The Higher Education Review

Over the past two decades, the tourism industry has been contributing 6 percent of the world output, one in 15 jobs and 7 percent of capital investment. According to UNWTO, these numbers can double its contribution to world output, increase jobs by 33 percent and capital investment can jump by 80 percent. Unlike other export industries, there is comparatively little investment needed for promoting tourism in India. The scope for its expansion is unlimited. It is an industry, a source of income, especially of foreign exchange and an exercise in national image building. Government of India recognized the importance of hospitality education and under the umbrella of ministry of tourism set up various Hotel Management Institutes across the country to cater to the manpower demand in the field of hospitality industry.

"ISHM strives to provide need-established official training to a multitude of young and aspiring hoteliers in a simulated atmosphere close to real existence"

Based out of Kolkata, International School of Hospitality Management (ISHM) is amongst the finest hospitality-based management institutes in India. The college and its courses have been designed to teach promising and talented young girls and boys who want to take on the hospitality industry as their career. The whole gamut of hospitality and hotel operations is included in distinct fields under the equipped guidance of an educated and skilled group of faculty. ISHM strives to provide need-established official training to a multitude of young and aspiring hoteliers in a simulated atmosphere close to real existence.

Hospitality is the Mother of All Services
ISHM provides a wide array of courses for its students which is not only based on the current market trends and requirements but also on the basis that different students have different aptitude levels and also based on their wide variety of choices and preferences. These include Diploma in Aviation, Hotel & Hospitality Management - 1 Year Full-Time Course, Advance Diploma in Aviation, Hotel & Hospitality Management - 2 Years Full-Time Course; Under Graduate courses including BBA in Hospitality Management + Graduate Diploma in Aviation and Hotel Management Twinning Program 3 Years Full-Time Course, Bachelor in Hotel Management + Bachelor's in Tourism Studies - Dual Degree 3 Years Full-Time Course, Bachelor in Hotel Management-3 Years Full Time Course, Bachelor in Hospital Management & Health Care -3 Years Full-Time Course, B.B.A (Business Administration) -3 Years Full-Time Course, B.B.A in Aviation Management-3 Years Full Time Course, and Post Graduate Programs like Post Graduation Programme in Hospitality Management - 2 years course duration and M.H.A in Hospital Administration - 2 years course duration.

All the courses offered art ISHM are from UGC recognized University and accepted by other International bodies and Universities and is designed to transform the students' life. With two different industry placement experiences and most of the hotel operations and control subjects completed, students turn their attention to management subjects. As well as the core business disciplines, students explore areas beyond the traditional business degree. "ISHM believes in following two modules that we deliver to our students. One module is based on the university guidelines and the other follows the current

industry requirements. This is kept in mind because university guidelines are fixed for around two to three years but to keep our students updated with the fast-changing market scenario, we also inculcate a separate module based on the industry. Getting first-hand industry knowledge is of prime importance in our course curriculum. We have successfully managed to send all of our students in reputed star category hotels not only in India but also abroad. We do keep in mind that our students are well equipped to join the industry well before they pass out and are industry-ready even as freshers. Obtaining an appointment letter before a student passes out from our college is one of our unique ways to prove that we provide quality professional to the ever-changing and competitive market. With our current tie-ups with Vatel, Bangkok, we also send some of our deserving candidates to their university for extensive cross-cultural as well as extra-curricular activities. Our students are exposed to various learning experiences which broaden their minds, making them well-equipped for the international market scenario", elaborates Nirvik Saha, Director, ISHM.

"Created on the philosophy of commitment towards excellence and quality education, ISHM believes that training is essential for those who are seeking the most sought after positions in the highly competitive hospitality industry"

Raising the Bars with Unique Offerings
Created on the philosophy of commitment towards excellence and quality education, ISHM believes that training is essential for those who are seeking the most sought after positions in the highly competitive hospitality industry. To ensure quality experiences to its students, ISHM is the first-ever college in eastern India to tie up with WIC (Wine Information Centre), Nasik, Pune to engage its students on an extensive tour of Wine education by taking them to the grape capital of India. But perhaps the most leading-edge that ISHM has over other Institutes in the same genre is the process of blending technology and academics to deliver an unforgettable learning experience to its students. The live example of one such method is the fully operational live aircraft model built within the campus to create future Aviation professionals for the industry.

ISHM's Study Abroad Program in Foreign University In Malaysia & Thailand is an International Internship Program which has an integrated training program specifically designed to prepare the students for the international market. Students complete their curriculum on campus at ISHM and in the final year, they are sent abroad to any of the partner universities and subsequently gain an upper-hand in the global scenario. The training period may be up to 6 months depending on the student's choice. The remunerations would be according to international norms and standards.

The 'Professional Hotelier' is another unique training and development program that was introduced in the year 2017 and subsequently no other management institute conducts the same. Nirvik says, "We believe that to be a true professional in the hospitality industry, it is extremely important to first experience the hospitality sector from a consumer's point of view. It has been a very normal trend of management institutes to concentrate on training the students based on work simulations only. We just take the same to a level higher. In 2017, we took our students to J W Marriott, Hyderabad in the said program, which the hotel dubbed as 'Stay with us Learn with us'. We made our students understand, what it feels like to be a 'Guest' in the 5-star deluxe hotel. Not only did they stay in the guest roomsbut each and every one of them was allowed to access and use almost all of the in-house facilities that the hotel had to offer viz. Room-Service,

Fine dining, Swimming pool, Gym and more. They were also put into live simulations of the various departments of the Hotel like Front Office, Service, Kitchen. At the end of the program which lasted for 5 days, each and every student was also individually awarded a certificate from the hotel, which helped strengthen their professional presence in the sector immensely."

Other amenities by ISHM include a state of the art fully functional Aviation lab which is a live model of a cut section of an aircraft with Flight chairs, Cabins deck and a unique PA system to give the students a hands-on experience of in-flight methods. To add to their ever-lasting hunger to be the best in the industry, ISHM has two major Food Production Labs, plus, E-Library, Complete VIP Suite and a reception desk with mock PMS Software which is also a part of the advantages that students receive.

Committed to Producing Industry-Ready Professionals
With a mission to develop highly qualified professionals who play leading roles in promoting the region's industrial competitiveness in its integration into the global economy, ISHM offers value-based quality education of International standards. The Institute's goal is to produce quality and well-groomed graduates for employment in hotels, tourism and service management positions at national and as well as at a global level. Students get to enhance their skills and techniques on all the fronts with special emphasis on operation and management and with the right exposure that comes through various Institute Industry Collaborations.

Speaking about the eminent faculty of ISHM, Nirvik says, "We in ISHM believe that Professional development is very important because education is an ever-growing, ever-changing field, this means that teachers must be lifelong learners in order to teach each new group of students. Professional development not only allows teachers to learn new teaching styles, techniques, and tips but also interact with educators from other areas in order to improve their own teaching. Though some short workshops are effective in introducing new topics, the most effective workshops are taught over time and involve hands-only cater to the hospitality industry but to all service-related market segments. We have already stepped in to provide quality education for the Hospital Sector and the Management sector as well in addition to the hospitality industry. In the years to come, we have future plans of growing further and spreading our wings by opening more campuses in the North-eastern parts of India", signs off Nirvik.

Nirvik Saha, Director
Nirvik Saha presently serves as Director of the International School of Hospitality Management. He served as Operations head of School of Engineering Technology for Academic Affairs of from 2008- 2017. He is a native of Kolkata and double graduated in Bachelor in Business Management and Hotel Management and has also received a Master's in Business Management degree in Sales & Marketing and Human resource.

After kick-starting his career in the Hospitality Industry with market leaders like The Taj Hotels & Resort and Leela Kempinski Group, Nirvik clearly saw the urgent need of talented and skilled professionals in the Hospitality segment. He has been following his dream of the same since the last decade with ISHM Kolkata with hopes of expansion in other states. He is also an Editorial Board member of Mahasarakham University, Thailand and has also been honored by Chiang Mai University in the year 2018 for the idea of facilitation of Indian students in Thailand Hospitality industry.