Haaga-Helia and Estonian Business School started cooperation developing Estonian Hospitality business and know-how

As Haaga-Helia had recognized the need for the changes in the current and future hospitality business environment in Estonia, the decision was made within its global mission to enter the Estonian education and training markets in co-operation with the Estonian Business School (EBS).

The main goal in this partnership for Haaga-Helia is to be present and participate in the development of the Estonian hospitality and tourism industry by the education and training.

“Haaga-Helia Hospitality Competence Center in Estonia is set up to serve the hospitality industry and companies operating in this sector. The core objective is to help them to accomplish better and improve their financial performance”, commented the Vice President, Commercial Director Jouni Ahonen from Haaga-Helia.

According to EBS´s Vice Rector for International Collaboration, Toomas Danneberg, the goal of the cooperation is to bring internationally highly valued know-how of hospitality and tourism management to Estonia. Additionally for both partners, the export of education is increasingly important as is the co-development of a practical start-up entrepreneurship program in the course of bachelor as well as master studies.

„We have already started with start-up camps, which take place in Estonia as well as in Finland and bring together students from both schools“.

The cooperation between Haaga-Helia and EBS is during the study year 2015-2016 mostly based on sharing the hospitality knowhow and education in the format of short business courses, degree studies and project-based research and development. Haaga-Helia has also started to establish a partnership network, Hospitality Insiders Club, which gathers hospitality managers together and introduces to the latest trends and operational concepts in the business.

Haaga-Helia Hospitality Competence Center in Estonia is headquartered at the EBS campus in Tallinn and at present two coordinators market and implement Haaga-Helia activities in Estonia there.

Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences and Estonia Business School launched cooperation by signing an agreement on September 9th at the Hospitality Knowhow Conference held by the Haaga-Helia Compentence Centre in Estonia at EBS. The agreement was signed on behalf of Haaga-Helia by the President and CEO Teemu Kokko and on behalf of EBS by the Rector and Professor Arno Almann.

Content-wise the agreement set the framework for cooperation in short business training courses, degree studies, RDI and projects and entrepreneurship activities.

The cooperation launching event held by the Haaga-Helia Hospitality Competence Center in Estonia on September 9^th at EBS focused after the opening by on the introductory training sessions presenting the short business courses to be held later during the study year in question.

The event was very successful as 120 participants registered in advance and most of them visited the event as well. The participants expressed gratitude for arranging such an interesting event and welcomed Haaga-Helia warmly to the Estonian market in cooperation with EBS.

The information shared by the Haaga-Helia staff and coaches is available at the Haaga-Helia Hospitality Competence Center in Estonia website http://ee.haaga-helia.fi/.