Chinese hospitality students enjoying their Swiss salad days

WATCH: Catherine Drew reports from Lausanne

Amid a growing demand for highly-skilled hospitality workers around the world, an increasing number of Chinese students are attending the EHL (Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne) hospitality business school. One of the world's top-rated such institutions, EHL is also forging partnerships with institutions in China to offer courses there.

Around 600 of the 4,000-or-so students currently enrolled at EHL, in Switzerland's fifth most populous city, are from China. Only Switzerland and France produce more students there.

Undergraduates learn every aspect of hospitality, from making cocktails to service, event planning and entrepreneurship, although around half go into other industries.

"I'm searching for jobs right now and would very much like to stick around in Europe," 23-year-old Jeri Liu from Beijing told CGTN Europe. She's graduating this summer and is looking for marketing roles in the luxury goods sector.

"Our course is very broad - we have nine courses per semester, compared to other universities which have maybe an average of three to four," said Liu. "And we really introduce students to the world of finance, real estate, even coding - Python, for instance - and hospitality investment. So there are numerous opportunities for future careers."

Competition to get into EHL is fierce, despite fees for the four-year bachelor degree in hospitality costing around $200,000 for international students.

"For international students, it's expensive but I have to say that most parents are happy to invest in education," EHL Group CEO Markus Venzin told CGTN Europe - but he added that a post-EHL future holds great promise. "If you make it to the top of hospitality you can make very very very very good money," he added.

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"I want to keep this for the rest of my life, the skills that I learn here I want to apply if possible," 18-year-old Ryan Lau from Hong Kong explained. He is just a few weeks into his degree and enjoying his time so far.

"It teaches you a lot, such as cleaning the rooms, doing maths, making a cocktail, lots and lots - service, etiquette and respect," he added.

With years of study still ahead of him, Lau has time to ponder his future, but is already thinking about life after EHL. "Running businesses in Asia, that's my target I think, from beach clubs to car rental, something in the service industry, anything that catches my eye," he declared.

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