Glion Institute of Higher Education

L'Institut International de Glion was founded in 1962 with the initial class consisting of 15 students from five different countries, studying courses delivered in French.

In 1977, Glion changed its name to the Centre International de Glion (CIG), before becoming Glion Hotel School. In 1989 a second campus was opened in Bulle. In 2002, Glion updated its name to Glion Institute of Higher Education and became part of Laureate Education, an American education company.[3]

In 2006, Glion was accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.).[4]

In 2013, Glion opened a new campus in London, located in the grounds of the University of Roehampton. In 2016, Glion was acquired by Eurazeo, a multinational private equity firm based in Paris, France. Glion operates under the umbrella of hospitality education group Sommet Education.

Hotel Bellevue

The Glion Board of Directors comprises leadership group, governing board and advisory board:

1. Leadership group: Glion leadership group is responsible for maintaining day-to-day quality across the three campuses. It is guided and supported by two boards composed of industry experts and business leaders, who provide independent oversight and help the school to chart its future academic course.

2. The Governing Board: The objective is to review the school’s mission, assure quality and integrity, review major changes in the curriculum, endorse strategic planning, monitor financial data and assess the Managing Director’s performance.

The Glion Board of Directors comprises:

• Pierre Salles, Chair - Owner & Co-Founder, HES Hotels & Management Co. France
• Stephanie Furlough-Morris, Ph.D - Chief Financial Officer, Sommet Education, Switzerland
• Larry Edward Penley, Ph.D – President, Penley Consulting, LLC, USA
• Fabien Fresnel, Ph.D - Chief Operating Officer, Sommet Education, Switzerland
• Benoît-Etienne Domenget, Chief Executive Officer, Sommet Education, Switzerland
• Robert A. Spencer, Ph.D - Directeur Général Emeritas, USA
• Raymond Goodman, Jr., Ph.D - Emeritus Professor of Hospitality Management, USA
• Suzanne Lévesque, Secrétaire Générale, Richemont International SA, Switzerland
• Laurent Wehrli, National Councilor (Elected member of the Swiss Parliament)

3. Advisory Board: The advisory board is composed of professionals holding key positions in the hospitality industry and related service industries. Their main role is to advise the school about the evolution and trends of the hospitality and tourism industry, which allows Glion to anticipate and adapt its programs accordingly.

Glion Institute of Higher Education comprises three campuses.[5]

Glion campus view

Glion Campus

Glion main campus overlooks the city of Montreux, positioned in Glion-sur-Montreux with a panorama view of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps. The Glion campus is a practical arts learning centre for Bachelor’s semester 1 students. Montreux (1 km/0.62 miles) and Lausanne (24 km/15 miles) are nearby, as is Geneva International Airport (66 km/41 miles). Glion main campus has 5 student accommodation buildings, 16 classrooms and study rooms, library, gastronomic restaurant (Maison Décotterd), the Bistro, self-service restaurant with panoramic terrace  (The Club), lounge bar, gymnasium and fitness room.

Bulle Campus

London Campus

London Campus

Opened in 2013, Glion London is situated in the grounds of the University of Roehampton. It remains the only UK campus established by a Swiss hospitality institution. The London campus has its own dedicated campus building in Downshire House. Glion students are able to use the University of Roehampton's resources and facilities. Academic study options include Bachelor’s and Master’s Program. The Bachelor’s Program mirrors the Bachelor’s in International Hospitality Business  in Switzerland, but for the first Practical Arts semester all students will have their classes in Glion campus. For Master’s programs, there are 2 available in London campus: the MSc in International Hospitality Business which is also available in Switzerland, and in addition the MSc in Real Estate, Finance and Hotel Development is taught exclusively in London.

As of 2022, Glion comprises seven faculties: Finance, Business and Management; Marketing, Event Management and Luxury; Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Practical Arts; Hospitality Management; and General Education.

The 97 current faculty members represent 17 nationalities and bring an average of 13 years’ hospitality industry experience and 12 years’ academic experience.

Glion has more than 1600 students representing 98 nationalities. This represents a very diversified study environment in Glion, where students could meet different people around the world and form a student community. Glion students can also travel all around Switzerland as the Student Affairs team organizes all kinds of day trips for students during the weekends.

Glion students run a number of specialist committees:

• Glion Sport Committee: a gateway to every activity on campus,
• Glion Green Committee: teaches students how to become more sustainable in innovative and engaging ways
• Glion Graduation Committee: led by the graduating semester to set up graduation ceremony gala and arrange events to bring students together.
• Glion Charity Committee: aims to provide Glion students with an opportunity to make a quantifiable difference while providing continuity and monetary aid to  the chosen community
• Glion Culinary Committee: enhances dining experience of various cuisines  and beverages
• Glion Arts Committee: serves two major purposes, one to showcase talent of any kind within students across the Glion campuses; and help other committees and faculty deliver engaging events.
• Glion Wine Committee:  develops knowledge on the topic while spending time with other students by sharing a glass of wine together, attending a wine tasting with professionals, or visiting a local winery
• Glion Networking Committee:  makes it possible for students to network with professionals. GNC organizes industry visits, hosts conferences and looks after external guests

Glion Student Government Association: It is elected by the Glion student body to represent their best interests. The association is spread across both Switzerland and Glion London, and they all work together to ensure they achieve the same goals. This is, among others, to continue promoting and enhancing the ‘Glion Spirit’, through various projects and events, and improving the overall student experience.

Glion Institute of Higher Education has more than 15,700 alumni.[6]

The Alumni Association of Glion, or Association des Anciens de Glion (AAG), is the official networking community for Glion graduates. The AAG hosts a series of events worldwide, offering career support and leadership advice to its members. It is the representative body for the Glion Alumni Community.  The representatives are elected at the General Assembly by the alumni community globally and they have a three-year term. The roles are voluntary, and they act as the voice of the alumni community in relation to conversations with the school – GIHE and the Alumni Engagement Team. They are at the forefront of community engagement initiatives such as the alumni events programme, the ambassador programme, and fostering connections between the alumni globally.

AAG Committee members:

• Christopher Jones – AAG President
• Ronald Homsy – AAG Vice President
• Mayumi Matthäus – AAG Secretary General
• Caroline Ellul – AAG Committee Member
• Tibor Fejes – AAG Committee Member
• Frédéric Frère – AAG Committee Member
• Beatrice Leon – AAG Committee Member

1962 Founded as the hotel school ‘Institut International de Glion’, The Centre International de Formation Hôtelière et Touristique S.A. was incorporated, with a teaching campus on the site of the former Bellevue & Belvedere Grand Hotel

1963 Glion sowed the seeds of a modern alpine resort in Zinal

1964 The Alumni Association of Glion (AAG) was first formed by 5 students, which was known as the Glion Students’ Association (AEIG) at that time

1965 First ‘preparatory course’ was taught – today called Practical Arts

1967 Student Government Association was created

1971 The Société d’Expansion Touristique S.A. (SET) assumed responsibility for the school administration

1976 Glion introduced a choice of four specializations: Financial management, Hospitality management, Food and beverage, and Business management

1977 Changed new official name to “Centre International de Glion”

1978 The Glion campus began to resemble the size and shape known today with the construction of Building IV

1979 Glion’s flagship diploma program underwent a significant restructuring – students could opt to specialize in either hospitality management or tourism management in their third semester

1985 Founding member of the Swiss Hotel Schools Association

1989 Bulle campus opened its doors on July 31st

1992 The very first class in English was given to the students - all teaching at Glion and Bulle campuses had been in French until this point

1994 Glion opened its first campus outside Switzerland – located in Corfu, the new venture was named The European Center for Tourism Studies (ECTS) and its last student graduated in 2011

1995 The first hospitality Bachelor’s degree was launched – called Galaxy, this three-year program paved the way for Glion’s contemporary Bachelor’s in International Hospitality Business; Glion also welcomed the Nobel prize winner Mr. Gorbachev

1996 Semesters were split more distinctly between Glion and Bulle campuses, setting a pattern that can still be found today within the Bachelor’s program

1997 Glion purchased La Résidence in Glion village in order to offer another practical arts venue to the students

1998 The HOSTA school in Leysin joined the renamed Glion Group SA, giving Glion three campuses in Switzerland

2000 The first BBA was introduced, as well as the Associate Degree, Certificate and Diploma programs, while also signing a partnership with Endicott College in Massachusetts (USA) in order to offer two specialized Master’s degrees

2001 Glion secured accreditation from New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) - since renamed the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)

2002 Changed name to ‘‘Glion Institute of Higher Education’’

2002 Became a part of Laureate Hospitality Education, a division of Laureate Education, Inc. Based in Baltimore (USA), Laureate is the largest network of international universities in the world, managing more than 80 universities in 28 countries and includes more than 1,000,000 students

2004 The HOSTA campus in Leysin was closed

2006 Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.).

2008 An all-online MBA in International Hospitality and Service Industries Management was launched, as well as the Bachelor’s in Events, Sports and Entertainment

2009 Glion acquired Hotel des Alpes - the new practical arts teaching facility that incorporated renovated rooms, reception, a bar, an academic restaurant and an open kitchen

2010 Together with the sister-school Les Roches, Glion created the Les Roches Gruyère University of Applied Sciences (LRGUAS) – a Swiss-accredited program that ran until 2016

2011 Launched 100% online postgraduate and professional development certificate and diploma programs

2012 Celebrated 50-year anniversary [10]

2012 The new eco-friendly educational building was opened – the Academic Center on Bulle campus

2013 Glion established the London campus which enabled it to become the first Swiss hospitality school with a presence in the UK capital

2014 Launched multicampus options for undergraduate and postgraduate programs, offering student mobility between campuses in Switzerland and London

2015 Won the “Best Hospitality Management School” at the Worldwide Hospitality Awards, and it launched the new Luxury Brand Management specialization

2016.3 Glion London campus moved to a new building named Downshire House, on the campus of the University of Roehampton.

2016.6 Eurazeo acquired Glion Institute of Higher Education (Glion) and its interests in affiliated campuses and partners.

2017 Major renovations took place on Glion campus, ahead of the formal opening of Le Bellevue fine-dining restaurant to the public early the following year

2018 Glion ranked 1st for employer reputation in Hospitality Management in the QS World University Rankings.[11]

2018 Announced an expanded portfolio of four Master’s programs.

2019 Launched three new Master’s programs, namely: Luxury Management & Guest Experience; Hospitality, Innovation & Entrepreneurship; and Real Estate, Finance & Hotel Development

2020 Introduced new remote learning platform “Glion Connect” to feature live online tutorials, demonstrations, one-to-one coaching and mentoring

2021 Welcomed Swiss-born chef Stéphane Décotterd with the launch of Maison Décotterd on Glion campus, bringing a new local gastronomy to our students and the public

2022 Celebrated 60-year anniversary