Education is central to our mission, and we're committed to shaping future hospitality leaders with a focus on sustainability.  We strive to equip our students across all disciplines with the knowledge, skills, attributes and values required to integrate responsible and ethical practices in their decision-making processes and pursue sustainable visions of the future. 

    We support access to education for all. Admission to EHL's study programs is open to all individuals, regardless of ethnicity, religion, origin, disability or gender.  The EHL Foundation for Scholarships and Honorary Loans offers financial aid to students, with 123 scholarships awarded in 2023.

    We also support lifelong learning for staff and faculty through a competency acquisition portfolio, fostering continuous development. 

    Commitments and Accomplishments

    • We measure and track the ratio of sustainability-related topics in our curriculum, and are aiming to improve the transversal integration of sustainability in our various educational programs. 
    •  We added two new sustainability-related courses in our Bachelor program and introduced a short course on our Singapore campus.  We also launched a new sustainability specialization for students at our campus in Passugg.
    • We have been participating in the Times Higher Education Impact ranking since 2021. This allows us to track our progression with SDGs, particularly focusing on SDG4, Quality Education. 

    Sustainability Events

    Every year since 2019, we've been hosting Sustainability Week at EHL, a key initiative aimed at fostering awareness and action within our institution. This event brings together students, faculty and staff to participate in discussions, workshops and activities focused on sustainable practices.

    Through our Sustainability Impact Program, staff members from all departments are empowered to propose, organize and implement sustainability-related projects and events. The program fosters a culture of collaboration, fuelling initiatives and tangible change within our community.

    Thanks to these initiatives, we record a steady increase in participation in sustainability-related events every year.

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    Access to Education

    The EHL Foundation for Scholarships and Honorary Loans provides financial aid for talented students who need help to pursue their dreams of a hospitality education.

    Donations help support equal-opportunity access to higher education and give deserving students a chance to access international career opportunities and give back to their communities with valuable skill sets and knowledge.

    Though HES-SO and the EHL Foundation, a new scholarship program provides full tuition coverage for ten selected Masters in Hospitality Management (MiHM) students each year.  These students can choose a sustainability-related specialization during the program, such as the CSR & Sustainable Transformation Specialization.

     

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    Sustainability-related Research

    Over the past five years, the ratio of our sustainability-related research papers has more than doubled, demonstrating our growing focus on addressing global challenges. In 2023, 36% of our published papers centered on sustainability topics, reflecting the increasing importance of sustainable development in our academic work.

    Our ambition is to further elevate this focus by establishing a Sustainability Research Institute in the future. This institute will serve as a hub for cutting-edge research, innovation, and collaboration, driving impactful solutions to the most pressing environmental and social issues of our time.

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    Paul Dubrule Student has Swiss Adventure Thanks to Special Financial Aid

    Each year, EHL invites a deserving student from l’École d’Hôtellerie et de Tourisme Paul Dubrule (EHT) in Siem Reap, Cambodia, to experience its Swiss campuses and university-level courses. Erafasyra, a young student from EHT, was chosen for this unique opportunity. Her visit to EHL's Passugg campus captivated her, and a chance encounter with an admissions officer in Lausanne opened the door to a tuition-waiver.

    Read all about Erafasyra’s fascinating story and more about our initiatives in our 2023 Environmental & Social Report. 

     

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    Our Other Contributing Beyond Education Pillars

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    Our Social and Environmental Report

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    In 2020, EHL released its first social and environmental report, confirming the start of its journey towards sustainability by publishing a set of commitments approved by the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee.  The report is now released yearly, covering the actions over the course of the previous year.

    There is still a lot to be done, but we are devoted to take on the challenges of today’s society and develop our metrics for more precise reporting from year to year, to be able to set precise objectives for positive change over the short, medium and long term.

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