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IH&RA Foundation for the future awards bursaries to promising young professionals

Eight young hospitality professionals from China, India, Romania and the Caribbean have won places in…

Eight young hospitality professionals from China, India, Romania and the Caribbean have won places in the 2003 Summer Scholarship Programme run by the IH&RA (International Hotel & Restaurant Association) Foundation for the Future.

This year`s winners — chosen from a field of 34 candidates — come from companies large and small and will follow summer courses at Cornell University, Ecole Hoteliere Lausanne, Hotelschool the Hague, and Johnson & Wales University.

According to Dries de Vaal, Chairman of the Foundation for the Future, the programme is designed to give international experience and training to outstanding young hospitality professionals who might not otherwise have the opportunity to go abroad. Scholars are between 24 and 35 years old.

When the Selection Committee meets, he says, we look at all the applications and ask ourselves where a Foundation for the Future scholarship could make the biggest difference in a promising career. Decision-making isn`t always easy, he points out, especially when the applicants are as strong as they were this year.

The 2003 Scholarship Selection Committee met in London on March 27th and included representatives from Ecole Hoteliere Lausanne, Hotelschool the Hague, Johnson & Wales University and the Savoy Educational Trust, along with Trustees of the Foundation.

Funding for the annual Summer Scholarship Programme comes from sponsors` donations, donations in kind by hospitality schools, and proceeds from the Silent Auction held during each IH&RA Annual Congress.

Six Continents and the Swedish Hotel & Restaurant Association have given generous donations to the Summer Scholarship Programme in 2003, and join a distinguished line of regular supporters that includes the American Express Foundation. Johnson & Wales University has awarded two places for Foundation scholars – one each in their Culinary Arts and Hospitality programmes – and the Savoy Educational Trust is providing one place each year for five years for study at a UK institution or placement in a London hotel.

The IH&RA Foundation for the Future 2003 Summer Scholarship Programme winners, in alphabetical order:

  • Ms Melissa Dow, Coconut Court Resort, Christ Church – Barbados
  • Mr Jun Peng, White Swan Hotel, Guangzhou — China
  • Mr Corneliu Posea, Bazna Spa, Sibiu — Romania
  • Mr Abhijit Saha, The Park Hotel, Bangalore — India
  • Ms Indrani Sanyal, The Park, Kolkata — India
  • Mr Zubin Songadwala, ITC Hotel Grand Maratha Sheraton, Mumbai — India
  • Ms Xuetong Wang, Qilu Hotel, Jinan — China
  • Mr Xiaoguang Yao, Hai Tian Hotel, Qingdao — China.

These scholars join more than 180 alumni who have participated in the Summer Scholarship Programme since it was founded in 1987. Each bursary is worth approximately USD $4 000, and covers tuition, fees, materials and, in most cases, accommodation.

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