacks. Moving forward, the requirement of well-qualified industry professionals is paramount to bring the tourism industry back on its feet. This partnership is ideal in this endeavour.”

The MBA with Hospitality Management is set to commence by late September, with a batch size of 20-25 students. The minimum requirement for enrolment will be the same as a regular MBA, or two to five years of business management experience. There will also be guaranteed scholarships for all Ceylon Hotel School graduates.