Led by Dr. Dennis Savaiano, Dean of the School of Consumer and Family Science (CFS) at Purdue University, a group of 8 interns from the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) came to the Jinling Hotel Nanjing at the end of June 2004 for a 5-month internship. Before long, a group of 14 Jinling Executives and Managers will go to the Purdue in July for an exchange program. The cooperation between Jinling Hotel and Purdue University has entered a new phase.

 

 Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue University is a world famous university with over 65,000 students from 128 countries around the world. Its HTM has won first place for 2 consecutive years in the United States for its excellence in teaching and research. The Jinling Holding Limited is hailed as the exemplary model of the economic reform in China’s tourism industry, and is recognized as one of the most successful hotel groups. Its flagship, Jinling Hotel Nanjing, is among the best hotels in China known for its unique combination of oriental hospitality and management style.

 

 The cooperation between Jinling and Purdue University can be traced back to June 1999 when Dr. Raphael R.Kavanaugh, Professor and Head of HTM and Dr. Liping Cai, Director of Purdue Tourism & Hospitality Research Center, visited China on a study tour. They finally chose the Jinling Hotel as the only premier Internship site in Asia for Purdue students. In July 2000, Mr. Tang Wenjian, Chairman of Jinling Holding Limited, signed an agreement with Dean Savaiano to start an all-round co-operative exchange in the areas of joint research through visiting scholar programs, executive training and professional development, and internships.

 

 Since 2000, the Jinling Hotel has successfully trained 3 groups (a total of 18) of Purdue University students. Jinling Managers have developed a detailed and comprehensive plan for the interns to experience and understand the management and service in different departments and the Jinling culture. To help them adapt to the new culture and working environment, Jinling Hotel has also been involved in setting up a Chinese Language and Culture Class at Nanjing Normal University for the interns. The combination of internship and study abroad in China helps the interns to learn about China’s rich Chinese culture, as well as the unique Jinling management model and the latest development of China’s tourism industry. The interns of past classes were deeply impressed by the Jinling hospitality and their total experience in China. By the end of their stay, all of them found it hard to leave Jinling and part with their mentors and co-workers. Their gratitude was best expressed by the silk banner presented to the hotel by the 2000 class. The banner reads Jinling - Home Away From Home & Best Internship Site.

 

 In the meantime, Purdue University has trained a total of 32 executives and managers for Jinling through visiting scholar and professional development programs on Purdue’s campus. Purdue professors came to the Jinling to do market research and conduct seminars at Jinling. Among these professors are Dr. Raphael R. Kavanaugh, Professor and Head of HTM, and Dr. Alastair M. Morrison, Associate Dean of CFS, and most recently Professors Liping Cai and Carl Braunlich. Their lectures brought new ideas and opened new perspectives for the Jinling staff who are always keen on learning and enriching themselves.

 

 The exchange between Jinling and Purdue University has set a fine example of industry-academic cooperation between China and the United States.  The efforts of combining the strengths of advanced hospitality and tourism management theories and practices are fruitful and beneficial to both sides in not only the short term but also the long term. The ex