State-of-art institute coming up in Asom

Guwahati, Apr 16 (UNI) Come June and the North East will have its first international hotel management institute.

With the hospitality sector emerging as one of the fastest growing industries in India as well as abroad, the new institute, christened as the International Institute of Hospitality Management (IIHM), will be promoting institutional training as well as concurrent training in some select heritage hotels.

An endeavor of the Kamal Kumari Foundation, the campus of the institute is coming up at Jorhat in upper Asom with a world-class ambience.

Speaking to reporters here, member of governing council of the institute, Rana Roy Choudhury said hospitality industry is presently generating massive income-generating opportunities for millions of people.

'' Presently the industry is employing over three million people in India and growing at an average of over ten per cent. Even though a good many institutes have emerged in the private sector in different states, Asom and the rest of North East at present have only a few institutions for professional training in the hotel and catering industry,'' Mr Choudhury said.

Expected to start from June, the courses planned have been structured and developed by Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (EI-AH&LA), while efforts are on to get affiliation from Gothenburg University of Sweden.

Mr Choudhury said the state-of-art institute would be absorbing 100 students per batch.

Economist Jayanta Madhav, who is an advisor of the IIHM board, said the provision of course material and examination will be conducted by the US-based EI-AH&LA, the largest hotel association of the world.

On successful completion of the EI exam, the students will receive the AH&LA course certificate in addition to the course credit and credential offered by IIHM.

The board is also in touch with the North East Council (NEC) for grants and subsidies so that scholarships could be arranged to meritorious students.

UNI