Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peoples'Friendship University of Russia
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
From March 16th to 18th, the 16th Young Hospitality Summit (YHS)—the largest student forum in the hospitality industry—took place in Lausanne, Switzerland, bringing together over 3,000 participants from around the world. This year's theme—"Savoir Faire" and "Faire Savoir" (mastery and its transmission)—brought together future industry leaders to solve real-world business challenges.
Invitation to Manila
Students from the RUDN University Graduate School of Management not only represented the university with distinction on the international stage but also brought home victory. Davud Aksakov, a third-year student in the Hospitality Management program, was a shining member of the winning team. The students' project, recognized as the best among dozens of teams from around the world, received high praise from the jury. The grand prize for the young professionals is an invitation to a residency in Manila, where they will work on finalizing their idea and discuss its practical implementation in business.
Another HSU student, Elizaveta Shchukina, also participated in the summit. Over the course of three days, she worked with an international team, attended master classes, and panel discussions dedicated to the future of luxury hospitality for Generation Z and young millennials.
Anna Aleksandrovna Ostrovskaya, Director of the RUDN University Graduate School of Management, noted the significance of this achievement.
"Our students' victory at the Young Hospitality Summit isn't just recognition of their talent; it's a confirmation of the validity of our approach to education. We strive to train professionals who can think globally and create innovative solutions that transform the industry. Davud and Elizaveta have demonstrated that RUDN students are capable of not only absorbing knowledge but also effectively applying it in a truly competitive international environment. This is a major step from a student idea to a major industry," noted Anna Ostrovskaya.
The winner himself, Davud Aksakov, shared his emotions from the triumph.
"Participating in YHS was a unique challenge and a huge opportunity for me. Working on a real-life case from top market players and representing my country and university alongside the world's strongest schools was an invaluable experience. I was especially pleased that the jury believed in our project enough to invite us to further implement it. This proves that if you have a strong idea and a team, boundaries disappear," shared Davud Aksakov.
Before the competition
Preparations for the trip and the case championship took several months. Davud explained that three weeks before the summit, the organizers held an online meeting with the delegates, presented a sample case, and set the stage for their reflection. Professors Olga Yuryevna Zeveke and Denis Igorevich Chistyakov assisted them in working on the case and preparing for the entire summit. The team met almost daily to work on the solution, while simultaneously solving the previous year's case to better understand the championship process. At the YHS itself, teams were formed randomly, so that no one had previously known the participants.
"There were seven people on my team. We were complete strangers, and we had to work together and present our solution to the jury within two days," said Davud Aksakov.
The case championship was associated with Melco Resorts.
Each participant came to Switzerland with their own ideas. Davud served as the team captain and was responsible for the workflow and creative component of the presentation. The team developed a strategy for engaging with the Zoom generation. After analyzing the approaches of leading and respected companies among young people (such as Spotify and Supreme), the students proposed incorporating an emotional connection with guests into an existing loyalty program (app). Based on the guest's preferences, a personalized offer would be created—for example, a dinner with the chef, where the dish would be named after the guest (the hotel has a three-Michelin-starred restaurant). The presentation took the form of a public presentation.
The most difficult thing, according to Davud, was to come to a unified decision within a limited time frame.
"We all came with our own ideas, different cultures, and different perspectives. But my team was very friendly and great, and we got through it quickly," noted Davud Aksakov.
The winner also emphasized that participating in the summit allowed him to meet interesting people—both speakers working in senior positions in the luxury hospitality industry and student delegates from other countries. He exchanged contacts with some of them for further collaboration.
Intercultural collaboration
Elizaveta Shchukina, in turn, noted that the organizers strove for maximum intercultural collaboration. Her team included students representing six countries: Italy, the Netherlands, Lebanon, Switzerland, Madagascar, and Russia.
"This allowed us to look at the industry's challenges from different cultural and professional perspectives," noted Elizaveta Shchukina.
Her team also solved a case from Melco Resorts.
The team proposed the concept of "Layered Luxury"—a combination of physical comfort with emotional significance and local cultural identity. The presentation lasted seven minutes.
Elizaveta admitted that the most challenging part was quickly finding common ground within a multicultural team with different work styles. She also cited networking with industry leaders (Dorchester Collection, Four Seasons, Melco), as well as masterclasses on knowledge transfer in the luxury segment and dialogue in a foreign language, as her most valuable experiences. Her main conclusion: the future of hospitality lies in a balance between technology and a human touch.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.