INTERVIEW WITH GIMPA DELEGATION TO ECOLE SAVIGNAC
As part of the Sankofa project to support higher education and research in the field of heritage and tourism, a delegation from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Affairs, visited the Savignac School, a higher education institution established by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Dordogne in France, from October 2-9, to train executives in the hotel, restaurant, events, leisure and tourism sectors.
The delegation was composed of Prof. Samuel Agyei-Ampomah, Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Mrs. Philippa Ampofo, Director of Hotel Services, and Mr. Baffour Osei Akoto, Assistant Registrar and Internship Coordinator of the Bachelor of Hotel Management.
Prof. Samuel Agyei-Ampomah reviewed the perspectives opened by this collaboration:
1. Can you present GIMPA’s strategy in the field of hospitality, cooking and tourism?
Prof. Samuel Agyei-Ampomah : GIMPA currently offers certificates and licenses in the field of hospitality and tourism and already has a hospitality and tourism training center, with the aim of creating a state-of-the-art training school.
GIMPA’s vision for its hotel school is to be recognized as a world-class institution in hotel and tourism education and research.
2. Why is GIMPA interested in a partnership with the International School of Savignac?
Prof. Samuel Agyei-Ampomah : The Ecole Supérieure Internationale de Savignac is an institution that prepares its students to become hospitality professionals in various sectors of the hospitality industry, including hotels, restaurants and tourism-related businesses.
We can learn a lot from this institution by redesigning our programs to ensure that students gain the practical skills necessary to excel in the hospitality industry, including:
The use of localized case studies in teaching and learning.
Soft skills training through theater and other extracurricular activities.
The experience of managing student internships.
3. How do we implement these ideas and recommendations from your visit?
Prof. Samuel Agyei-Ampomah : We will seek support from management and other stakeholders at GIMPA for the implementation of teaching labs for food preparation, food service and housekeeping.
A committee has been set up to redefine the hospitality curriculum to focus on practical skills required by the industry, with the help of key stakeholders in the hospitality industry.
The revised curriculum will be submitted to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) for accreditation.
There is also a need to create a network of industry players willing to take on students on internships for relatively long periods.
The program could be revised for the 2022/2023 academic year.
4. What resources will be needed to achieve this?
Prof. Samuel Agyei-Ampomah : The establishment of an internationally recognized hospitality and tourism training school has been a strategic goal of GIMPA but has been affected by funding constraints as a self-financing public institution.
Financial support for the establishment of the necessary teaching and experimentation laboratories will contribute immensely to the training and equipping of our students with the required knowledge and practical skills that will make them market-ready upon graduation.
5. Do you think there is room for student and faculty exchanges between your two institutions?
Prof. Samuel Agyei-Ampomah : Yes, faculty and student exchanges between GIMPA and Ecole de Savignac are desirable.
6. How do you envisage collaboration with French institutions in the longer term?
Prof. Samuel Agyei-Ampomah : Our engagement with the Ecole de Savignac has been very positive, and I think that a long-term collaboration will be useful to both parties, especially considering the presence of the Ecole de Savignac in some French-speaking countries in West Africa.
In addition, a proposal for collaboration between the Ecole de Savignac and GIMPA for a joint scholarship program is under consideration.
