Strengthening Bonds: B.H.M.S. President visits Partners in China

How can B.H.M.S. best meet the educational needs of students from China? This question lay at the heart of President and CEO Heinrich Meister’s visit to the country. As a part of a three-week tour across 12 countries, he took the opportunity to visit some of our key educational partners in China and attend the Swiss Education Fair in Beijing.

A career-oriented approach Chinese employers are looking for

From the moment of his arrival in Guangzhou, Mr. Meister, accompanied by members of our China office, visited a number of our key partners, responsible for helping Chinese students decide whether B.H.M.S. is the right school for them.

One of these partners is Wit-Rising, and the conversation between Wit Rising’s manager, Mr. Chen, and Mr. Meister, shed some light on why B.H.M.S. might be a good choice for Chinese students.

"The career-oriented approach inherent to the B.H.M.S. education concept meets the needs of many Chinese students."

According to Mr Chen, the Chinese educational landscape is changing at an increasingly fast pace, with new challenges arising - a degree alone is often no longer sufficient for Chinese employers. Because of this, Mr. Chen remarked that the career-oriented approach inherent to the education concept at B.H.M.S. is exactly what Chinese college students are looking for. He added that studying in Switzerland is a great choice for any student, particularly at a school with a quality higher education concept in the hospitality and business sectors.

As well as Wit-Rising, Mr. Meister was also warmly welcomed by Huatong International (IAE China) at their recently-opened office in Guangzhou, and by long-time partner JJL. Both meetings led to fruitful conversations and a strengthening of ties.

Cross-continental collaborations

While in Guangzhou, the B.H.M.S. team dropped by our partner school, Guangzhou Vocational School of Tourism and Business.

With GVSTB being famous for its Chinese tea sommelier courses, the possibility of launching joint online courses was discussed, as students from both schools could benefit from the expertise of each.

"Studying in Switzerland, particularly at a school with a quality higher education concept in the hospitality and business sectors, would be a wonderful opportunity for any student."

The B.H.M.S. team was given the special experience of tasting Chinese tea while a teacher from Guangzhou Vocational School of Tourism and Business offered them some insights into the culture of Chinese tea.

The next stop was Guangdong Teachers College of Foreign Language and Arts. The two schools explored the possibility of establishing international courses, sharing academic credits, and exchanging teachers and students in the future.

Swiss Education Fair, China

Finally, our team attended the Swiss Education Fair (SEF), held in Beijing and Shanghai, hosted by Switzerland Global Enterprise. The fair aims to promote Swiss educational providers, providing parents with a direct channel to learn about Switzerland’s latest education system. 

Following a general introduction of B.H.M.S. to the audience, one of our alumni Shichong Ai shared his success story to the SEF attendees.

Our team then had the wonderful opportunity to connect with students and parents at the B.H.M.S. booth, answering questions and matching their enthusiasm at the possibility of them studying with us in Lucerne. 

Mr. Meister’s time in China shed light on many ways B.H.M.S. can continue to meet the needs of Chinese students, while alliances and collaborations were formed which will enrich the experience of students both in Switzerland and in China.