As of next intake, October 2020, Sommet Education, Leading Hospitality Education Group encompassing the highly reputed education institutions - Glion Institute of Higher Education and Les Roches - will provide new Bachelor students with a “phygital” academic program combining digital experiences with physical ones. This curriculum option is dedicated to international students experiencing travel restrictions in the current context and enables them to start the first semester of their Bachelor remotely.

“Glion Connect” and “Les Roches Connect”

Sommet Education, the Leading Hospitality Education Group with Glion Institute of Higher Education and Les Roches among its hospitality and culinary arts institutions, has created a unique “phygital” learning solution called “Glion Connect” and “Les Roches Connect”. This Bachelor program is a state-of-the art blended learning option offering 10 weeks of remote teaching followed by 10 weeks on campus. This allows new international students to access the first semester of their bachelor’s in international hospitality business at Glion and Global Hospitality Management at Les Roches remotely and arrive on campuses in Switzerland or Spain in January 2021 to finish the semester face-to-face.

The Connect solution is based on the four learning modules that usually compose the introduction to the Hospitality sector including the Practical Arts the industry is famous for: Induction, The Art of Gastronomy, The Wine & Bar Universe and Rooms Division & Hotel Operations.

The practical arts modules will be taught by world-renowned experts from all Sommet institutions, such as Christophe Raoux and Luc Debove, both Meilleurs Ouvriers de France and Executive Chef and Executive Pastry Chef respectively at Ecole Ducasse, the famous culinary arts institution also part of Sommet Education created by the world-renowned Chef. They will be joined by many other world-class title bearing experts, such as Paolo Basso, World’s Best Sommelier in 2013, and Reza Nahaboo, Best Swiss Sommelier in 2016.

All participating students will receive a special “welcome kit” with necessary essentials to use along with the mix of live tutorials and demonstrations, videos, as well as one-to-one coaching and mentoring that constitute the special remote approach. Alongside each remote learning module, a companion program of extracurricular activities including engaging and fun competitions and challenges designed to build on the practical teaching such as cocktail and mocktail on-line contests, live demonstrations and guest speaker interviews is available.

Christopher Gulli, the Dean of Practical Arts at Glion Institute of Higher Education said: “by offering this flexible unique solution, our objective is to help young aspiring professionals acquire the indispensable practical skills and get their degrees without delays in the current context.”

While the students opting for the Connect program shall start their first semester remotely, all other students will be able to safely integrate their studies on all Glion and Les Roches campuses in Switzerland and Spain in early October. With the primary objective being student health and safety, meticulous and specific protocols have been established, including such procedures as distribution of safety kits, application of social distancing measures and extensive disinfection of the spaces numerous times a day to name a few.

Sommet Education has been providing special flexible solutions among its institutions since the spread of the pandemic by providing tools for remote learning to all its Glion and Les Roches students worldwide during the temporary closure of its campuses and offering access to online crisis management themed series, additional certificates through complimentary online courses and live sessions courses for late comers.