Established in 1966, Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands is one of the best hospitality management institutes around the world. It is a medium-sized, government-funded higher education institute with more than 7000 Dutch and international students from around 100 countries. BUAS is internationally accredited by the UN World Tourism Organization, the World Leisure Organization, and the International Facility Management Association. Furthermore, it has an ECA Certificate for Quality in Programme Internationalization. BUAS is committed to forging ties with related fields of study and the international professional field. Likewise, the university partners with the frontrunners in the education industry and works with them on innovations and research and emphasizes on discovering new opportunities, new solutions, and new worlds together.
Versatile Hospitality Management Programs
In the beginning, BUAS provided higher education in Tourism and Leisure. Presently, it is the largest and leading institute in the world in the fields of Tourism and Leisure. Over the years, it has grown into an international knowledge and education institute. BUAS is all about knowledge development and research. It offers professional as well as academic bachelor’s and master’s programs in several domains. Some of the domains and the programs are as follows.
- Hotel: Bachelor of Hotel Management
- Facility: Bachelor of International Facility Management
- Built Environment: Bachelor of Built Environment
- Games: Bachelor of Creative Media and Game Technology and Master of Game Technology
- Leisure and Events: Bachelor of Leisure Event & Management and six other courses.
- Logistics: Bachelor of Logistic Management, Logistic Engineering and Master of Leadership in Supply Chain Management.
- Media: Bachelor of Creative Business and Master of Media Innovation and Executive Media Innovation
- Tourism: Bachelor of Tourism Management and three other courses
BUAS is committed to sustainable development goals and this commitment is reflected in its degree programs, research, and the brand new state-of-the-art campus. Since its inception, BUAS has transformed and evolved within its fields of interest and anticipated changes in society at large, creating new domains out of existing degree programs in a natural manner to ensure curriculum relevance. Committing to its goal, BUAS plans to introduce a new professional master in Strategic Event Management, in September 2020, followed by a new professional master in Supply Chain Management in September 2021.
Industry-Relevant Learning
At BUAS, the students are provided industry-relevant learning throughout their course of study. In lectures, project groups, and work placements, students get ample of time for exploring the industry in detail and for interaction, guidance, and feedback. The lecturers at the University often have an international background and participate in international networks. In addition to teaching, the lecturers and study coaches at BUAS are also active in the professional field, consequently, benefiting the students with the latest trends and insights of the industry.
A Flurry of Opportunities for the Students
The University gives high emphasis on international experience. Thus, the students are encouraged to go abroad during their studies for a work placement or an exchange program. BUAS has a network of 128 highly reputed educational institutes abroad that offer 350 exchange places for its students. Furthermore, the university has strong collaborations with companies around the globe. Together with the companies, BUAS provides students with a challenging and relevant work placements and graduation assignments.
At BUAS, no student is an average graduate. Each student is unique in his own way. For example, a year and a half after graduation, 97% of the hotel graduates from BUAS get a job. Out of those, 92% get employed at the bachelor’s level. The students of BUAS are recruited in prestigious companies such as Accor, Marriott, Odyssey, and Sircle after their graduation. Furthermore, more than 15% of BUAS graduates live and work abroad and those talented students have the opportunity to join Hilton Class, which offers them a career with Hilton Worldwide after graduation.
Green and Internationally Oriented Campus Environment
BUAS encourages development on its small scale and internationally oriented campus environment. The campus consists of three buildings including a former convent. The buildings are situated in a green, park-like environment, at the edge of the city Centre of Breda. The degree programs in Hotel, Facility, and Tourism Management are accommodated in a monumental convent, along with the Sibelicious Restaurant, Taste Lab, Grand café, and the Chapel for hosting all kinds of events.
Furthermore, there is a library, several study landscapes, and sport and recreation facilities for students and staff on campus. The sport and recreation facilities include a Playground, Music Room, and a Radio Station. Apart from this, all the domains have their own project spaces, labs, and workshop areas where students can work on assignments and projects. There is also space for enterprising graduates and starters. Moreover, there is an Innovation Square that offers the necessary facilities for creativity and innovation.
Salient and Unique Assets
Diversity in a small scale and the cross-cultural setting is one of the most important assets of the university. This diversity facilitates thinking outside the own cultural frameworks and across borders and it is reflected in the respective domains. The domains have their own identity, but all are related to each other giving rise to all sorts of connections and crossovers including in the field of hospitality. Moreover, the hospitality management programs of BUAS have made it a mission to integrate the ingredients such as service orientation and experiences (hotel management) with accuracy, efficiency, and planning (facility management). This unique combination comes together beautifully in Sibelicious, the student training company of both degree programs which focuses on Hospitality Experiences Design. Furthermore, BUAS has adopted the teaching model of the learning community. At BUAS, students and lecturers from different backgrounds, cultures, and areas of expertise work together on real-life problems taken from the international professional field. Apart from this, the university offers several bachelor’s scholarships for incoming non-EEA degree-seeking bachelor’s students.
Changes due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Like every educational institute across the globe, BUAS is also providing online education due to the outbreak of the pandemic. Presently, part of the education is being offered online, but the practical sessions such as training in kitchen and restaurants will remain bound to the campus environment within the possibilities the corona measures offer. Moreover, BUAS is characterized by personal education and it emphasizes on having personal contact with its community to exchange knowledge between its domain expertise. Thus, it has chosen to center all courses on one campus location. The university has gained great experiences in the field of online open days and webinars and plans to embrace the positive lessons learned from studying and working online for the future.
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