Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School organized an online guest lecture in collaboration with ISBM Raipur on February 27, February 2024. We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us...thus greening the tourism sector is the only way forward! Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University in collaboration with ISBM University, Raipur conducted a special lecture on 'Green Tourism in Protected Areas: Sustainability and Beyond'.

Let us all take pledge today to become responsible travellers because SAVING THE EARTH STARTS WITH US!

A visit was planned for students of BHM 2022-26 Batch to Surajkund International Crafts Mela, Faridabad on 16th February, 2024. State of Gujarat was the theme state of the year 2024. This visit provided the students with first hand exposure to the diverse cultural heritage, hospitality, and culinary traditions showcased at the Surajkund Mela. It also offered them insights into event management, customer service, and marketing strategies employed in organizing such large-scale event.

The purpose of the visit was to expose the students to the rich tapestry of India's cultural diversity, traditional craftsmanship, and the culinary treasures that define the country. Stalls adorned with handcrafted artifacts and bustling with artisans from across India showcased the country's cultural wealth.

The culinary section of the Mela was a gastronomic adventure that transported them through the flavours of India. The day at the Surajkund International Crafts Mela was a transformative experience for the batch of BHM students. It opened their eyes to the wealth of India's cultural heritage, instilled a deep appreciation for traditional craftsmanship, and enriched their understanding of the diverse culinary traditions that make our nation unique.

VIn India, festivals are all about togetherness and harmony. With the onset of the spring season, it’s time to celebrate the festival of Basant Panchami. It is said that Goddess Saraswati can bestow on her devotees lots of wisdom, learning and knowledge as the goddess is considered to be an epitome of wisdom. Let us personify Vidya (knowledge) and dispel tamas (ignorance) as Basant Panchami is the day to dedicate your time for noble cause with Arpan 2024.

The Students and Faculty members of VHTBS, joined hands with the profound NGO, TeensOfGod Sector 15 Gurugram to donate Books, Stationary Items, Clothing Pieces and other items that can contribute to lives of these young individuals for their educational, nutritional, and well-being requirements.

Vatel Hotel and Tourism business school organized cleanliness drive on January 19,2024 at D- block ground floor in Vatel school. A cleanliness drive is a concerted effort to promote and instil the values of cleanliness and hygiene within the students. This proactive initiative involved collective participation, with students coming together to clean and maintain their surroundings. The primary objective was to create a cleaner and healthier environment, reducing the risks of diseases, promoting well-being, and fostering a sense of civic responsibility.

These drives typically targeted public spaces, such as reception, Offices,Labs and Corridors. Students engaged in activities like garbage collection, sweeping, and general upkeep to rid these areas of litter and waste. Additionally, awareness campaigns are often an integral part of cleanliness drives, educating students about the importance of maintaining cleanliness and the impact of individual actions on the community.

Cleanliness drives not only transform the physical landscape but also contribute to community bonding and a shared sense of pride. By fostering a culture of cleanliness, these initiatives aim to create lasting habits that extend beyond the event itself. In essence, a cleanliness drive is a powerful mechanism to inspire positive change, promote a sense of collective responsibility, and enhance the quality of life for all.

Vatel Hotel and Tourism business school organized cleanliness drive on January 19,2024 at D- block ground floor in Vatel school. A cleanliness drive is a concerted effort to promote and instil the values of cleanliness and hygiene within the students. This proactive initiative involved collective participation, with students coming together to clean and maintain their surroundings. The primary objective was to create a cleaner and healthier environment, reducing the risks of diseases, promoting well-being, and fostering a sense of civic responsibility.

These drives typically targeted public spaces, such as reception, Offices,Labs and Corridors. Students engaged in activities like garbage collection, sweeping, and general upkeep to rid these areas of litter and waste. Additionally, awareness campaigns are often an integral part of cleanliness drives, educating students about the importance of maintaining cleanliness and the impact of individual actions on the community.

Cleanliness drives not only transform the physical landscape but also contribute to community bonding and a shared sense of pride. By fostering a culture of cleanliness, these initiatives aim to create lasting habits that extend beyond the event itself. In essence, a cleanliness drive is a powerful mechanism to inspire positive change, promote a sense of collective responsibility, and enhance the quality of life for all.

Resonating the echoes of nostalgia and celebrating the learnings of the past, Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School at Sushant University beautifully strung together the pearls of glory by conducting 'RESONANCE - Alumni Meet 2023'.

A commemoration of learning, the event witnessed an exciting reunion of Vatel alumni from across the globe each excelling in different areas of hospitality. Besides plunging into the pool of nostalgia, the distinguished alumni unassumingly vowed to pass the torch of knowledge, wisdom and expertise to the nascent Vatelians, thus expanding the horizons of Vatel Connect...

Flipping through the pages of VHTBS, the day marked a truly memorable moment amidst a cheerful exchange of experiences, laughter’s and applauds, eventually nudging the idea that 'one can never stop learning because life will never stop teaching'! /p>

A potpourri of history, royalty, opulence and aroma, the Hyderabadi cuisine is well known for its exquisite recipes, assorted ingredients, rich palettes and the soulful experience that it offers!

In order to bring home the essence of 'Rivaayat-e-Hyderabad', the young cuisiniers of Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School at Sushant University felicitously curated and served 'Rivaayat - Hyderabadi Theme Lunch'.

Amidst the colourful rangolis, glittering diyas and embellished attires, the ambiance at VHTBS offered a truly surreal experience!

Right from the traditional decoration of the venue to the tehzeeb-infused greeting of guests accompanied by a mesmerizing classical music, the afternoon undoubtedly took the guests back to the 'City of Nawabs'.

Such events offer an opportunity for hospitality enthusiasts to put to test not only their technical knowledge but also their practical learnings on standard serving etiquettes and skillful handling of variety of guests.

The superlative moment of the luncheon however was when the young aspiring chefs were showered with words of appreciation and encouragement! It was an unforgettable moment indeed!

Seen as one of the most personalized kinds of industry, hospitality often sees safety and security early on its priority list.

Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University welcomed Mr Shirish Ghorpade, Security Manager at Crowne Plaza Today for an incisive Security Management Session.

The session enlightened hospitality enthusiasts on various operating procedures, both physical and psychological, that must be adopted while handling diverse emergency situations in a hospitality - related work environment.

Such situations can range from minor and thus more manageable ones like handling a disrespectful inebriated guest at a restaurant to extremely challenging one's like a fire emergency that can pose a direct threat to human lives A brief demonstration was also given on utilisation of safety-related tools and Industrial safety equipment.

The session opened a window of awareness upon the budding hoteliers and thus proved to be a great eye-opener!

A responsible hotelier must never forget that 'Safety first is safety always

In order to unlock novel vistas of opportunities and learning, students from DAV PUBLIC SCHOOL, Sector 37, Faridabad paid an inquisitive visit to the premises of Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University.

Right from their arrival, the students with their gleaming eyes, full of curiosity, started keenly observing the campus. They were first introduced to the world of hospitality, its core and ancillary departments and related job opportunities available in the market, through a presentation.

They were then taken for an exploratory tour across the labs, basic and advanced training kitchens, where a demo session on preparation of chocolate mousse was set up. Few students even cheerfully tried their hand at beating the mixture!

Later that day, they also witnessed an exciting session on mixology where they learned different methods of mocktail making along with a demo on preparation of cucumber mint melody and watermelon virgin mojito.

Before leaving they heartily savoured on the delightful chunks of chocolate mousse and exchanged words of gratitude and assurance.

Such visits are envisioned to expand horizons of awareness, bridge the abruptness that follows schooling and helps in executing a swift transition towards higher learning!

A visit to Cyber Hub, situated in the heart of Gurgaon, India, provides an exceptional and immersive learning experience for hotel management students. Cyber Hub is renowned for its eclectic mix of restaurants, making it a culinary hotspot and a prime destination for gastronomic exploration. During this visit, hotel management students have the opportunity to delve into the intricacies of restaurant management and hospitality operations within a dynamic urban setting. Cyber Hub's diverse array of dining establishments caters to a wide range of tastes, from global cuisines to local delicacies, and offers various dining experiences, from casual to fine dining. This diversity allows students to witness firsthand the multifaceted nature of the hospitality industry. One of the primary objectives of this visit is to gain practical insights into restaurant operations. Students can observe the inner workings of the establishments, from front-of-house operations like seating, greeting, and order-taking to back-of-house activities such as food preparation and kitchen management. Understanding the seamless coordination required for a smooth dining experience is invaluable for aspiring hoteliers. Furthermore, the visit offers a platform for students to evaluate and critique various restaurant concepts, menus, and ambiances. They can analyze factors like menu design, pricing strategies, interior décor, and overall guest experience. Such assessments contribute to their ability to make informed decisions as future hotel and restaurant managers.

In the modern hospitality landscape, technology plays a pivotal role in enhancing guest experiences and operational efficiency. Cyber Hub, as its name suggests, is a hub of technology and innovation. Students can explore how restaurants here leverage technology for reservations, order processing, and customer engagement. Understanding the integration of technology in dining establishments is crucial for staying competitive in the ever-evolving hospitality industry.

In conclusion, a visit to Cyber Hub for hotel management students is an educational journey that combines practical exposure to restaurant operations, critical evaluation of diverse dining experiences, and a glimpse into the technological advancements shaping the hospitality sector. It equips students with the knowledge and insights necessary to excel in their future careers in hotel and restaurant management.

Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School strongly believes that when edifices of truth have little windows of experiences, then the entire structure lights up in the illumination of knowledge!

With the intention to create a similar spark in the educational journey of Vatelians, VHTBS at Sushant University conducted yet another industrial visit, this time to Crown Plaza, sector - 29, Gurugram.

Right after their arrival, the students were briefed about the property, different departments, lodging capacity etc. This was followed by a sumptuous lunch, exchange of laughter and experiences.

Later, they were taken for a detailed property tour - from sneaking into the laundry rooms to conversing with veteran florists, from cherishing the luxuriant suites to witnessing the opulence of the banquets - the visit had loads to offer.

The inquisitive minds popped up an array of questions and drank upon the wisdom of many industry experts.

The visit concluded with exchange of thanking remarks and gestures of joy.

Such visits bloom within the young minds’ flowers of hopes and curiosity while imprinting on them a gentle touch of reality!

Traditionally being the colour of prosperity and abundance, the green not only beautifies the aura of a space but also pushes us closer to the lap of mother earth!

This World Tourism Day, Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University collectively hails the idea of 'GREEN INVESTMENT'. Ornating the otherwise concrete walls with little saplings of joy, Vatelians today cheerfully executed “Plant Propagation Activity” - GREEN WALL OF KINDNESS', highlighting the ever-expanding role of nature.

The day marks a true celebration of the blessings of Mother Gaia at the doorstep of VHTBS!

All major civilizations across the globe have time and again emphasized on the importance of cleanliness. Many health experts are of the view that "cleanliness is half our health", hence mustn't be a project but practice! In the hospitality industry, the housekeeping staff has always emerged as champions of cleanliness, order and synergy.

With the intention to honour and cherish the work of such unsung heroes on our premises, HOUSEKEEPING WEEK was observed with much fanfare and fervour, at Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University.

After appreciating their robust role as 'keepers' of the organisation, an educational session with the housekeeping staff threw light on different techniques of sanitation and disinfection, the latest innovations in the area and the global best practices.

The week soon took an artistic turn when during HORIZON HOUSEKEEPING EXHIBITION, Vatelians showcased their creative prowess via exhibition of models highlighting the role of housekeeping department, tools and ancillary areas.

The week truly commemorated the idea of cleanliness and managed to engage all rungs of the organisation into this festival of resurrection!

A true alchemization of destiny happens if an opportunity doesn't knock and you take matters in your own blessed hands and build a door!

It is a moment of immense pleasure and delight that one of the eminent faculty members of VHTBS, Ms Chandana Paul, was invited for an enlightening career talk on the premises of Amity International School, Sector 46, Gurugram.

The event envisaged an educative rendez-vous with students and their respective parents, throwing light on the relevance of hotel management in today's industrial panorama, the diverse avenues in the field of hospitality and the programs available in the academic landscape.

A spurring fascination for the field allured many inquisitive minds at the doorstep of hospitality, followed by a curious to-and-fro of questions. The sheer sparkle of curiosity in the eyes of the young ones talked loads about their level of excitement and enthusiasm.

The session truly emerged as a sigh of gratification to many nervous head-scratching and nail-biting moments self-introspection!

The time has come for great jubilation, The sunrays slivering through the horizon, The glaciers losing grip of the frozen, The ribbon is cut, it's time for creation!

Taking pride in its educationally vibrant curriculum and a zealous approach to learning, Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School at Sushant University celebrated with great fanfare and elation 'AARAMBH' - a week-long orientation program rolling over from 14th to 18th August 2023.

The week commenced with a gong, 'PASSING THE TORCH' on 14th August 2023, where decorated Vatelians, pursuing their respective journeys in Marco Polo Program as well as Nimes Summer Internship spilled the tea on their rich experiences and learnings on the professional front.

16th August ushered in a new day with a new spirit, drifting along the budding hospitaliers for a field visit to the 'SATTVIK RESTAURANT', New Delhi where they curiously studied the cuisine, the kitchen and the work culture of the place. The visit concluded with an incisive tête-à-tête with Chef Nishant Choubey.

The 4th day was meticulously flanked by a series of events under the umbrella of AARAMBH. Beginning with 'AURORA: SHINE YOUR AURA' a powerful personality grooming session steered by Dr. Shaily Bhashanjaly, the day then solicited another congregation 'UNLOCKING PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS' throwing light on the Corporate Resource Centre, career guidance and internship & placement procedures.

The school also welcomed Ms Shilpi Sharma, Human Resource Manager at Double Tree by Hilton who staged a 'BIRD'S EYE VIEW ON HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY' hence giving away a 360 degree perspective as well as a profound understanding of the business.

VHTBS cheerfully embraced the fifth day, welcoming Mr Rahul Kumar, Mixologist at Monin, for 'THE ART OF CURATING A PERFECT MOCKTAIL', followed by an alumni interaction 'HONOURING OUR PAST, SHAPING OUR FUTURE', a session that threw light on the importance of learnings and networking skills.

Overall, the week certainly brought in a wave of unique dynamism and vibrance, adding further to the high-spirited educational culture at the VHTBS.

Has your soul ever been transmigrated to the luxuriant vineyards of Bordeaux, as you opened a bottle of Merlot?

Don’t your senses get pampered, when the fruity yet foxy flavours of Fratelli feigns your taste buds?

Such platonically rich experiences of wine degustation become a reality not only with a bottle of quality wine but also with quality wine serving etiquettes!

Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School at Sushant University, therefore, organized “UNCORKING THE SECRETS: A MASTERCLASS IN WINE SERVICE” on 9th August 2023, and welcomed Mr Avijit Mohanta, Bar Manager at Double Tree by Hilton, as the key speaker.

The session began with the faculty members felicitating the presence of Mr Mohanta and introducing them to the Vatelians. The latter remained seated, each with a gleam of curiosity in their eyes and a willingness to learn.

He started by introducing different types of wines and types of wineglasses, their palates, aromas followed by explaining the process of wine-making, fermentation, filtration etc. Later, he beautifully demonstrated the fine etiquettes of wine serving. Vatelians seemed to enjoy the demo and even tried giving it a whirl. Mr Mohanta specially paid attention to the details like the style of holding the bottle, the work of words and the unsaid rules of pouring.

The Session concluded with words of gratitude for his much-solicited presence at the VHTBS. Mr. Mohanta later proceeded for the lunch.

Vatelians truly uncorked a lot of secrets from the world of Vinology this day and counted it as a rejoicing yet educative experience.

On Tuesday, August 08, 2023, the fresh batch of HM students visited the Expo Inn Suites & Convention, a unit of the India Expo Mart Limited – (IEML), located at Greater Noida.

Attached seamlessly to the colossal conference and convention halls of the IEML, the Expo Inn is a small boutique hotel with 134 keys, comprising of standard rooms, deluxe rooms, deluxe suites and executive suites. Since the hotel wasn’t fully ready and had not been formally launched, their presidential suites were still under construction. The students went around to see the different categories of rooms and found them to be very well laid out with the latest amenities, toiletries, and the modern guest supplies.

The deluxe rooms had an alcove giving extra privacy to the guests, the suites had a separate seating area, a powder room, a pantry, and large beds. The rooms were decorated with very subtle colours and faced either the swimming pool or towards the city. The 4th floor had a terrace with a breathtaking view of the city, where get-togethers of 45-50 people can be arranged and catered to from the pantry located on the same floor.The students saw the gymnasium on the top floor with the latest exercising equipment laid out for a convenient use, and visited the SPA, which, though wasn’t fully ready, had a provision for massages, steam bath, yoga and for meditation.

Our students were greeted warmly with a refreshing welcome drink at the AMARIS restaurant, followed by which the associate director of sales of the hotel, Ms. Nivedita Trehan gave a formal presentation in the hotel’s boardroom and briefed them about the features of the hotel and IEML. In a conducted tour, the students saw the PAPRIKA restaurant, a 140-cover outlet, which was still in the making, adjacent to which their most modern bar ALTUS was also coming up. This hotel, though in full operation, has still not been formally launched as all the facilities were not yet ready.

“This hotel does a back-to-back full occupancy, especially during the days when events are taking place at the convention halls. And now, with the exhibition season coming up, we will be running high occupancies till the middle of April 2024”, says Mr. Kulmohan Singh, the hotel’s HR and Admin Head, who, at that time was also the officiating general manager. “We have recently had the India International Hospitality Exposition in which 580 organisations connected directly and indirectly with the trade of hospitality put up stalls and my hotel was buzzing with the general managers, marketing managers and purchase managers of top hotel chains” he adds.

Though the students had seen all the facilities of the hotel, it, however, wasn’t complete till the students were taken to the air-conditioned convention halls, having capacities of more than 5,000 people each. The students were also taken to the HVAC plant room, where the process of air conditioning at a large scale was processed and supplied to the entire complex, spread over 58 acres. The students were awe-inspired by the visit, seeing halls, nearly of the size of football fields. “Our complex has been designed to handle masses,” says Mr. Singh, “We can accommodate a hundred thousand people, can park 20,000 cars with a free electric vehicle charging station, and also have a helipad which can accommodate three helicopters of the largest size and the Acqua Line station of Metro is located at just a 10-minute walk…”

The students were served lunch at the AMARIS café, located by the poolside, and were given a warm send-off by the hotel management.

Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School organizes Farewell Party at school level on 24th April 2023 in the Vatel courtyard and the theme for the event was Ethnic Wear and there were three rounds of Fun activities. There were some performances also organized by Junior batches for the Senior batch students of BHM and MBA

The students participated in the event with full energy & enthusiasm. It was a great event which was organized & managed beautifully by the students

In what proves to be a delightful presentation of the learnings imbibed by the students of the Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business school in the field of bakery, which includes both the dry breads and the creamy desserts, they (the young enthusiasts) despite the limited time available to them, took on the challenge and put up an excellent show of cakes and pastries, which included mango tarts, apple pies, date & walnut cakes, lemon tarts and blueberry cheese cake and a few others.

This was called a GUILT-FREE, SUGARY AFFAIR, and chef Tushar Gupta made sure that due to the people in general avoiding the creamy-sweet desserts, made balanced the goodies in their right (acceptable) proportions. “Unless well presented, a dessert of this quality loses its appeal and charm” says Chef Saurav, the dean of the school. The mesmerizing display was done at the Epicure restaurant on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 which was attended by the Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor, the Pro-Vice Chancellor, the Controller of Examinations and the deans and faculty members from the different schools of the Sushant University. “This was indeed a nice delicious treat for us. Much as I wanted, I couldn’t taste most of what was on the display. Hope we re-do such a display-cum tasting once again, very soon.” Said the Vice Chancellor, Dr. Rakesh Ranjan.

Ms. Sangeeta Ratra a veteran hotelier who has to her credit a long and a fruitful stint in the hospitality trade, and has been looking after the Human Resources Development at Le Meridien New Delhi since the past more than two decades, visited the Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, primarily to give to the Final Year students a talk on SUCCESS which was followed by her one-on-one meeting with the students.

She had on her offer openings as Ambassadors of Front Office, for girl students and for the boys she proposed careers in the food and beverage department. “As long as the organisation you wish to make a career with is reputed, well established, is growing and is offering you an opening even at the entry level, you must accept it with willingness and joy as the opportunities of growth in such organisations are tremendous. I have seen many people who have experienced a rapid growth in their careers and have risen from the Front Office, Food and Beverage, Kitchen and even in the housekeeping departments and, over a few years, have become general managers or senior executives” She said

“However, I must say that like every other industry, a lot of hard work and long hours are involved, especially in the initial 3-4 years, later on, as you grow, you teach others how to work and that’s when your career graph starts begins to rise.” Mrs. Ratra shortlisted 11 students and requested them to come over the next day to Le Meridien New Delhi for rounds with the department heads and the final one with the general manager.

This was the first visit to our campus by Ms. Ratra and she was impressed to see the quality of students, the infrastructure and, indeed the learned and experienced faculty members of the Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, Sushant University, Gurgaon.

Visit to “Campus France” at the Alliance Francaise

The Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, Sushant University, by virtue of having an academic collaboration with Institut Vatel of France, besides following the international syllabus of hotel management studies, has a prominence of French culture, language and civilization. It is therefore necessary for the students to be exposed to CAMPUS FRANCE, an institute of French studies established by the Embassy of France in India.

On Wednesday, April 05, 2023, the students of Second Year pursuing the 4-year BHM Degree programme were sent to Campus France at the Alliance française, located in Lodhi Estate, New Delhi, where they were welcomed by Mr. Frederic Wolska, the academic director, who conducted a presentation on the advantages of gaining fluency in French and proposed the various online and offline courses. This was followed by a presentation by Ms. Shubra, who spoke to the students about the possibilities of pursuing further studies in France. “Even for the non-speakers of French, it is quite possible for the students to pursue courses in France as the lectures are delivered in English as well” she said. She also spoke about the possibilities of taking up permanent job positions in France. The students were then taken for a tour of the institute and were shown to the library in which books ranging from children to adults, right up to professionals in any discipline were available. The students were given a warm send-off, wherein the officials joined the students for a group picture.

VATEL STUDENTS VISIT PRAGATI MAIDAAN FOR AAHAR EXPO

The style and ways of working in the hospitality sector, especially in hotels keep changing constantly and the hoteliers wish to continuously modify the various systems, leading eventually to a total alteration in the main principal systems. People all over the world are engaged endlessly in making innovations, inventions, novelties and are devising novel ways of preserving foods, in storing them and using the latest, cost saving, time saving and effective measures of cooking. Besides cooking and the kitchen equipment, the organisations are busy churning out the best in linen, drapery, housekeeping equipment, refrigeration, air conditioning, glassware, tableware, hollowware, flatware, furniture etc.

It is for gaining exposure to such a display that the Final Year students of the Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, Sushant University were sent to the hospitality expo called AHAAR at the Pragati Maidaan, New Delhi between March 14 and 18, 2023. The exposition was full of Indian and foreign companies, who took up large stalls to display their organizations’ merchandize. The most prominent amongst the overseas companies were ROBOCOP for grinders, blenders and mixers, MENU MASTER for commercial microwave ovens, HOT MAX for convection ovens. The domestic organisation CHANCHAL CREATIONS had put up a great display of crockery, cutlery’ linen and glassware, BUTLER had put up hotel ware moulds, besides there were UNOX and SUJATA MIXERS, FEATHER TOUCH for crockery, VEEBA FOODS for sauces etc.

The larger and heavier equipment comprising of dish washers, industrial refrigerators, freezers, blast freezers, baking ovens, ice making machines were on display from prominent suppliers in India and abroad.

“It was a good exposition, in which we learnt a lot straight from the chefs who were explaining the details about how to use pizza conveyor ovens, speed ovens, different microwaves, combi ovens, convections ovens, which were targeted towards saving the basic texture of food and saving time and electricity” said Vishnu, one of the Final year students.

Chelsi from the Vatel School also worked towards learning about equipment from various stalls and closely worked with chefs and observed the way he was explaining various equipment’s use and functioning. “In my mind such elaborate expositions are a must-see, must-visit for all the hoteliers as well as for the students of hotel management. It is very rare that one gets to see so many companies displaying the latest hotel products under one roof” says she with a smile.

Students from several institutes from hotel management were seen around in the exhibition grounds and there was a good representation from hotels like ITC, Taj and the Oberoi. Besides this one-of-a-kind exhibition being attended by the students and hoteliers, there were people who had come all the way from the metro cities as far as Chennai and Bengaluru.

RECRUITERS RUSH TO THE VATEL HOTEL AND TOURISM BUSINESS SCHOOL,SUSHANT UNIVERSITY TO GRAB TALENT

Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University, recognized for honing talent of the young hospitality students, welcomed, on Monday, February 28, 2023 the human resources teams of AIR INDIA and Café Coffee Day for a round of campus recruitments. It is by sheer coincidence that both these organizations were able to visit on the same day…

After their presentations to the students, these organizations conducted personal interviews and spent a considerable amount of time with each of them. Their questions to the students were oriented rather towards discovering the long-term developmental career prospects of these students who were enthusiastic and obsessive about making a bright career in the world of hospitality or, later on, emerging as successful entrepreneurs. “I am happy to see that the young students of these are focused about how this industry is progressing and feel that this the right time for them to make the best of it” said one of the recruiters. The students were well groomed, were ready with their latest, updated CVs and had also had their recent photographs in passport size and in full length readied for these recruiters.

“We are happy to be here and are glad to see that the quality of students has further improved in terms of their communication skills, their technical knowledge and their general outlook of the industry. They are skilled as good resources for the hospitality” Was the general feedback given by the recruiters. “All of them were excellent and good to hire”

Results were declared soon and several students were successful in being short-listed for the openings announced.

THE REAL LEARNING LIES OUTSIDE THE FOUR WALLS OF THE CLASSROOMS

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the more a student is exposed to the real and practical aspects of the chosen studies outside the limitations of the classrooms, the learning assumes a totally different dimension and the understanding of the subject matter increases manifold. This is true particularly about the hotel management studies where the studies are more oriented towards the practical aspects of learning. A student’s retention of the subject is successful when he/she is physically exposed to a style of work and is taken to facilities outside the area of his/her regular studies.

It is in keeping with this fact that on March 03, 2023, the students of Fourth and second year pursuing hotel management course at the Vatel hotel & Tourism Business School, Sushant University were taken for a trip to the Amrit Udyaan, probably one of the best manicured and up kept gardens adjacent to the Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. “The purpose of this trip was to expose the students to the best of flora, fauna, landscaping and horticulture arrangements as these aspects are part of the housekeeping curriculum taught at our school. Flower decoration and the use of the best quality of plants is the regular practice in the best of the hotels worldwide and it is essential that the future managers learn all that they can about such arrangements” said Chandana Paul who takes care of the housekeeping.

“We could not have found a garden of flowers better than Amrit Udyaan, where people from different parts of India and even foreigners visit and spend hours observing the chrysanthemums, dahlias, tulips, daffodils, marigold, calendula, geranium and birds of paradise. The soil, the temperature, the humidity and the general atmosphere which is congenial to the growth of these flowers has been specially created by the keepers which include the best of gardeners, planters, landscapers and horticulturists” said Ms. Aashiyan, assistant professor who takes Front office as a subject.

The bookings were done online and the students were welcomed to the Udyaan. “We are thankful to our college and to our faculty members who gave us such a valuable exposure to this garden, which, apart from pleasing the eye and our senses, also added to the knowledge of horticulture which so essential for us as hospitality students”. Said one of the girl students.

On Wednesday, February 22, 2023, Mr. Nikhil Sharma, Regional Director, Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels visited the Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, Sushant University, to address our students and to give them insights into the latest trends of the service industry with regard to career progression both as a hotel professional and as an entrepreneur.

“I had a deep rooted passion for this exciting industry and I joined hotels at but a very junior, entry level position. It has indeed been a journey full of ups and downs and now, at a position of a regional director when I look back, I can see that the hotels and my personal experience have given me tremendous opportunities to learn and to advance in my career.” advised he emphatically to the students.

Wyndham was formed 42 years ago in Dallas, Texas, USA whose founder was Trammel Crow. The organisation runs 22 brands out of which the most popular are – Registry, Dolce, Esplendor, dazzler Hotels, La Quinta, Ramada etc. Mr. Sharma gave a brief about the various openings and employee- friendly schemes that the organisation believes in for keeping the employees happy and motivated. This was the first ever interaction that the college had with the Wyndham Hotels.

“Your students are bright and whatever organisation they happen to be a part of, they will, over a certain period of time, make progress and achieve as this trade offers several opportunities both within and outside the domain of hotels, but hard work and persistence always pays off in the long run – so do not get deterred by external factors and just concentrate on your goals” he advised.

Sushant University Gurgaon, in its efforts to reinforce its positioning as an institution progressing with the pace of the world, invites eminent speakers from universities overseas to address its students and updating them with the developments and researches made in the various fields of education and pedagogy.

As a sequel to these endeavors, on Thursday, February 23, 2023 the Sushant University invited Mr. Robert McKenna a lecturer at the Department of Hospitality and Tourism and Mr. Paul Quinn, Assistant Director and head of Global Recruitment and Engagement, Ulster University Northern Ireland to talk to the students about the subject of Impact of Technology in Service. Since the subject matter of their lecture and presentation was concerned with hospitality, all available students of the Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business school attended the presentation and gained a lot of inputs regarding the best practices being adopted by the trade global level.

“The progress that technology has made in the recent years has, on one hand, reduced to a great extent the workload of hotel employees and on the other, has created a lot of time for them to think of means of further fine-tuning the quality of their product and service. Though a robot cannot entirely replace a human being but can be put to work all the time as there is no scope of its getting tired or overworked” says Robert McKenna. “The programming of software enables them to recognize the face of guests, addressing them by their names and offering care and personalized services round-the-clock.”

Upon being asked whether it would be a wise decision for the students to pick up a job soon after finishing their undergraduate studies, he recommended that although there are several opportunities of pursuing post-graduate studies at various locations around the world, doing so with a bit of experience or pursuing studies on a part-time basis makes a far better sense. The visiting team admired the latest infrastructure, the laboratories, the two training restaurants, the classrooms at the Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business school and the libraries, auditorium and various recreational facilities put up by the Sushant University. Sushant University is located in Sector 55 Gurgaon, in the calm, serene and greenery of the foothills of Aravali Mountain Range and is accessible to the Metro station at a barely 15-minute walk.

On Tuesday, February 14, 2023, the Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, Sushant University Gurgaon organised a talk by experts from the Department of Yog, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Vedic Vishwavidyalaya, MP and the Department of Commerce, Government of India, which was attended by the students as well as the faculty members of the college. The title of the event was called A SOUND MIND IN A SOUND BODY.

Why the need?

In view of the current busy professional life, pressure of work, tensions and the running around of people in general, even by the students and young adolescents to meet deadlines in almost all spheres of life, it was felt that they were being too much harried, stressed and hassled and were on the lookout for a stable and a healthy life which could lead them to achieving a balance between their minds and their bodies. It is said that body shapes the mind and the mind shapes the body. These too are closely related and their wellbeing depends on the health of each other.

The address to the students was jointly delivered by Dr. Nityeshvar Chaturvedi and Dr. Mukesh Kumar Goel from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Vedic Vishwavidhlaya, MP.

There is a saying that all work and no play makes Johnny a dull child. The same can be applied to people in the professional world, whatever age they may be at. While it is important for people to be engaged in their businesses and to make progress in professional life, it should be equally important for them to ensure that the very body which is going to help them achieve their objectives in life is kept in a good, active and in a healthy condition, plus, what is equally important is that their minds and the general thinking also be in a calm and in a rested state. “The body is connected to the senses and the senses are connected with soul” Just condemning the routine life and not devoting any time to do something about it or not taking care of the body and soul is what is creating problems in peoples’ lives and in their lifestyles. The political, social, professional and academic environment of the world is deteriorating and it is high time that we created awareness and tried to find a logical solution for the same.

“Yog brings success everywhere” was a one-line but a precious advice given by Dr. Nityeshvar. “Yog leads to health and health leads to a disease-free life – thereby removing several tensions from the mind and also removing the medical bills from your lifestyle.” “A sound mind in a sound body can be achieved by every human being and is not at all a difficult task. The only thing one needs to do is to create within himself an awareness of the importance of Yog in life and to practice it regularly, even for a few minutes every day” were the lines spoken by him at the end of his discourse.

As a part of the Corporate-Social Responsibility initiative, the faculty members of Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, Sushant University wish to pay a visit to the Earth Savior’s foundation on Tuesday, December 31, 2023. The purpose of this visit is to spend some meaningful time with the patients, to share their feelings of dilemma and predicament and to come to terms with their suffering. They plan to extend to them warm regards with a smile – something that the patients suffering for some time are always are in need of…

Generous quantities of kitchen provisions including various flours, rice, lentils, pulses, sugar, biscuits and cookies were collected by the Vatel School and were presented to the NGO on behalf of Sushant University.

“One person caring about another represent life’s greatest Value”

As a part of the Corporate-Social Responsibility initiative, the faculty members Sushant University on Friday, December 16, 2022 visited the Earth Saviours Foundation (ESF) to spend some meaningful time with the patients, to share their feelings of dilemma and predicament and to come to terms with their suffering. They extended to them warm regards with a smile – something that the patients suffering for some time are always are in need of…

The camp houses some 500 patients to whom food, shelter and clothing are given absolutely free of charge. These people – of all ages who have either been abandoned by their families or have been found on the roads in an injured and in a battered state, have been safely brought to the camp to whom all first-aid and medical facilities are provided and they are housed in the camp till such time that anybody of their family comes to claim them.

The founder of ESF, late Mr. Ravi Kalra’s selfless devotion towards the welfare of the less privileged has also been focused towards the protection of the environment and taking care of the animals. He had expressed deep appreciation of the services provided to the NGO by his staff and has called them as the “heart and soul of the organisation” With him having gone to his heavenly abode, his son, Mr. Jas Kalra took over the reins when he was but at the age of 21 and has successfully carried on the legacy.

Ms. Rajvinder Kaur, a young lady who decided to be a part of the group a few years ago finds a sense of accomplishment, success and achievement in being able to get a chance to serve the others. “Though due to our duties and obligations we are on our toes all day, we come across several challenges and task which need our complete attention as we also house some very critically ill (physical and mental) and our patients need us day and night. Patience is the biggest virtue that was noticed as a common trait amongst the entire staff who are given to face at times difficult and uncontrollable situations but are always successful in pacifying their patients and to cool them down.

Generous quantities of kitchen provisions including various flours, rice, lentils, pulses, sugar, biscuits and cookies were collected by the Vatel School and were presented to the NGO on behalf of Sushant University. The team members also enrolled themselves as members of the Foundation and expressed their readiness to come to help in whatever way possible. “This was a very eye-opening and yet a very satisfying experience” said one of the team members – “We must do this at least once during academic semester”

Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, Sushant University on Wednesday, December 15, 2022 conducted a virtual meet of its students belonging to all pass out Batches, just in order to update them about the various happenings and to generally talk about how they were feeling about either getting into the corporate world or how they were dealing with their new enterprises. The students were thankful about the way the college conducted the academics of their course and took care about their on-the-job practical sessions and internships. “We enjoyed being under the care and attention of our professors who made sure that we all succeed and that we achieved the goals for which we took up this great hotel management course” says Apurva Dubey who works as a customer relations executive at a travel firm. Another student says “Our teachers were tough with us but that is what transformed us into thorough professionals now. The Vatel Connect is an informal, open forum in which students are free to express all that they feel about their college, the teachers and the about the university. Students who passed out even 7 years ago are in regular touch and do visit the university to see the transformation from time to time.

Unless evaluated, tried and tested, no education or knowledge earns any credibility. It is the competitions, struggles and rivalries that breed quality and bring out the best in people.

A Cooking Competition for Culinary Chefs was organised by the Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School on Friday, November 18, 2022 in which students of III and V Semesters participated. The First position was bagged by Ms Prapti Syal, the Second by Mr. Gurman Bindra and the Third position was won by Mr. Tanuj Makkar. The students were required to use ingredients from the Pansari group, who were the sole sponsors of the event.

The winning students have qualified for the main event, where the final winner will get a cash prize of Rs 11,000/- Chef Siddharth Talwar of Pansari Group would be the main judge of the competition.

Ms Vinita Thapa and Mr. Krish Ghai who form part of the HR and Learning departments of the IHG Crowne Plaza Gurgaon visited the Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, Sushant University Gurgaon on Wednesday, November 09, 2022 to conduct a preliminary round for the selection of students for their Embark and I-Aspire management training programmes.

In their company Presentation they discussed in detail about the choice of various career paths and progressions possible at the IHG Group. This was followed by sessions of group discussions and personal interviews after which, lunch was prepared and served by the Vatel students.

"We are indeed very happy to see the quality of training imparted to these students who were well-versed with their subjects and had excellent communication skills. We will start the process of their initial selection soon and we would like to give a chance to the maximum number of students." said Ms. Vinita Thapa - Director Human Resources.

From the students' side, it was an exhilarating experience and they found their course and training to be well structured as per the industry norms.

World Bread Day is celebrated the world over during the month of October every year. This special day which is dedicated to the staple food comprising of different breads has been of immense importance around the world since the dawn of agriculture…

Bread is the main staple food in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, whereas rice is the staple in East Asia. It is usually made from wheat, but bread can be also made from other cereals, like rye, barley, oats, maize, rice, millet, and sorghum. In many cuisines, there are traditional bread recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation.

The Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, celebrated the Word Bread Day this year on Friday, October 14, 2022. Special, renowned breads from France, Italy, USA, the Mediterranean, Germany, Denmark and the United Kingdom were prepared.

Hectic activity was on at the bakery for a whole week where incessant efforts were made to prepare Brioches, Fougasses, Doughnuts, pretzels, rye bread, Chelsea buns, milk dinner rolls and, of course, the famous and classic French Baguette. “All of us worked as a team and conducted a lot of research and finalized 5 breads from each country, thereby aggregating to a variety of 35 breads which were put up on a display at the Vatel Lounge” says Dr. (Chef) Saurav Chhabra. Such activities, in which one is given to deeply study the intricacies of the recipe, add, mix or whisk the ingredients in their exact proportions, and then, in order to attain a perfect, colour, texture, aroma and taste, one has to be extremely precise with regard to the amount of time the dough is to be baked in the oven. Both for the senior and fresh batches of students, the process of bread making was so exciting that a few students decided to make this as their core subject of specialization and even aspired to make it as their career.

The event was sponsored by the Pansari Group and was inaugurated by the Honorable Vice Chancellor of Sushant Univesity, Dr. Rakesh Ranjan and was attended by the leadership team, the heads of all schools of Sushant university, the faculty members and the support staff.

“I am delighted to see the volume of work having been put in by the Team Vatel for this impressive display of breads and their accompaniments from different countries and am equally pleased to learn the amount of research done in this field, which is an event of international importance” said Dr. Ranjan. Chef Amit Gangwar the Chef Pâtissier/Boulanger who managed the production of breads, was the and the controller of the event who allocated duties to the students while making sure that the standards of hygiene, sanitation and cleanliness were well taken care of.

Upon being frequently observed that students of the modern days are unused to writing, composing or in attempting to express their ideas in what may be called a true linguistic style, a workshop oriented towards enhancing the general day-to-day use of vocabulary and expressions amongst our students was felt necessary. The style of communication and the ideal use of expressions is what makes a person stand out in the crowd. It is to those students who are thus painfully groping their way and struggling with the difficulties of composition, that that the workshop professed to hold out a helping hand. The assistance it gave is that of furnishing on every topic a copious store of words and phrases, adapted to express all the recognizable shades and modifications of the general idea under which those words and phrases were arranged.

The student can readily select, out of the ample collection spread out before his eyes, those expressions which are best suited to his purpose, and which might not have occurred to him without such assistance. In order to make this selection, he scarcely ever need engage in any critical or elaborate study of the subtle distinctions existing between synonymous terms; for, if the materials set before him be sufficiently abundant, an instinctive tact will rarely fail to lead him to the proper choice.

Even while glancing over the columns of the different slides presented during the half-day workshop, a student’s eye will definitely chance to light upon a particular term which may save the cost of a clumsy paraphrase, or spare the labor of a tortuous circumlocution. Some felicitous turn of expression thus introduced will frequently open to the mind of the student a whole vista of collateral ideas, which could not, without a workshop like this, have been unfolded to his view; and often will the judicious insertion of a happy epithet, like a beam of sunshine in a landscape, illumine and adorn the subject which it touches, imparting new grace and giving life and spirit to the picture.

A special emphasis was laid on English communication as it is gaining immense popularity and is poised to soon become the widest spoken language in this world. Several non-English speaking European countries like France, Spain and Italy and even Russia and South-East Asian countries are inviting English teachers to their countries to teach English to their professionals, to students and to their general public. It is therefore being understood that English is an indispensable language, not only for the professionals but also for the general public.

We discovered as a confirmed fact that that it is difficult to acquire fluency in a language unless one lives or passes as much time as possible in the company of people who speak that language. No language is difficult to speak as young children, even infants are able to easily converse in the (seemingly) most ‘difficult’ languages without even being able to read, to write or without being aware of any grammatical rules.

The communication of our thoughts by means of language, whether spoken or written, like every other object of mental exertion, constitutes a peculiar art, which, like other arts, cannot be acquired in any perfection but by long-continued practice. Some, indeed, there are more highly gifted than others with a facility of expression, and naturally endowed with the power of eloquence; but to none is it at all times an easy process to embody, in exact and appropriate language, the various trains of ideas that are passing through the mind, or to depict in their true colors and proportions, the diversified and nicer shades of feeling which accompany them. To those who are unpracticed in the art of composition, or unused to extempore speaking, these difficulties present themselves in their most formidable aspect. However distinct may be our views, however vivid our conceptions, or however fervent our emotions, we cannot but be often conscious that the phraseology we have at our command is inadequate to do them justice. We seek in vain the words we need, and strive ineffectually to devise forms of expression which shall faithfully portray our thoughts and sentiments. The appropriate terms, notwithstanding our utmost efforts, cannot be conjured up at will. Like “spirits from the vast deep,” they come not when we call; and we are driven to the employment of a set of words and phrases either too general or too limited, too strong or too feeble, which suit not the occasion, which hit not the mark we aim at; and the result of our prolonged exertion is a style at once labored and obscure, vapid and redundant, or vitiated by the still graver faults of affectation or ambiguity.

Just like one can gain mastery on any art or science with a regular and a dedicated practice, a continuous use of the language in the company of people who speak that language can be of immense benefits to the learner. This is what we meant by ‘creating an atmosphere’ of

The point of carrying on translations was greatly emphasized upon. Regarded simply as a mental exercise, the practice of translation is the best training for the attainment of that mastery of language and felicity of diction which are the sources of the highest oratory, and are requisite for the possession of a graceful and persuasive eloquence. By rendering ourselves the faithful interpreters of the thoughts and feelings of others, we are rewarded with the acquisition of greater readiness and facility in correctly expressing our own; as he who has best learned to execute the orders of a commander, becomes himself best qualified to command.

The world celebrates September 27 as the World Tourism Day. Despite the tourism sector having faced an acute recession due to Covid over the last two years, one can now see almost all the sectors springing back into business, thereby re-energizing tourism in a big way, which is once again spreading its wings far and wide…

The tourism sector gives opportunities of employment to small and big business and to millions of people and stands to be one of the biggest foreign exchange earners for all economies of the world. Revenge Tourism, as some of the experts have coined this era will, now that we are at the threshold of the tourist season, see a great influx f tourists from abroad and will give an unprecedented fillip to the domestic tourism, conferences, conventions, meetings and exhibitions.

The Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School commemorated this important day in a unique way, by dedicating itself towards conserving the environment by way of creating an EDIBLE GARDEN. Students of First Year, who have recently joined the BHM Programme, took a lot of interest in first understanding the significance of the tourism Day and in coming to terms with the importance of conservation of environment, that is to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The saplings they planted were of Cuphea, Thai basil, chilly, coriander, carom, lemongrass, mint and guava. The end products of these plants will be used in the college kitchen practical classes and the students will also be induced to create their own mini garden for their own, domestic kitchens at home.

Dr. Sanjeev Sharma, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Registrar of Sushant University inaugurated the Edible Garden and Dr. Jyoti Sinha, hear of the School of Pharmacy, Sushant University planted a few saplings. “I am happy to see the interest our young generation has towards the fine art of tourism and the awareness that they are creating towards making our planet green, clean and unpolluted, which stands to be the need of the hour” said Dr. Sanjeev Sharma. Ms. Chandana Paul & Ms. Aashiyan Assistant Professor of the college worked closely with the students to procure the saplings and helped them organize a small speech about the theme of the event and the expression of gratitude towards the University for providing an area, permanently earmarked for such, environment-oriented activities.

Depending upon willingness, every human being is capable of learning as per the age group that he or she belongs to. The basic ability to understand things, learning different ways of operation in order to achieve the desired goals is inherent in all of us. It is just that the ‘education & training’ part of learning needs to be formalized to some extent so that one acquires the ability to analyze, examine, study and, if needed, investigate.

There is a world of difference between learning while observing others and one’s being given the opportunity to learn in a formal atmosphere, in the company of other pupils where ideas are exchanged, problems of different situations are discussed and learning is derived from case-studies. It is in such an atmosphere that the formal hands-on training is imparted, which, in most of the cases proves to be a matter of new learning and, for some, stands to be an eye-opener.

The bare informal instruction of what to do which is usually communicated to the staff by the bulk hirers and contractors limits itself to only telling them what needs to be done and the incumbent is oblivious of the other supplementary things that he or she is capable of doing with the equipment that he/she is handling or making use of several advantages of the various permutations and combinations.

It is keeping this in mind that the resources of Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School taking care of the accommodation department, Ms. Chandana Paul and Ms. Aashiyan Sarsoot understood the need to invite the housekeeping staff of Sushant University to undergo a one-day workshop, wherein the subtleties of operations and the finer aspects of observation and the various processes of upkeep, maintenance and conservation were deliberated upon. Such forums of formal learning are indeed very rare in the professional life of these front-line associates.

The housekeeping staff of Sushant university which is responsible for the upkeep of the buildings and premises, the public and the surrounding areas observed the correct use of cleaning devices, equipment and gadgets, and the use of ideal proportions of solvents, cleaning agents, disinfectants for specific purposes, maintenance of self-hygiene, cleanliness and even grooming. Participants attending the workshop had a few queries which were duly explained. This inquisitiveness on the part of the participants demonstrated the interest they were taking in not only learning the finer aspect of what they were already doing but they also came across several new ways of operations, handling and care of equipment.

The workshop was well appreciated by the participants, who were awarded certificates and felt that their competencies could be further enhanced and refined by such workshops. “This is a one-of-a-kind workshop, the purpose of which was duly met and we now feel the necessity of exposing these resources to the finer and subtle aspects of housekeeping and helping them develop an eye for observation” said Ms. Chandana Paul, Assistant Professor looking after the Accommodations department of the Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School.

VATEL SCHOOL CONDUCTS A SERIES OF ORIENTATION SESSIONS FOR THEIR NEW STUDENTS

On Friday, September 9, 2022, students of Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University (Erstwhile Ansal University) Gurgaon presented a rare combination of Boulangerie and Pâtisserie by creating a range of Petit Fours or small, bite-sized cakes and pastries which included Fresh Fruit Tarts, Bakhlawa, Macaroons, Profiteroles, Chocolate and Orange Swiss rolls, Blueberry Cakes, Enrobed Chocolate Truffles, Millionaire Shortbread, Almond Financier, Linzer Tarts and Brownies. “I can never imagine so much of variety is possible in cakes and pastries” said a First Year fresher student. Chef Amit Gangwar who is the Chef Pâtissier worked with students over 3 full days to create the range, with well garnished creations, exquisite colours and exciting shapes. The Vice Chancellor of the University, Dr. Rakesh Ranjan, Pro-Vice Chancellor, and Registrar Dr. Sanjeev Sharma and deans of various schools of the university attended the display, tasted the various creations and had very good things to say about the event.

“Such events create a situation of a hands-on learning for our students wherein they see the evolution of the end products, right from their initial stage and learn how to maintain consistency, right temperature, correct texture and, indeed the beauty of the final presentation” said Dr. Saurav Chhabra, Associate Professor, Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University, who, at the end added – “Upon being encouraged by an overwhelming response today, we now plan to put un an even bigger show, which, as of now, is a big secret”

VATEL SCHOOL CONDUCTS A SERIES OF ORIENTATION SESSIONS FOR THEIR NEW STUDENTS

The transition from school towards college, in which a totally new style of learning and teaching is practiced, stands up to be a big event in life of an adolescent child, and deserves to be planned meticulously and rather carefully. In this process are involved very young students, who, from their adolescent age are on the verge of entering into adulthood, cherish high hopes and aspirations in life and have to be prepared to face contests and challenges of life which they have to themselves face and are given to deal with different situations in life.

The Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University, Gurgaon known for planning a thorough, meaningful and a precise session of orientation of new students, planned their orientation thus:

The opening address on the first day was delivered by the associate dean of the Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, Dr. Chhabra who welcomed the students and lauded their decision to join the Vatel Hotel School and assured them that they had taken the right decision, followed by which they were given an insight into the various possibilities of placement and the scope of several avenues opening in the sectors like travel trade, airlines, airports, railways, shipping, cruise lines, banqueting, event management and the limitless opportunities existing in entrepreneurship.

This was followed by a formal introduction of the faculty members and resources of the college which whom they were given to freely interact and ask questions. Mr. Saif Anjum, associate professor took a session on national and international internships and the 6-8-week summer internship in Nimes, south of France. A session giving all information concerned with the academics and examinations was taken by Ms. Chandana Paul.

Every student must have a mentor, a confidante available right within the premises of the college who is there for the student to consult in case he/she is facing any issues with the progress of classes or with the handling of any kind of queries, whether they happen to be official or personal. These were allocated to the new students who were very glad to meet them.

The next day the students were taken to a temple for feeding the poor as an act of Corporate-Social responsibility. This arouses within them the sense of responsibility as the food was prepared within the college kitchens and carried and served by these new students. “I am elated and am feeling very happy that I could do this, something that I had never done in life before” Says a starry-eyed new student.

In order to give to the students a first-hand feel of what the hotel managers say about working in hotels, the Vatel hotel & Tourism Business School conducted a panel discussion wherein the participants were Mr. Manuj Ralhan, Director or operations, Novotel Aerocity, Ms Shilpi Sharma, HR Manager, Double Tree by Hilton and Chef Sambhavi Joshi, a hotelier turned into an entrepreneur running a pasta production unit under the brand name of Casarecce Artisanal. The inquisitive students asked them a lot of interesting questions and got a first-hand insight into what all was in store for them in the wonderful world of hospitality.

This was followed by an ice-breaking session, enabling the students to express themselves better, followed by which their documents were verified. The students were also given a conducted tour of the Westin Hotel Gurgaon, wherein they were exposed to the visible and the back-of-the-house areas of a large luxury hotel. This opened up their eyes and made them aware of the dynamics and the personnel involved in actually running the hotel.

Apart from the above, Alumni interaction with the new students happened were alumni shared their experiences. The students were duly given inputs in grooming, improving upon their lifestyles, bringing about within themselves a sense of sophistication and a style, exactly like the people engaged in the hospitality are so well recognized for.

No technical institute can work in isolation, without the cooperation or the active participation by the industry of which it forms an integral part.

The Campus to Corporate forum created by the Pullman Hotels, Aerocity, in which the resources looking after training and placement at the various reputed hospitality institutes were invited for dinner on Friday, July 29, is a major step in this direction, in which the situations faced by the industry and, more so the academia, were discussed in great detail. It brought together the two entities and Mr. Vineet Mishra, cluster general manager of Accor Hotels expressed that there was a need to fill the gap for a better and a more result-oriented functioning of the two entities.

Mr. Kulmohan Singh and Mr. Saif Anjum attended this meeting on behalf of the Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, Sushant University.

The Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University organised a special, hand-crafted set of classes between June 27 and July 01, 2022 to arouse the interest of hospitality amongst the new aspirants. One of the biggest challenges for the students who have recently passed from their high school is to make a firm choice about the career that they need to choose and the stream that they must follow to realize their dreams. The hospitality industry though fascinates the young students, they still need to acquire a first-hand feel about what this fascinating trade is really all about.

It is to address the inquisitiveness of these young students that the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School Sushant University organised a 5-day workshop directed towards having a close communication with them and showing them what all functions make up for a hotel to run efficiently, what are the various systems and procedures and how does one go about in meeting and in handling hotel guests. These workshops were also directed towards the personal interest of students, showing them thereby the world of growth opportunities available to them in this sector across all continents of the world.

These workshops were totally free, in which the students were given lectures, given to work in the Vatel School’s different laboratories, restaurants and kitchens, besides being given useful inputs in French language. They were also treated to hot, fresh lunch on all days.

Interesting things like table layouts, descriptions of mocktails, French culinary terminologies, flower arrangements, towel origami, and dessert making were discussed, demonstrated and appreciated by the students. “I have enjoyed attending these workshops in which we were given wonderful facts about hospitality and the dynamics which are connected with almost all the functions. I also learnt the hotel rule that a guest is always right” says a young student with a beaming face.

“These workshops are always beneficial for the young students who have a great amount of curiosity with regard to hotels and the hospitality sector. They visualize the actual path and are also directed about the ways in which they can make a promising career for themselves in this oldest and the most wonderful and yet a challenging trade” says Dr. Garima Parkash, dean Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University, Gurgaon.

Wine Appreciation Session by Sula Vineyards

Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, Sushant University organized a Wine Appreciation Session on May 11, 2022 for its students in collaboration with Sula Vineyards. This session was conducted by Ms Heena Riat, Senior manager Tastings & Marketing (North India) Sula Vineyards to enhance the knowledge of our students about wines. This educative & informative session was held in D-421, Auditorium from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM.

This was followed by a wine appreciation session for Senior Management of Sushant University at Vatel Epicure Training Restaurant from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM where different kinds of wines were served & knowledge about their aroma & taste was disseminated.

Kaushal Sashaktikaran Prashikshan 2.0 was organised by Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, Sushant University on 26 April 2022 for the attendants of Sushant University (Non – Teaching Staff). Training session was conducted by Assistant Professor Mr. Saif Anjum & Assistant Professor Mr. Deepak Thakur.

Participants were given training on Art of Napkin Folding, Table setup for meals, Tea/Coffee Tray Setup and Fundamentals of mixology. This skill based knowledge session to the participants of different background helps them to perform efficiently at their workplace in daily routine. All the participants will be awarded an e-certificate of participation.

Wednesday, March 23, 2022 was indeed a big day for the Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, Sushant University to celebrate, after a gap of two long years, the graduation ceremony of their students who successfully finished their Bachelors in hotel management in the years 2020. These students had been waiting for this grand day patiently and were sure that one day things would ease out and that they would get the opportunity to get their precious certificates from Institut Vatel of France.

It is said that long gaps increase the fondness, endears people and brings them closer to each other. This factor was very visible in students who turned out at the university in the best of their attire, though some of them chose to present themselves in smart casuals. The ceremony started with the blessings of the Goddess of knowledge – Saraswati, for whom a vandana was played, followed immediately was the heart-warming address by the dean of the school, Dr. Garima Parkash who elaborated upon how fortunate the university was to meet its alumni students and award them their long-awaited Vatel Certificates, for which Mr. Paul D’Azémar flew down from their headquarters based in Lyon, France. This time Dr. Nicholas Gherardi, the deputy counsellor for education, science and culture, Embassy of France, was also available and congratulated the students for their valuable achievement.

Dr. D.N.S. Kumar, vice chancellor of Sushant university eulogized upon the importance that the domain of hospitality was gradually acquiring, creating thereby millions of job opportunities for students in the different continents of the world. Mr. Paul D’Azémar was eloquent about the growth that the institute has seen in establishing new ventures in different parts of the world and was proud to announce that in comparison to the best hospitality schools worldwide, the rank of Institut Vatel had risen up from 42 to 14, which was indeed a matter of great pride.

Dr. Nicholas Gherardi spoke about the how important it was becoming for the hospitality management students to acquire new skills and competencies in order to match the international standards.

Mr. Kulmohan Singh, professor of French at the University recited a poem in French, elaborating upon the interest that the Vatel students are taking in learning different cuisines, bakery and in visiting France for internships and exchange programmes. This was followed by the award of Vatel certificates to all the graduating students who were glad to assist in this very important, milestone event in their academic lives. The other students then put up a lavish high tea for the students and prepared a superb continental lunch for the dignitaries and for the leadership of Sushant University.

“I was elated to see that our alumni still have a lot of attachment with our school and were happy to be with us for some time today – a lot amongst them have become entrepreneurs, have joined family businesses or have become hoteliers in chains of repute and that is what gives us a lot of happiness and satisfaction” said Dr. Garima Parkash, dean, Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University, Gurgaon.”

It is time that we see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals. There is definitely one thing in common between the above quote of Emma Watson and that of Nelson Mandela who says Gender equality is more than a goal in itself it is the pre-condition of meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance. Just like all human beings deserve respect, we must understand that without the strong support of women the society would develop a big void and will come to a complete standstill.

It was with this thought in mind that the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School organised International Women’s day with the theme Break-The-Bias, wherein the students – mostly girl students, clad in the best of their attire, put up stalls of eateries and of their merchandise either created by themselves or procured by them from artisans. The stalls consisted of Indian street food, best of oriental delicacies, marvels of Indian cuisine, bakes and desserts, besides having stalls of ladies’ interest – jewelry, fashion accessories and photo shoots. All these stalls were the result of a direct endeavor of the students either in consultation with the renowned, celebrated chefs or out of their own ingenuity.

“Event of such high magnitude, wherein students have most excitedly worked out to ensure that they offer away-from-the usual gastronomic experience to their guests is worthy of appreciation. This event has also given them a practical lesson on entrepreneurship” said Ms. Garima Parkash, Dean, Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School, Sushant University, Gurgaon. This event was evaluated by external resources – Ms Kanika Ghai, Principal of The Suraj School Gurgaon who visited with a colleague and from the Sun City Gurgaon Ms. Kalyani Voleti and Ms Sonia Khurana visited us as judges.

Students, who perhaps knew the pulse of the market and were aware of what goes the most as hot stuff, especially for the NCR Palate, chose to put up Street Foods of India like Chana-Kulcha, Aloo-Tikki Chaat, Paani Poori and Gulab Jamun. “We got this inspiration form out visit to old Delhi, where we saw how quickly this stuff goes and how much people relish it” says a busy student Shaurya, wo was too engrossed in taking orders and delivering his hot stuff. While Tanya and Aditya’s cupcakes, chocolates, truffle puddings, muffins, brownies, pastry slices, cake pops and cake jars gave a stiff competition to Kumkum’s profiteroles and eclairs, Gabriela Rose Thomas and Uroosa did the dry stuff – that of taking polaroid pictures of people who were enjoying the fare and were happy putting up on their faces various fancy cut-outs.

The fare did not end there…Ishika and Priyasha were the lucky ones – while they were in fashion accessories, their team next-door were into fashion jewellery, which more or less complemented what these young girls were doing.

“Here we are giving a stiff competition to boys” says Sanchi Arora with a big laughter – “This is the real proof of gender equality, or should I say – women gender superiority” says she proudly, while wrapping a Kathi Roll for some students.

Mr. Saif Anjum, an experienced faculty member in the food and beverage service who was the supplying the back-up support to the students was happy to see that students were getting the things together on their own and the operation was fine and smooth.

“We saw that while the students had prepared the main dishes themselves, they picked up from the market a few ready-made things like the Gol-Gappas, Kulcha etc., which was going in very well with they were offering on the menu” Said Chef Saurav Chhabra, associate professor of the school.

“Despite hundreds of students thronging the event, we could see that we maintained the area – which was right in front of the main block of the university, remained clean and hygienic. The kitchen stewarding support was also given by our students who were looking after the all the supplies, water and electricity” said Chef Sunil, programme coordinator of the 4-year’s BHM Course.

This was an event which, on this International Women’s Day was concerned about highlighting the gender equality, made sure that this theme was duly represented in all its hues and colours – said Ms. Chandana Paul and Ms. Anshu Rawal, who were the chief coordinators of the event.

Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School celebrated MATRIBHASHA DIWAS to appreciate the linguistic diversity of our country on February 21, 2022 at Vatel Epicure from 02:00 pm- 04:00 pm. A poster making competition was conducted with the theme अनेकता में एकता in the Vatel Epicure.

Approximately 40 students participated in this competition. It was a wonderful show of innovative minds showcasing their talents and highlighting the unity in diversity of India. Students had prepared posters individually & in groups, learned teamwork, cooperation, unity etc. Dr. Indu Prabha (Centre of soft skill learning) & Ms Nandini (School of Design) graced the event with their presence and decided the winners. Attractive prizes were given to the winners.

Winners:

1st position: Ms. Kumkum Magan

Runner up: Ms. Sulamite Rai

On 24th November 2021, Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School had taken students of 1st semester of Bachelors and Masters programme for an experiential visit to cyber hub, Gurugram. This visit focuses on their first-hand experience on the different types of food and beverage outlets, their setup, services, operations, menu, manpower, etc. They might have visited earlier as a guest but an understanding of things through the eyes of entrepreneurs or service provider is different. This visit gave them exposure to the basics of the high-end restaurant, QSR, food court, microbreweries and many more. It also added new dimensions to their career perspectives as students. They enjoyed and learned a lot.

Hotel visits are essential for our Hotel Management students to understand today's multi-faceted Hospitality Industry and keep up with the pace of its expansion so a visit to Le Meridien Gurgaon was organised for the students of BHM 20-24 Batch.

The visit mainly intended for students to understand the concept, observe the hotel operations, types of food & beverage outlets and types of guest rooms. Mr. Nitesh FOM of Le Meridien showed all the public areas of the hotel and also answered all the queries of the students. Also Ms Akriti Bhargava the training manager motivated the students and enlighten the students with some knowledge industry experience.

Christmas, a wonderful and holy celebration that touches closely the heart of almost every human being on this planet, is a harbinger of bliss, joy and happiness. Almost everybody celebrates Christmas as it brings in a sense of purity in everybody’s heart and, with the onset of the new year, people feel transformed into totally new human beings.

This year on December 04, 2021 the students and academic resources of Vatel hotel and Tourism Business School Gurgaon celebrated, like they cheerfully do every year, the Christmas cake-mixing ritual. This ceremony usually takes place six to eight weeks before the Christmas day. The chefs and students enthusiastically assembled the measured and balanced quantities of ingredients - raisins, currants, candied fruits, brown sugar, breadcrumbs, citron, candied lemon peel mixed spices and brandy, all to be carefully blended into a mix which is to be preserved and left in a state of no disturbance for four to six weeks – allowing it to gently mature, intensify and for its colour to deepen over time… The new students who had joined just about three months ago, found the ceremony to be unique as they had never come across something as exceptional as this. “We never knew this cake-mixing would turn out to be such a formal ceremony, carried out in full style and ambience – I am really impressed” said one of the fresher students.

“All such ceremonies held in the past have been participated by the students along with the university’s leadership and resources from the 8 different schools, who are too eager to book their orders in advance and wait impatiently for these delicious puddings to be delivered to them by the Vatel Boulangerie” said Dr. Garima Parkash, dean, Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School. “This is our university, our institute, our students who work in own kitchens and the bakery. We are not looking it more as a learning activity and therefore use the best of ingredients, undertake a careful baking, decorate and present these cakes in the best of packaging – representing the true spirit of the festival” says Chef Amit Kumar who is an ace in Patisserie and Boulangerie.

A virtual alumni meet was organized on 15th September 2021. It was organized by students of the current batches where the alumnus shared their experiences and interacted with the students. Students participated with energy and enthusiasm in the virtual meet.

Experiential Visit to Rational R & D Centre

For more than 46 years it has been Rational’s mission to provide customers with the best tool for cooking. Starting out in 1973 with only 18 employees, Their success has been built on an unwavering commitment to a shared goal of continually creating value for our customers.

Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School , Sushant University students visited Rational R & D Test Centre in order to familiarize the students with upcoming innovative tools and technology in the field of culinary science. Technology led equipment churning every dish with a click of a button and precision is what rational is famous for. The session was conducted by Chef Rajesh (Application chef @ Rational) wherein he has demonstrated the functions and advancements in the combi oven and various techniques and modes of operation. The Cooking equipment can be operated from anywhere in the world using an app preloaded on a smartphone. Students of VHTBS assisted Chef Rajesh in all the preparations making this an experiential learning for them. The session lasted for 4 hours wherein students were taught the importance of temperature, moisture and use of appropriate tools to achieve the best possible results and at the same time learnt a few tricks of the trade in the process, which will help Culinary enthusiasts cook dishes at a much faster pace and with precision.

The brand uses intelligence the same way you’d use “skills” when you were talking about a person. The more intelligent something is, the more it can do. Self-Cooking Centres are equipped with sensors that continuously monitor the condition of the food so that it can track cooking progress.

It was a great learning experience for students

Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School organizes Freshers Party “Pramabh 2021” at school level on 26th of October 2021 in the Vatel courtyard and the theme for the event was Ethnic Wear and there were three rounds of competitions for Mr. Fresher & Ms. Fresher. There were some performances also organized by senior batches for the new batch students.

The students participated in the event with full energy & enthusiasm. It was a great event which was organized & managed beautifully by the students.

Mr. Aditya & Ms. Kumkum was selected as the Mr. & Ms. Freshers 2021 at the school level.

The Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School is recognized not only for the high-quality education that it imparts in the domain of hospitality but also respects, to a great extent, its appreciation of the gastronomic events happening at the international level at different times of the year

Have you ever smelt the kitchen where breads are being baked and the sweet aroma wafts through the area??

World Bread Day - An international event celebrated every year on October 16 with an aim to savor and rejoice a staple called “Bread” in many countries, cultures and to honor communities across the globe to recognize the specialized work and toil of bakers engaged in the world of gastronomy & culinary science.

In order to commemorate the anniversary of the creation of FAO (Food & Agriculture Organisation of the USA) and to celebrate the Bakers’ contribution in the world of baking around the different continents of the globe, Vatel Hotel Tourism Business School celebrated World Bread Day on October 14, which was a research-based, student-led activity, executed under the able guidance of our expat chef trainers.

Vatel India Campus at the Sushant University Gurgaon believes in imparting experiential learning to the students and strives to impart skill-oriented hospitality education and to the hospitality leaders of tomorrow. The celebration of World Bread Day & International Chef Day are bold initiatives towards this direction.

This activity was an initiative to impart know-how, practical skills and managerial skills to the students of VHTBS which reflected in planning, organizing & Implementing the herculean task of creating 5 varieties of breads from 7 different countries, which was a major attraction and main highlight of the event. The spread of breads was accompanied with a wide range of Dips & Relishes. The event was graced & inaugurated by Dr. DNS Kumar Vice -Chancellor Sushant University and Chef Vanshika Bhatia, Chef owner – Petit Pie Shop & Saucy Spirits Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.

The Guest Chefs and the leadership team of Sushant University Appreciated Students for executing the Breads and its display with such Precision and finesses.

“This is an international event of repute – on this day the whole world in celebrating hundreds of types of breads prepared in the different regions and continents of the world. Our students conducted deep research on these breads, procured the ingredients from the different parts of the world, did a very meticulous job of producing these delicacies in bulk. The amount of learning that our students derived from this Bread Day is inestimable” said Dr. Garima Parkash, Dean, Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School.

Vatel Hotel Tourism Business School celebrates world tourism day in the true spirit and style

With the concept of green hotels and green buildings growing prominently in most parts of India and the world, the concept of three R’s - Reduce, Re-use and Recycle have become not only the obligations of hotels, the service sector and the allied industries at large, but also has assumed tremendous importance amongst citizens, creating thereby the awareness of this aspect, which becomes a mandatory moral duty of us all.

September 28th is celebrated internationally as the World Tourism Day and what better occasion could the dean, the faculty members and the students of the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School could have found to re-inforce and to energize the efforts towards the environment, other than this very special day in the tourism sector?

A short programme in which the Vatel School invited Mr. Mahesh Dayma – Councillor, Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon as the chief guest, was organized at the Vatel Epicure which is a fine-dine training restaurant for the students of the hotel school. The inaugural address was delivered by Dr. D.N.S. Kumar, Vice Chancellor, Sushant University, in which he laid a lot of importance concerning the environment, the protection of flora and the fauna, the use of effluents and the correct treatment of waste, which is one of the most important obligations of the mankind towards the mother Earth.

Mr. Dayma, in his address elaborated upon the prominence of waste management and waste segregation, which he said ‘wasn’t any rocket science’, and yet presents itself as one of the most obligatory responsibilities of all citizens, which, in most of the cases was being neglected. Such wastes, if properly segregated right at the source can contribute meaningfully towards saving the environment and this activity does not turn out to be a complicated, neither an intricate everyday exercise, which should be an essential daily ritual. This address was followed by a small Nukkad Natak by the students of the school, wherein they enacted a scene showing a few habits of people in general, which, if corrected at the grass root level, can eventually lead to a great environmental metamorphosis.

All dignitaries and participants of the celebration then proceeded to the grounds of the university, where a Vermicomposting Pit, which treats wet and kitchen waste and transforms the same into manure was inaugurated by the hands of the Councillor Mr. Mehesh Dayma who expressed his happiness and congratulated the university officials about having taken this creativity and for having initiated a beginning. “This is the need of the hour, an awakening and an awareness, which must spread in the far corners of India and the whole world” Said Mr. Dayma.

The event was coordinated by Ms. Chandana Paul, Ms. Anshu Rawal and the students who worked over the concept well over eight weeks. “This is just a beginning…We are encouraged by the words of the honorable councellor and will put in the best of our efforts to contribute, whatever we can, towards saving the environment, on which good tourism depends entirely” Said Dr. Garima Parkash, Dean, Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University, Gurugram.

Keeping on the tradition of organising workshops and training programmes at the intra-college and at the inter-college level, the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University (Erstwhile Ansal University) organised International Housekeeping Week between September 12 and 18, 2021.

The purpose of this week-long activity was to re-inforce the importance and the prominence of the Housekeeping department amongst the students and within the Sushant University housekeeping workforce. Several competitions & workshops were initiated during the Housekeeping Week and the participants from various colleges enthusiastically took part in activities, contributing thereby their own talents, going out of the way to exhibit their talent and, eventually, making this event a great success.

Each year, the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School takes time to honour its year-round heroes of Housekeeping and makes them understand the amount of appreciation in store for them. The VHTBS, has taken initiative to globally spread the importance of housekeeping during the week-long celebration for students and for those associated with the function of housekeeping.

All building operations such as hotels, restaurants, casinos, cinemas, airports have long-hour operations and can function to their utmost efficiency by virtue of the efforts of the personnel engaged in housekeeping. If the housekeepers do not exist or do not discharge their functions diligently, infections, contaminations and viruses would spread and the overall functioning and the productivity would decline. However, because of the grittiness of the job, the lack of remuneration, and the lack of glamour attached to it, housekeeping is a function that hasn’t been given the positioning, the reputation and the status that is so rightfully deserves.

A brief of the activities held during the week were as follows:

1. Extempore Competition on theme current trends in Housekeeping

On Saturday, August 7, 2021, the Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School invited student counsellors from the various schools in the NCR in order to give them a basic introduction to the world of hospitality education and to elaborate upon the various career options and the scope of further studies existing at the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School. In the welcome address Dr. Garima Parkash, Dean, Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School spoke about the role of a guide and a mentor that the school counsellors are obliged to perform and, in whom, the students usually repose a lot of confidence. Registrar of the University Dr. Sanjeev Sharma, who, in his earlier portfolio was spearheading the university’s School outreach Programme, in his speech said, “The counsellors must possess a detailed information about the different avenues existing for their professional development and that they must keep them advised about the latest changes therein.”

Mr. Laurent Guiraud then gave a brief presentation about the Vatel Programmes and spoke about the infrastructure of the university and about the various facilities oriented towards academics, sports, extra-curricular and co-curricular activities. This was followed by the brief address by Dr. D.N.S. Kumar, Vice Chancellor of the Sushant University who said that the schools and institutions of higher education have the same goals in mind; that of ensuring the success of each and every student and helping them achieve their aspirations. They must therefore work hand-in-hand to ensure a cohesive working environment and must develop a good academic relationship.

Ms. Virmani of Pathways School who was impressed by the way the get-together was arranged, addressed all the other teachers by saying, “I am happy to see that the Sushant University is taking these steps to apprise us of the latest courses available for our students who are always very inquisitive. This will surely give them a lot of guidance”

Ms. Monika Chowdhary from the Venkateshwara School said “A lot of energy and a lot of enthusiasm! Practical and rational! Awesome presentation, giving an overview of the entire course and curriculum, and an insight about how the students would be guided and supported throughout their journey of learning at the University and beyond.” This was a mix of gathering of counsellors and principals belonging to the St. Angels’ School Gurugram, Manav Rachna International School Gurgaon, Suncity School Gurgaon, The Pathways School, Gurgaon, The Venkateshwara School, Gurgaon, DAV Public School Faridabad, Sector 14, and the DAV Public School, Sector 49, Faridabad.

The students of Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School had prepared a non-alcoholic refreshing drink by the name of Blue Lagoon – containing lemon juice, fresh lime, mint, Blue Curaҁao, blended with Sprite. In the starters were presented appetizers like Tomato and Olive Bruschetta, Chicken and Cherry Tomato Bruschetta, and the main course contained Spaghetti, Lasagna, Chicken Meatballs, Oven-roasted florets and Pizza Primavera. The dessert comprised of Tiramisu Pastry, a coffee-flavoured Italian dessert made from mascarpone cheese and ladyfingers. Not only this, the invitees were given to carry with them freshly baked Focaccia bread as a token of appreciation from the students of Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School.

In her parting speech, Dr. Garima Parkash, in view of the success of the meet, said, “This event was a great initiative, both on the part of the schools and our university and, from what I can see, we all learnt a lot from each other. We will make sure that we organise such meets at regular intervals as we see that this is what will bring us closer to each other and will create a sense of bonding and fraternity amongst us all”

Hotel industry is demanding but very rewarding

Students take a lot of delight in having to listen to a personality talk about great, useful aspects of professional life and advancement, especially if it is being delivered by an external resource. It is keeping this in mind that the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School invited Mrs. Sheetal Bale the HR anager at the Leela Goa, a world renowned, Conde Naste property to give to the students an insight about the dynamism and the rewarding future in the world of hospitality.

In her opening address she said that once when you choose to make a career in hotels, you choose to join a “Show Business” and you must do that with “open eyes” and be happily prepared to be on the shop floor right from the first day. Being the HR head, she said that the first quality she usually looks for in a candidate is his/her ability to communicate in English, which, by virtue of the global nature of the industry, is an essential must-have. However, elaborating further upon the subject, she said that communication is a very fine, micro skill and it does not limit itself to mere fluency in English. In hotels one communicates all the time and there are many exchanges in conversation that take place without saying a single word…

Further on, she said we must understand that a hotels do not have clients or customers, they have “guests” and just like enthusiastically looking after our own personal guests at home, we must try and do in the hotel everything that’s possible to take care of their needs and to make them happy before they come in, during their stay and even after they go away. ATITHI DEVO BHAV, which means treating the guest like God, is a slogan that all the people in the hospitality trade must keep closest to their hearts. Each time you serve a guest, you get to learn something new about them and the deeper the information you gain about them, the happier will they eventually be.

A challenge that the students usually get to face during their internships in hotels is the long working hours. This is something that everybody in the hospitality sector has to come to terms with, be in hotels, travel trade, airlines, cruise lines, catering, restaurants, conferences, conventions and even retail. “The sooner they realize that even the vice presidents of hotels have also had to, at some point in time, sportingly accept such long working hours, they will understand the importance, the reason and the purpose thereof. “There is a lot that the students get to learn and to take away in every single day of work as the function of no two days in hotels is never ever similar in this trade” says Mrs Bale.

Every human being possesses some talent and a very special passion. One must try to hone that talent, especially if the flair is towards serving people and working towards bringing in a smile of their face. The hotel industry is extremely dynamic and has withstood all sorts of challenges and hardships. “Covid or no Covid – we are here to stay”

Taking a question about the students being dejected about not being able to join a hotel as a management trainee, (which, in reality happens to be the dream of all students) she said that no matter where you begin from, it is your sincerity, hard work and honesty which will ensure your success at every step. A hardworking person, even if he/she joins a career just at the entry-level, will definitely get to the manager’s position within 8 to 10 years, after which, thereafter, there is no looking back.

Pepping up the students further she said, “Life of people working in hotels might though be tough, but they also get to enjoy several perks and advantages, which are a matter of envy for the people of many other trades, businesses and disciplines.”

Showing to the students a short movie, a walk-through of The vast, sprawling 75-acre property of The Leela Goa, she said, “We have changed and upgraded many HR policies and the happiness level of our staff and management has tremendously risen. Away from a work-work-work situation, they are given to spend quality time in the recreation rooms, learn new ways in the training rooms and enjoy social gatherings.” The webinar consummated by the dean Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Dr. Garima Parkash presenting a detailed analysis of the modalities and the progress of the various courses, i.e., Hotel Management, Culinary Arts and the MBA. She also gave a vote of thanks for the special efforts put in by Mrs. Bale.

The students of Second semester who are currently studying the subject tiled Management that talks about that relationship between accountancy and hotels got a chance to interact with Mr. Prem Prakash who is an entrepreneur and a hospitality consultant. He talked about the Cost Benefit Analysis for Hospitality Start-ups. The session was able to answer that one question which always eluded their minds that why should one study accountancy even though they are studying Hospitality Management? In addition, Mr. Prem talked about the intricacies of the financial side one has to think about while starting their own business with a focus on needed investment and operational cost.

It was an honour and a privilege indeed for the sixth semester students of BHM program of Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University to have an opportunity to interact with Chef Dr. Prem Ram, Joint Secretary- Indian Culinary Forum on the topics Development of New Recipes and Importance of Food Trials. Chef made such difficult topics really simple for the students to understand. He went to the basics of each point and the students reciprocated by providing their inputs in the form of comments and questions which Chef Prem was more than happy to clarify. Students also asked about the importance of the same in their career ahead as a chef and Chef Prem was more than happy to elaborate upon that part also.

On the 12th of May, Vatel India conducted a virtual culinary demonstration by Chef Saatvika Handa, which was organized & coordinated by Chef Saurav Chhabra. The session was conducted in such a smooth and elegant manner, that despite not being in the kitchen due to the pandemic, no inadequacy was felt. The chef very beautifully went through the different techniques used in making of pasta and explained why each one was significant. The Preparation of the Semolina Dough as well as Shaping and Storage were the topics discussed through the course of the program. Chef also elaborated on why multiple shapes of pasta are found and how these different shapes affect the dish. She demonstrated multiple shapes during the course of the program, some of which included Cavatelli, Pici and Orecchiette, among others and also explained of any variations or changes in the recipe one would possibly face if working under different climatic conditions, and how to tackle each of these. The chef also explained how the influence of the culture and agricultural patterns of a place on the variety of food that is produced in that region and how it is vital to be aware of these roots in order to produce and recreate dishes

Pre-Requisites for starting up a Culinary Venture by Chef Naina

The lecture was about pre requisites for starting up a culinary venture. Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business school at Sushant University encourages entrepreneurship qualities in students.

The session started with brand introduction. There were discussions and deliberations on many key points such as :- how to open up your entrepreneurial venture? Setting up the business and growing it even in this pandemic situation. She shared her knowledge with the students as on what steps to follow while starting a business, from planning the menu to popular items in the business. She has also shared the knowledge about infrastructure and equipment needed and basic machinery required for bakery start-up. How and from where to source raw materials, vendors for equipment and supplies in order to ensure the kitchen is functioning smoothly. How we can find and recruit the man power needed and their training. The biggest factor for running the business is sales and marketing so the same was also discussed in the session as on how to market your products with the help of different platforms.

At the end There was a Q & A Session to solve any queries or concerns of the students. Overall it was a wonderful session with presentation and visuals.

The Post-Graduate Diploma in Culinary Arts, known popularly as PGDCA, does not limit itself barely to training its students in the best ways to prepare delicacies but grooms them to emerge as the overall masters of the kitchens, with a strong grip over all the processes, right from the point of the procurement of raw materials, their hygienic storage, the final preparation – to the stage when a dish is ready to be put on the guest’s table. The PGDCA study therefore deals with the finer aspects of what the personnel at the cooking range might not be able to see – e.g., training and development of staff, keeping the team’s morale high, menu planning, innovative presentation, food cost control, introduction of modern trends in cooking, obtaining competitive information and handling the supply-chain management

Here it is worthwhile for us to specify that the French word ‘Chef’ does not mean a cook. It means The Chief and in France the heads of governments, the generals, admirals, air marshals and the CEO’s of companies are called Chefs, who are the at the helm of affairs. In French, the term used for a cook is, in fact, Commis. Easy, though it may seem, the process of selecting the correct ingredients, being aware of their seasonality, the geographical location of the establishment, the government regulations, the religious sentiments of the guests, the nutritional aspects of the dish, its shelf life, the choice of vendors and the means of transportation are indeed intricate and complex matters, a thorough study and mastery of which is what makes a talented, skillful, dexterous and, indeed, an accomplished Chef de Cuisine.

Such specialized culinary programmes get wings when they are run by renowned institutions, especially the ones which are backed by internationally ranked and highly recognized institutions like Institut Vatel of France. Adding further to its credibility, the Sushant University has forged an agreement to run this culinary programme in collaboration with the Roseate Hotels, which is a collection of Uber luxury hotels consisting of 6 niche properties across India and in the U.K with several new projects on the anvil. This PGDCA programme has several bonuses; it is operated by the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, in the state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories and the kitchens of the Sushant University, in collaboration with a celebrated hotel chain and backed by what the French are world famous for – the art of gastronomy. This leaves no scope for anybody to imagine anything better.

Any process of learning, wherein a student is given to do things with own hands, is allowed to make mistakes, is encouraged to ask the why and how of the various methods and processes, proves to be the best and the most practical way to delve deep into the subjects and imbibe from their very roots, the various practices and progressions, especially when the field of study is the vast world of gastronomy.

With a view to launch the PGDCA, the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School organized a Webinar on Thursday, May 13, 2021, wherein Ms. Priyanka Tandon, the learning and development manager, Chef Rajesh Sharma and Mr. Kush Kapoor, the CEO of Roseate hotels participated to elaborate further upon the dynamics of this well-curated programme and to make the prospective students come to terms with the fact that enormous scope lies in this field not only with regard to getting a suitable employment, but also to acquire confidence, the poise and the acumen to run own enterprises and businesses.

What added a big feather into the cap was an open declaration by Mr. Kush Kapoor enumerating upon the robust diversification programme of the Roseate Hotels, thereby beginning to create its footprint in the various continents of the world. “A Chef is an experience creator. The Vatel School will have done more than half of our job of training and grooming the students as future chefs, fitting these students into the various job roles emerging at various Roseate locations around the globe will not be any problem for us at all” said Mr. Kush Kapoor.

Dr. Garima Parkash, dean, Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School thanked the participants and the attendees for sparing their precious time and reiterated the fact that this programme, wherein one will get the opportunity to learn in the University’s classrooms and experience the same at the well-structured and synchronized training programme within just two semesters is indeed an incomparable programme for all those who wish to make a fulfilling career in the dynamic and every-changing world of hospitality.

Chef Rajesh Sharma of Roseate hotels demonstrated from his well-equipped kitchen, a live cooking process of making Quinoa salad, thereby exhibiting his dexterity, skill and his agility about the simple and yet a delicate process…

Going as per what the students of the modern era desire, these are the times of express service – preferably that which is delivered readily on a platter. Majority of the new age students desire to have everything done with and wrapped up in an instant and aspire to live happily ever after. They may though succeed in ‘achieving’ what they or what their parents have looked forward to, these students would, should they invest some more time in further pursuing their studies and in changing their thought process, function, be able to meet much larger goals and get those coveted positions or emerge as successful entrepreneurs. The will to practice patience, endurance and persistence and looking beyond just getting employed or that of securing a job position is the need of the hour. In order to reinforce this thought and to guide the youngsters of the contemporary times into continuing the tempo of learning and pursuing their studies beyond a simple graduation was the purpose of the webinar conducted by the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business school (VHTBS), in which well known, industry leaders and celebrated professionals like Mr. Sunil Mathur, a veteran hotelier and a leader with the Oberoi, ITC and Dusit hotels, Ms Anshul Verma, training manager of The Crowne Plaza and Mr. Aarsh Shukla of BSL (engaged in sending manpower to the Europearn and Middle-Eastern countries) participated.

Chef Sunil Arora, programme director of the VHTBS who moderated the webinar, opened the meet by saying, “Getting employed after graduation is a routine activity –more or less everybody succeeds in getting a job and accepts an opening irrespective of whether it fulfills the real desires and the deep rooted ambitions of the incumbent. However, the study of MBA opens the horizons and gets you closer to the critical and the analytical thinking, understanding the application of the financial and HR concepts and makes you a complete manager, ready to take on the reigns of global organisations”

Mr. Sunil Mathur was very eloquent about the subject and insisted that the students must first understand as to why they must continue their studies and emerge finally as far more successful leaders of organisations. “MBA is a blend of knowledge, skills and attitude and is a sure passport to success. One must learn to think way ahead of times and try to pre-empt business opportunities – that is what makes successful GMs, Vice Presidents and CEOs. MBA is what catapults you, therefore bringing you right in the forefront” Ms Anshul Verma who heads the training department of a large hotel and an upcoming chain too endorsed the thought of MBA studies said that the real business acumen, the insight and the quality of being able to take on-the-spot decisions and leading the organisations in the times of crises was the inherent quality of leaders and most of which is learnt during the MBA Classes.

Mr. Mathur further reiterated that the superior thinking which takes you away from the day-to-day systems and invites you to ponder about the business systems on a macro level not only helps one in performing exemplarily well as an operator in an organisation but also sets into the brain a procedure of thinking that most of the successful entrepreneurs and businessmen are so much used to. “Technology is not the only thing to depend upon. It is definitely a big help and proves to be of a great assistance in everyday functions, but it cannot perform the function of thinking for which only the human skills are equipped to play the most important role. The long-term fundamentals can be only though of and elaborated upon by the human brain” said Mr. Aarsh Shukla.

The subject of Covid having engulfed most of the businesses amongst which travel and tourism was the most volatile, was but due to emerge and to present itself as a topic of hot discussion to which Mr. Sunil Mathur said, “Travel is a basic necessity, it is bound to get revived and there are no two ways about it. Being optimistic, we all can look forward to happy days”

Dr. (Prof) Garima Parkash, in her vote of thanks expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the resources and said, “We at the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School have always been of the opinion that the most dependent and a reliant quality in a manager is to possess the excellence and the superiority of thinking and indeed the foresight which is far beyond ensuring the success of the routine procedures, the value and the eminence which is so abundantly seen in the industry leaders of the modern times.”

Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School organised Guest lecture series for the current students to give them insight on the latest happenings in the industry.

On 29th April in continuance with the series Ms Anshu Kapoor, Assistant Professor SGT university conducted a lecture on Professional ethics in Hospitality industry for the third year students as they will be hitting the specialised internship in coming months. Ms Anshu discussed the importance of ethics in our industry. The students participated & interacted with full energy and also discussed few Situations related to ethics.

Vatel Hotel & Tourism Business School organised Guest lecture series for the current students to give them insight on the latest happenings in the industry.

On 30th April in continuance with the series Ms Shikha Janardhan, Senior faculty Food Production, IIHM Hyderabad conducted a lecture on Fundamentals of Kitchen layout & Design for the Second year students to famalarize them with the concept of facility planning of commercial kitchen. Ms Shikha enlighted the students with different types of kitchen layout & the factors considered for designing a smart kitchen with all modern facilities. The students participated & interacted with full energy and also discussed if in future they are planning to open their own kitchen & bakery what they need to consider & how to go forward with it.

Do a Fifty-Fifty or phone a friend,

We’ll Lock it for you.

21 school teams from the different parts of India and the Middle-East participated enthusiastically in this unique event called EUPHORIA 2021, which was held at the quarter-final, Semi-final and the Final levels. The quiz was conducted by the in-house resources of the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, who, though having to deal with an event as unique as this one for the first time ever, did an excellent job and came our winning with flying colours.

The sense of excitement, enthusiasm and exhilaration was, as expected, created in abundance amongst the participants and Euphoria stood out as an event which had stimulating and thought-provoking activities as follows:

RAPID FIRE – As suggested quite much by the name itself, a set of 10 questions were literally fired non-stop at the team, allowing them, however, the choice to either answer instantly or request for the next question by saying Pass. The award of points was as per the questions correctly answered during the ‘firing session’ which had a specific time limit.

DOUBLE TROUBLE – This was the true test of the young and adolescent students wherein, though a correct answer awarded a team ten points, a wrong one took away twenty...!! This is where the confidence of ‘not being wrong’ and the risk-taking ability of the students came into play.

BACK-OF-THE-MIND AWARENESS - Many a times a few images, slogans, tag lines, advertisements, or faces of personalities that one may have seen on the TV, in a newspaper or in a book might have created some impression or shaped an image at the back of the mind. The test of how instantly could one recall these things was the motive of this test.

SPELL IT WRITE/WRIGHT/RITE/RIGHT…? One of the foremost, nay, a compulsive obligation of a student is to be able to spell the words correctly. Chef Sunil who was the animator of this part of the quiz called it Spell bee and made sure he pronounced the words with full clarity before asking the students to spell them and, surely enough, the bright ones did win points in this contest.

OH MY GOD…I’VE HEARD IT SOMEWHERE...! - Many a times a jingle, a typical sound, the tune of some slogan or that of a commercial might linger in your mind and, rather than it getting completely faded away, it just might claim some space and get stored in your mind somewhere. This is where the student teams were asked to identify some sounds and the expressions - Oh my God…I’ve heard it somewhere came up…

Dr. Garima Parkash, dean, Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School who conceptualized this unprecedented and an extraordinary event said, “Despite the end-term exams being round the corner I am overwhelmed by the enthusiastic support that the schools have given to us for this event and am glad to see the passion and the fervor with which the students have participated in it. I wish them success in their exams and I do sincerely hope we would be able to keep our association with them in future. Looking at the success of Euphoria 2021, We are stimulated and are eager to bring forth many such events.”

The winning team of DAV Jamshedpur won a Samsung Galaxy Tab for each of the participants and the two students of the runner-up team from the Dayanand Dinanath Education Trust won an ALEXA each.

Action on part of the back-of-the-scene team, which called up schools for their participation, obtained confirmations, gathered the teams together, formulated a wide range of textual, audio and visual questions, made schedules for the different levels of the quiz, computed and compiled marks are a few of the integral actions which cannot be overlooked.

It is a truth, universally acknowledged that we rarely get to realize the depth that this statement with a pink background carries. Times have changed a lot and the Woman Power (quite much the way in which we measure HP) is now the true driving force behind all that matters and in every field. The saying that behind every successful man there is a woman cannot be distorted and coined as Behind Every Successful Woman There Is A Man. The roles just cannot be inter-changed. Behind every successful woman, is, actually, another woman.

Why is there a need for us to highlight this fact time and again? What is it that is making the International Woman’s Day more of a meaningful celebration rather than it being just a day to remember? One has to realize that the ladies of the present day are becoming more and more self-reliant, independent, free, self-governing and very powerful.

The Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, the only school of Vatel France, exclusively with the Sushant University (Erstwhile Ansal University) in the Indian Sub-Continent celebrated the Woman’s Day with full pomp and show. The students did an audio-visual presentation, enumerating the achievements and accolades that the ladies of the past and the present day have been conferred upon. This may be called as a futile attempt, as many more would have been added by the time this list could finish. Monday, March 8, 2021 was dedicated forwards reveling about the woman power getting even stronger over the last two decades which has not only acquired a strong position for itself but also has taken deep roots into almost all walks of life and is ready to take the world on at all angles.

With the majority of deans of the university being ladies, the manifestation of the fact indeed became very evident and apt for the occasion. Students created decorations and illustrations in the areas of celebrations and, of course, indulged in a bit of partying and, indeed in a few jam sessions. Chef Sunil of the Vatel School baked a cake in a large W shape, which, of course, had many shades of pink, studded with fresh strawberries.

“Over the years the, care, concern and respect for ladies has grown several times across the globe and we now see a great change in India as well, though, we all need to get together and do a lot in terms of highlighting this feminine superiority amongst our villages and in the rural areas of our great Motherland” Said Dr. Garima Parkash, dean, Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School.

Marking all devoutness and piety towards Saraswati, the Goddess of learning and knowledge, the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School India, in its first-ever venture, celebrated Vasant Panchami wherein the vice chancellor, the registrar, deans of all schools of Sushant University, the heads of various departments and the office-holders were invited for lunch prepared and served by its students under the supervision of the faculty members.

The yellow color theme, in conformity with the color adorned by the Goddess was the theme which was used not only in decorating the venue, but also was the combination that the dean of the school, the members of the academic team and the students of the Vatel School wore. Yellow and orange marigold flowers, earthen pots with yellow flowers, orange and red Rangoli at the entrance of the school, yellow table cloths with red, yellow, orange flower combinations were put up and even the menus were printed on nothing else but on yellow card boards.

Students of the Vatel school welcomed the invitees who entered the Epicure restaurant (the venue) after paying their reverences to the Goddess whose image was kept right at the entrance, listened to Saraswati Vandana and received the Prasaad. They were then ushered into the restaurant where a menu comprising of the traditional vegetarian dishes like Aloo Pyaz Bhaja, Paneer do Pyaza, Aloo Rassa, Moong Dal Khichdi, Poori and Rewa Kesari (milk-based dessert) was served in pre-plated thalis (round copper plates).

“I admire the thought that has gone into putting together an event which has a tremendous importance and significance to us as teachers and as educators. Though this was a small event, I was impressed by the micro details which were taken care of and the dexterity with which the event was organized. The food was indeed delicious and delightful” said the vice chancellor of the University, Dr. DNS Kumar.

The Vatel team who partook of the meal only after the invitees had been served, rejoiced at having put up yet another successful event, which was the first of its kind and also happened to be the first one organized after a gap of almost 12 months.

Prof. Dr. Garima Parkash, dean of Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School lauded the efforts of the team and that of the students by saying, “This event is the harbinger of the beginning of the festive season and encourages us to bestow upon our students many such opportunities for which they would always be super-excited and, out of which, they would derive a lot of learning”

Vatel School organised a guest lecture on the Importance & Functions of Room division department in hotels. Mr Abhishek Chaudhary of Radisson group of hotels conducted the lecture wherein he explained students about different operational aspects of Room division in hotels, He also told students about his professional experience in Radisson. He also mentioned what they need to do when they go for their Internships in coming semesters.

The students participated in the lecture with great enthusiasm & asked many questions related to the industry.

In the same way in which many trainers feel the need for more training at the advanced levels, the teachers wish to be exposed to further learnings and the instructors desire to be instructed about the latest happenings in the world, a one-of-a-kind session was held at the Sushant university wherein the need for the School counsellors to be counselled about the latest inputs about What After School was felt and valuable information, therefore, about the various possibilities of care