Pakistani students win prestigious Eurhodip challenge 2020

The Pakistan team of hotel management students comprising Syed Mubashar Ali, Syed Hammad Bukhari and Abdul Wahab Awan from the College of Tourism and Hotel Management (COTHM) grabbed first position in a management competition seeking analytical solutions from the participating teams. 

The recent international event was organised by Stenden Hotel Management School, Netherlands, in association with one of the most prestigious European associations of hotel management colleges, Eurhodip. 

More than hundred top ranked hotel management colleges from 39 countries of Europe submitted their entries to the Eurhodip Challenge 2020 competition. 

The Pakistan team faced formidable competition from 9 other shortlisted entries. However, the team of Pakistan elaborated the design-based education process in the shape of a video in the most interesting, innovative and creative way which led it to the top position in the competition. 

Eurhodip is an education support association for leading hospitality related colleges and universities, providing programs and services for continuous improvement of the quality of hospitality and tourism education in a global perspective. 

The other nine competing teams were Escola de Hotelaria e Turismo de Lisboa, Portugal as 1st runner up, Stenden Hotel Management School, Netherlands as 2nd runner up, Vocational College of Hospitality and tourism Maribor, Slovenia as 3rd runner up, Vocational College for Hospitality, Wellness and Tourism Bled Slovenia, Pyatigorsk State University, Russia, Final International University, Turkey, Escuela Superior de Hostelería de Sevilla, Spain, Instituto Superior De Educacao e Ciencias, Portugal and Russian International Academy for Tourism, Russia. 

Participating teams analysed the socio-economic conditions and formulated pragmatic policy recommendations to attract and retain hotel staff and students. 

The happy students said they had worked days until nights on their prototypes. Exclaiming with joy, one of the participants said, “It gave us an opportunity to collaborate with each other and dedicate ourselves to a particular purpose. We are tremendously proud of our massive achievement which would have been unattainable without the support of our school, family and team-mates.”

Speaking about this achievement, the hospitality enthusiast and COTHM CEO and Founder, Ahmad Shafiq said that Pakistan’s youth is blessed with immense talent, which, from time to time, have demonstrated their exceptional abilities to bring honor and dignity to their country.

He added that the powerful combination of classroom instruction and real-world experience is what prepares our students for success in their careers, and, as is now apparent, in such analytical competitions.

Besides their professional learning and development, these talented students are playing a vital role in building a soft image of Pakistan across the world through demonstration of their exceptional creative abilities at the world-renowned forums, Shafiq further said.