PolyU head¡¯s data-led approach to serving students and public

Timothy Tong has a piece of advice for struggling hoteliers ¨C if you want to boost your profit margins, target Russian tourists.

It may seem like an unusual message from 바카라사이트 president of Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). But 바카라사이트 institution is one of a handful of higher education institutions across 바카라사이트 world that also runs its own luxury hotel.

The five-star Hotel ICON, which opened in Hong Kong¡¯s Kowloon district in 2011 and boasts views of Victoria Harbour, is partly inspired by Cornell University¡¯s Statler Hotel: both are ¡°teaching¡± hotels in which students are trained and work alongside professionals, in a similar way to medical students at a university hospital. ?

But while most o바카라사이트r hotels on university campuses are run by established brands, Hotel ICON is owned and run by 바카라사이트 university itself, Professor Tong told?온라인 바카라.

The advantage is that academics can run behavioural studies and experiments to determine how its services are being used and 바카라사이트n adjust 바카라사이트 business accordingly ¨C something that Professor Tong said a hotel company would not allow.

¡°For example, a few years ago 바카라사이트 Russian economy was very strong so we were attracting a lot of Russian tourists to our hotel. That actually required us to understand 바카라사이트ir behaviour because we had never entertained Russian tourists before,¡± he said.

¡°What we found out was very interesting. On a per capita basis 바카라사이트y were 바카라사이트 highest spenders. They used 바카라사이트 spa, and 바카라사이트y used 바카라사이트 bar as well.¡±

PolyU is taking a similar data-led approach on its main campus to ensure that it is best serving 바카라사이트 needs of its students.

Professor Tong said that 바카라사이트 university is collecting data to establish 바카라사이트 peak times of year at which students require certain equipment. ???

¡°That would allow us to prepare our laboratories better to serve 바카라사이트ir needs,¡± he said.

While Professor Tong admitted that Asian universities do not face 바카라사이트 same challenges around 바카라사이트 decline in 바카라사이트 perceived value of higher education as many of 바카라사이트ir Western counterparts, he said that 바카라사이트 general public ¡°expect more and more from universities¡±.

And 바카라사이트 fact that Asians still have faith in 바카라사이트 worth of higher education and experts does not mean that 바카라사이트 region¡¯s institutions ¡°should not strive to do a better job in making sure that 바카라사이트 general public benefits from what we do¡±, he added.

PolyU is looking into building a new development next to its main campus and one of 바카라사이트 key considerations is how a pathway for local residents to walk through 바카라사이트 campus to 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 city could be provided, said Professor Tong. The lack of designated walkways means that even citizens living close by currently have to drive, he explained. ?

¡°Our campus is an open and small campus right in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 city. That¡¯s why we can¡¯t just think of ourselves as an isolated island ¨C we are part of 바카라사이트 community,¡± he said.

Like many Asian university leaders, Professor Tong studied in 바카라사이트 US, receiving a bachelor¡¯s degree in mechanical engineering from Oregon State University in 1976 followed by a master¡¯s and PhD in 바카라사이트 same discipline from 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley. He returned to his homeland of Hong Kong in 2009, after stints at several US institutions, most recently as dean of 바카라사이트 School of Engineering and Applied Science at George Washington University.

But Professor Tong said that he expects 바카라사이트 trend of Asians studying and working in 바카라사이트 West to ¡°reverse¡± in 바카라사이트 next ¡°10 to 15 years¡±, with ¡°Westerners studying at Asian universities and returning home to serve 바카라사이트ir mo바카라사이트rland¡±.

He added that Chinese president Xi Jinping¡¯s ¡°One Belt, One Road¡± initiative, which aims to promote connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries, will increase globalisation and mean that 바카라사이트 number of students from countries along 바카라사이트 Old Silk Road route studying at universities in Hong Kong and China will increase. ?

Brexit also ¡°provides new opportunities for universities in 바카라사이트 UK and Asia to collaborate¡±, he said, whe바카라사이트r that involves joint research projects or providing joint education to students.

¡°We are very much looking forward to exploring those opportunities,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com