Glion Institute of Higher Education

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Glion Institute of Higher Education

Former name	Institut international de Glion
Motto	Experience Excellence
Type	For-profit school
Established	September 1962
President	Georgette Davey, Managing Director
Academic staff	97 (Lecturers & Practical Arts Instructors)
Administrative staff	300
Students	1690 (2020)
Location	Glion , Vaud , Switzerland
Campus	Glion & Bulle, CH / London, UK
Affiliations	Sommet Education
Website	www.glion.edu

Glion Institute of Higher Education (informally Glion) is an international hospitality management school with campuses in Switzerland and the UK. It offers Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, as well as summer programs. All programs are taught in English, and the school offers specialized English language courses to students that require them.

Established in 1962 as the Institut International de Glion, the school was founded by Swiss professors Walter Hunziker and Frédéric Tissot on the site of the former Grand Hôtel Bellevue, in Glion sur Montreux, Switzerland.

Today Glion has three campuses: the flagship campus in Glion-sur-Montreux, Switzerland, a second in Bulle, in the district of Gruyère, Switzerland, and a third at the University of Roehampton in London, United Kingdom.^[1]

Globally, Glion is ranked among the Top 3 institutions for Hospitality and Leisure Management, and number 2 for employer reputation, according to the 2021 QS World University Rankings by Subject.^[2]

The institution is owned by Eurazeo, a multinational private equity firm based in Paris, and forms part of the international hospitality and culinary education group, Sommet Education.

History[]

L'Institut International de Glion was founded in 1962 with the initial class consisting of 15 students from five different countries, studying courses delivered in French.

In 1977, Glion changed its name to the Centre International de Glion (CIG), before becoming Glion Hotel School. In 1989 it opened a second campus in Bulle. In 2002, it updated its name to Glion Institute of Higher Education and became part of Laureate Education, an American education company.^[3]

In 2006, Glion was accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.).^[4]

In 2013, Glion opened a new campus in London, located in the grounds of the University of Roehampton. In 2016, Glion was acquired by Eurazeo, a multinational private equity firm based in Paris, France. Glion operates under the umbrella of hospitality education group Sommet Education.

Governance[]

Glion’s mission is to develop professionals for global careers in the world’s premier hospitality and luxury businesses.

Glion’s vision is to be known worldwide for excellence as a higher education institution for hospitality and luxury business management.

The Glion Board of Directors comprises eminent leaders in hospitality from around the world:

• Pierre Salles, Chair - Owner & Co-Founder, HES Hotels & Management Co. France
• Stephanie Furlough-Morris, Ph.D - Chief Financial Officer, Sommet Education, Switzerland
• Larry Edward Penley, Ph.D – President, Penley Consulting, LLC, USA
• Fabien Fresnel, Ph.D - Chief Operating Officer, Sommet Education, Switzerland
• Ruth M. Benjamin, General Manager, Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, USA
• Benoît-Etienne Domenget, Chief Executive Officer, Sommet Education, Switzerland
• Robert A. Spencer, Ph.D - Directeur Général Emeritas, USA
• Raymond Goodman, Jr., Ph.D - Emeritus Professor of Hospitality Management, USA
• Suzanne Lévesque, Secrétaire Générale, Richemont International SA, Switzerland

Academic programs[]

Undergraduate degrees[]

Glion's academic programs include a bachelor's degree in International Hospitality Business, which is three and a half years’ duration including two six-month professional internships. In the final semester, students can choose one of three specializations: Luxury Brand Strategy, International Hotel Development and Finance, or International Event Management.

Alongside the Bachelor's program, Glion offers a variety of summer programs, together with specialized English language tuition. Available in both Switzerland and London, the summer programs are designed to provide an introduction to hospitality for individuals aged between 15 and 19 years old. The English language program is an option for students required to raise their level of English to meet the admissions requirements for the undergraduate and graduate programs.

Graduate degrees[]

Glion offers four Master's programs delivered on campus or remotely during two academic semesters, followed by a six-month internship or a Business Research Project.

The MSc in International Hospitality Business is delivered at both Bulle and London campuses. Two other Master’s degrees are taught in Switzerland: the MSc in Hospitality, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation and the MSc in Luxury Management and Guest Experience. The London campus also offers an MSc in Real Estate, Finance and Hotel Development.

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Campuses[]

Glion Institute of Higher Education comprises three campuses.^[5]

Glion Campus[]

Glion's main campus overlooks the city of Montreux, positioned in Glion-sur-Montreux, between Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps.^[3] The Glion campus is a practical learning centre with two functional fine-dining restaurants, Le Bellevue and Fresh, both opened in 2018.^[6] Montreux (1 km/0.62 miles) and Lausanne (24 km/15 miles) are nearby, as is Geneva International Airport (66 km/41 miles).

Glion's flagship campus is situated in the hills above the city of Montreux, offering views over Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps.^[3] Lausanne (24 km/15 miles) is nearby, as is Geneva International Airport (66 km/41 miles). The Glion campus is constructed as a practical learning center, with two functional fine-dining restaurants, Le Bellevue and Fresh, which both opened in 2018.^[6]

Bulle Campus[]

The Bulle campus is located in the town of Bulle in the Gruyère region of Switzerland. Opened in 1989, the Bulle campus can accommodate 700 students in four residential buildings. As Glion’s primary academic center, the campus facilities include 16 classrooms and study rooms, a library, study area, two coffee shops and two restaurants.

London Campus[]

Opened in 2013, Glion London is situated in the grounds of the University of Roehampton. It remains the only UK campus established by a Swiss hospitality institution. As well as having their own dedicated campus building, Downshire House, Glion students are able to use the University of Roehampton's resources and facilities. Academic study options mirror those available in Switzerland, while in addition the MSc in Real Estate, Finance and Hotel Development is taught exclusively in London.

Faculty[]

As of 2021, Glion comprises seven faculties: Finance, Business and Management; Marketing; Event Management and Luxury; Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Practical Arts; Hospitality Management; and General Education.

The 97 current faculty members represent 17 nationalities and bring an average of 13 years’ hospitality industry experience and 12 years’ academic experience. (source: Glion EPM dashboard, 2020)

Student Life[]

Glion has more than 1600 students representing 93 nationalities (Total Glion Enrolled Students – Census October 2020). Glion students run a number of specialist committees, dedicated to the arts, the environment, charitable activities, and more. The objective is to explore their creativity and personal interests, while developing leadership and management skills by organizing events. They also have the opportunity to take part in an ambassador program to develop professional skills, which in turn strengthens future employability.

Alumni[]

Glion Institute of Higher Education has more than 15,700 alumni.^[7] Glion alumni are present in over 164 different countries and are involved in a broad range of industries, from luxury hospitality to private banking. Among notable alumni are:

• Marta Tacchini, Front Office Manager, The Hoxton Holborn, London, graduated in 2013
• Antoine Rigaud, Director of Food and Beverage, B Signature Hotels and Resorts, Saint Barthélemy, graduated in 2014
• Denisa Chebutiu, Product Learning Manager, Tag Heuer, Switzerland, graduated in 2016
• Sara Verderio, Commercial Marketing Manager, Oslo Skin Lab, Milan, graduated in 2014
• Igor Gambachidze, Director, Group Controlling and Business Operations, Radisson Hotel Group, Belgium, graduated in 2011
• Stefano Bottinelli, Banker Analyst, J.P. Morgan, Geneva, graduated in 2015
• Paula Prieto Cisneros, B2B Sales and Hospitality KAM, FC Barcelona, Spain, graduated in 2016
• Kenji Tawil, M.I.C.E Manager, Radisson Lampung Kedaton, Indonesia, graduated in 2015

The Alumni Association of Glion, or Association des Anciens de Glion (AAG), is the official networking community for Glion graduates. The AAG hosts a series of events worldwide, offering career support and leadership advice to its members.

Accreditation[]

International[]

Glion is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.).^[8]

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)[]

The world’s largest business education alliance, AACSB provides quality assurance, business education intelligence, and professional development services to over 1,500 member organizations and more than 785 accredited business schools worldwide. AACSB’s mission is to foster engagement, accelerate innovation, and amplify impact in business education. It connects educators, students, and business to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders.

QAA[]

Glion has undergone an educational oversight monitoring visit by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. In 2018 the QAA monitoring team endorsed Glion for meeting UK expectations for quality and standards and for making commendable progress through constant building on its good practices and responding to student needs and expectations.^[9]

The QAA monitoring team concluded that Glion Institute of Higher Education had made commendable progress^[10] in implementing the action plan from the Recognition Scheme for Educational Oversight.

Key Dates[]

1962 Founded as the hotel school ‘Institut International de Glion’

1977 Changes name to “Centre International de Glion”

1985 Founding member of the Swiss Hotel Schools Association

1989 Opens Bulle campus

2000 Starts the master's program and launches new bachelor's degree programs

2002 Changes name to ‘‘Glion Institute of Higher Education’’

2002 Becomes a part of Laureate Hospitality Education, a division of Laureate Education, Inc. Based in Baltimore (USA), Laureate is the largest network of international universities in the world, managing more than 80 universities in 28 countries and includes more than 1,000,000 students

2006 Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.).

2010 Launches the first online MBA in International Hospitality and Service Industries Management

2011 Launches 100% online postgraduate and professional development certificate and diploma programs

2012 Celebrates 50-year anniversary ^[11]

2013 Opens new branch campus in London

2014 Launches multicampus options for undergraduate and postgraduate programs, offering student mobility between campuses in Switzerland and London, UK

2015 Wins award for Best Hospitality Management School at the Worldwide Hospitality Awards in Paris.

March 2016 Glion London campus moved to a new building named Downshire House, on the campus of the University of Roehampton.

June 2016 Eurazeo acquired Glion Institute of Higher Education (Glion) and its interests in affiliated campuses and partners.

November 2016 Wins award for Best Innovation in an Educational Program at the Worldwide Hospitality Awards in Paris.

2018 Glion ranked 1st for employer reputation in Hospitality Management in the QS World University Rankings.^[12]

2018 Announces an expanded portfolio of four Master’s programs.

2020 Creates Glion Connect, a bespoke remote learning platform to teach the practical arts courses which form the first Bachelor’s semester.

October 2020 Launches new online business and lifestyle magazine, The Insider.

2022 Glion will celebrate its 60th anniversary.

References[]

External links[]

• Official Website

Coordinates: 46°25′57″N 6°55′18″E / 46.4324°N 6.9216°E / 46.4324; 6.9216