Welcome to Andrew, the new dean of the School of Hospitality and Tourism :

Welcome to Andrew, the new dean of the School of Hospitality and Tourism

Portrait of Andrew Pennington, the new dean of the School of Hospitality and Tourism

Andrew Pennington recently joined PSE and told us about his big ambitions for the School of Hospitality and Tourism!

PSE represents 42 programs in total and all our objectives revolve around the thousands of beneficiaries we support every day. Even if the number counts a lot, the quality of our programs must prevail, so we do our best to improve them and ensure the continuity of our actions. Indeed, we want to take the time to reflect on our vocational trainings, 20 years after their creation, to ensure that they are still adapted to the market and to the youth of today.

The arrival of a new Dean for our School of Hospitality and Tourism is therefore promising! PSE is very pleased to welcome Andrew Pennington within the team: “My mission is to ensure that the students receive a quality learning experience that prepares them for industry and provide support to the teachers that will facilitate that quality of education.’’. He will be in charge of the program of 5 courses (Food Production, Food & Beverage Service, Front office, Housekeeping, Hairdressing and Beauty), which represent a total of 200 students.

A very diversified carreer

Our new Dean is from the UK and he came to PSE with an extensive international experience, spanning from London to Switzerland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Dubai, Oman, North China, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, and Saudi: “This is what is good with the hotel industry: you can travel. I learned about different cuisine; it was great.”. Like our students, he first studied the basics of Hospitality, becoming a Chef, then General Manager of restaurants and hotels and a university professor. You may also read some of the books he has written about the industry! One thing is certain, his diverse background offers a balance between theory and practice that our students could benefit from.

Teach updated knowledge to students

One of his missions as Dean of the School of Hospitality and Tourism is to visit hotels and restaurants in Cambodia to understand what the industry of today wants so that our students will be better prepared for entry in the professional world: “All industries are changing so fast now so it’s really important for our teachers to be up to date. Students need to have the skills, the knowledge, the competencies that the industry wants. Knowing what hotels in Cambodia need from graduates is key.”.

A student sets up a table, supervised by her teacher
Students reprensenting all fields of study pose

Learn more by doing more

PSE’s training facilities allow to do a lot in terms of creativity and our new Dean is ready to meet the challenges ahead. One of his main goals is to elevate teaching and offerings to a high standard: “I want to create a learning environment that encourages the students to come to class and have classes that are relevant, effective and enjoyable, so hopefully that would lead to a reduction in dropouts and happier students prepared for industry.”. By practicing a lot, our vocational training students will learn a lot and become competent. PSE has always been committed to provide the best training possible, so that our students find qualified employment that will allow them to build a better future.