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The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) celebrated the grand opening of the Teaching Hotel today (4 January). The Teaching Hotel Project comprises Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin and the teaching building named Cheng Yu Tung Building, and provides state-of-the-art internship, teaching and research facilities for the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM), the Faculty of Business Administration as well as research institutes at CUHK, marking a new chapter in Hong Kong’s hotel and tourism management education. Officiating at the ceremony for the grand opening and the naming of Cheng Yu Tung Building were the Honourable John C. Tsang, Financial Secretary, The Government of the HKSAR; Dr. the Honourable Cheng Yu-tung, Chairman, New World Group; Dr. Cheng Kar-shun, Henry, Managing Director, New World Development Company Limited; Dr. Vincent H.C. Cheng, Chairman of the Council, CUHK and Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President, CUHK.

Dr. Vincent H.C. Cheng, Chairman of the Council, CUHK, said the Teaching Hotel Project had spanned over 10 years from concept development to completion of physical development. Today’s ceremony signified the successful launch of this meaningful project. In the early 90’s, the CUHK Faculty of Business Administration had the foresight that Hong Kong needed to promptly develop the hotel and tourism industry to boost the local economy and generate considerable employment opportunities, and the University had the primary mission to nurture leaders with global vision for the industry. Therefore CUHK established the SHTM and launched the Teaching Hotel Project which was built on the solid foundation of its Faculty of Business Administration, aiming at nurturing outstanding industry professionals for Hong Kong and nearby regions. Dr. Vincent Cheng thanked the Government and the University Grants Committee (UGC) for endorsing the University’s vision and supporting the establishment of SHTM in 1998. He also expressed gratitude to Dr. the Honourable Cheng Yu-tung, Dr. Cheng Kar-shun, Henry, New World Group and the Government for their generous support for the Teaching Hotel Project, allowing the University to develop a world-class hotel and teaching facilities to nurture more talents for the hotel and tourism industry, and the business sector at large.   

Dr. Cheng Kar-shun, Henry, Managing Director of New World Development Company Limited, was delighted to witness the accomplishments of his father, Dr. the Honourable Cheng Yu-tung, and New World Group after contributing to CUHK and higher education over several decades. ‘The Teaching Hotel overcomes the restriction of traditional case studies by allowing students to practise real-life operations. The integration of theory and practice can make the whole learning process more inspiring. The New World Group is proud to have made contributions to the development of the industry and Hong Kong’s tertiary education through participation in the Teaching Hotel Project, thus fulfilling its corporate social responsibility and giving back to society.’

The Honourable John C. Tsang, Financial Secretary, was impressed by the Teaching Hotel,‘The internship opportunities at the Teaching Hotel enable students to gain hands-on experience in the different operations of a hotel. The Teaching Hotel also facilitates research in the tourism and hospitality industry, promoting service and product innovation and further enhancing the reputation of Hong Kong's tourism.’

Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, expressed his deep appreciation to Dr. the Honourable Cheng Yu-tung for his invaluable contribution to the University and its Faculty of Business Administration over the past 30 plus years. As the Chairman of Advisory Board of the MBA Programmes for over a long period of time, Dr. Cheng has helped to steer the development of the Faculty and its programmes. He commended Dr. Cheng for being an innovative and visionary entrepreneur, for supporting the Teaching Hotel Project to tap into new opportunities in the hotel and tourism industry, and nurturing outstanding young persons, thereby making unparalleled contribution to the growth of the industry in Hong Kong, mainland China and the Asia Pacific region. The naming of Cheng Yu Tung Building is to honour Dr. Cheng’s contribution to CUHK over the years and to encourage students to follow his footsteps to strive for excellence and contribute to society.

The Teaching Hotel, comprising both a hotel facilities component and a teaching facilities component, is located right next to the MTR University Station in Ma Liu Shui of the New Territories, commanding magnificent views of Tolo Harbour. Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin is managed by the Hyatt Hotels Corporation at an international five-star standard. The facilities feature 567 rooms, a spa, an outdoor swimming pool, a gymnasium, a tennis court, function rooms, business centres and restaurants, where students of SHTM can take classes and serve practicum. The teaching facilities component, located in the Cheng Yu Tung Building adjacent to the hotel, features a learning centre specially designed by Hyatt to teach Hyatt’s brand standards and management principles, state-of-the-art food and wine laboratories to teach theories and skills of gastronomy and catering as well as a fully student-run experimental restaurant that allows them to integrate business concepts and real-life situations. The perfect combination of hotel and teaching facilities demonstrates an ideal business education approach that emphasizes both theory and practice.

CUHK’s Teaching Hotel Project was approved by the Executive Council and the Government of the HKSAR to invite organizations who would commit to training industry professionals to develop a Teaching Hotel, and related teaching and research facilities by way of competitive bidding. The developer had to engage a top-class international hotel management group as the operator and would underwrite any financial and operational risks. The Government finally approved the New World Group to jointly develop the Teaching Hotel with CUHK.
    
About the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at CUHK
In view of the growing significance of the tourism industry to Hong Kong, mainland China, Asia and the world, SHTM was established in 1998 to provide world-class business education with a hospitality focus. Prof. Lee Kam-hon, the then Dean of Business Administration (currently Director of SHTM), led a delegation to the highly reputable Cornell School of Hotel Administration for ideas exchange and experience sharing, leading to the establishment of SHTM and propelling the Teaching Hotel Project. The School has nurtured 475 graduates with acclaimed competence in the industry, with research papers frequently published in various leading business journals and hospitality management journals. The School went through the AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, International) accreditation and the UNWTO TedQual Certification (United Nation World Tourism Organization – Tourism Education Quality Certification) in 2009.  It has been recognized as an exemplary business education programme by AACSB International and a leading tourism education programme by UNWTO TedQual Certification.

About Cheng Yu Tung Building
The 15-storey Cheng Yu Tung Building accommodates all teaching and research units of the CUHK Faculty of Business Administration including the School of Hotel and Tourism Management. The first to third floors of the building accommodate three state-of-the-art classrooms, eight lecture theatres and 15 seminar rooms, all equipped with advanced facilities; 3/F is a student-run experimental restaurant where students can put into practice innovative business and management concepts; 4/F are the Finance Trading Laboratory and three state-of-the-art computer learning laboratories, the former allows students to experience simulated real-time stock trading; 5/F are food and wine laboratories to teach theories and skills of gastronomy and catering; 6/F are two computer laboratories and a learning centre specially designed by Hyatt  for teaching Hyatt’s brand standards and management principles; housed on 7/F are the offices of SHTM; 8/F to 15/F accommodate various departments, Faculty Office of the Faculty of Business Administration and research institutes.