To better promote cooperation between universities and enterprises, as well as facilitate employment opportunities for students, and fully leverage the advantages of university-enterprise collaboration in talent development, Vice Dean Xin Jiang, Dr. Xiaoqian Wang, the Director of the Hotel Management Department, and Xiaotian Wu, a representative of Huazhu Group and a graduating student from HUE (graduate of the hotel management major of the class of 2023), visited the Shanghai headquarters of Huazhu Hotel Management Group during the autumn semester of 2023. They participated in the Huazhu Group's 2023 University-Enterprise Cooperation Conference themed Joining Hands, Illuminating the Future. Ms. Xinxin Liu, President of Huazhu Group, Ms. Weifeng Zhang, Chief Talent Officer of Huazhu Group, President Chen Wang of Huazhu University, and representatives from more than 120 cooperating institutions nationwide attended this grand event.
As the opening sharing speaker of the conference, Ms. Xinxin Liu, President of Huazhu Group, delivered a thematic speech titled Persevering Forward, Grateful for Collaboration, in which she introduced the recent organizational upgrades and the future localization management model of Huazhu Hotel Management Group. The aim was to foster closer and higher-quality collaborations with existing partner institutions in the future. Achieving a better life has always been Huazhu's mission. Ms. Xinxin Liu emphasized that frontline employees and grassroots leaders are Huazhu's most valuable assets. Huazhu will continue to uphold the mission of people-oriented and empowering employees for a better future.
The School's hotel management program has recently developed close and efficient school-enterprise cooperation with Huazhu Hotel Management Group. Huazhu Modern Hotel Management School of Hubei University of Economics has been built as an industry platform and recognized by the Education Ministry's Employment and Talent Development Program. Notably, in 2023, according to Huazhu Hotel Management Group data, Hubei University of Economics has become the University with the highest retention rate (75%) of graduates among the 108 cooperating institutions in China. Graduates from the Hotel Management major who directly enter Huazhu Hotel Management Group for employment have achieved sustainable career advancement quickly. Therefore, our University has been recognized as an Excellent Partner in the Huazhu Group's Education Ministry's Employment and Talent Development Program.
Over the past few years, the School has been actively harnessing its disciplinary characteristics and professional advantages while capitalizing on Huazhu Group's strengths as a leading enterprise in the modern hotel industry. The School aims to better nurture students in the applied undergraduate hotel management major, enabling them to become three-have, three-real talents who are adaptable to and can lead the development of the modern service industry. In pursuit of this goal, the School has been extensively engaged in discussions, communication, and exploration with Huazhu Group across various areas such as talent cultivation, scientific research, technological innovation, enterprise services, and student entrepreneurship. Building upon our previous achievements, the School's commitment to professional education remains unwavering. Looking ahead, we will continue collaborating closely with Huazhu Group, jointly producing many high-quality applied, composite, and innovative talents that the modern hotel industry and related sectors require.