September 29/Singapore/Education Letter -- The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), in collaboration with the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and Temasek Polytechnic, has announced that it will begin offering its Bachelor's Degree Program in Culinary Arts Management in Singapore early in 2011.

The new degree program is available exclusively to graduates of Polytechnic institutions who have earned their diplomas in Hospitality & Tourism Management, Leisure & Resort Management, or Culinary & Catering Management, as well as to other hospitality, tourism, and culinary diploma program graduates. To create the right facility for the program, Temasek Polytechnic worked with the CIA to design a new 30,000-square-foot educational facility that includes three professional teaching kitchens. The new CIA, Singapore campus building will be completed this month.

"We are thrilled that SIT and CIA can now offer students a chance to pursue a world class culinary education. It's not just about learning how to cook good food but about imparting the business skills needed to excel in the industry, " says professor Tan Chin Tiong, president, Singapore Institute of Technology. "With Singapore's global food influences and prominence in the regional hospitality industry, our students are in the best environment to pursue and grow their profession."

Offering the proven curriculum the CIA delivers at its U.S. campuses, the bachelor's degree program in Singapore will build students' command of global product knowledge, business skills, and in-depth understanding of the culinary and catering industries. The program will also cover more advanced areas of study such as revenue management and marketing for the foodservice and hospitality industry. Culinary and service skills will be honed through hands-on learning and projects in the state-of-the-art kitchens and public restaurants at the CIA's Singapore campus.

The CIA has selected chef Eve Felder to be the managing director for The Culinary Institute of America, Singapore. Felder is a CIA graduate who has served the college over the past 16 years in a progression of teaching and administrative responsibilities. Prior to returning to the faculty of her alma mater in 1994, Felder was the chef at Chez Panisse Cafe in Berkeley, CA, where she worked closely with chef Alice Waters. More recently, Felder was the CIA's associate dean of culinary arts.

"By establishing a campus in the heart of Asia's 'culinary crossroads,' the CIA will be able to provide greater access to its gold-standard culinary education services, and this degree program is starting at a time of promising growth in the Singaporean tourism industry," explains Dr. Tim Ryan, president of The Culinary Institute of America. "We will offer students our intense hands-on curriculum, taught by our world-class faculty, and they will gain an intimate knowledge of all aspects of the culinary, catering, and food industry. In addition to culinary excellence, the skills gained in organization, prioritization, and leadership are just a few of the attributes that distinguish the 40,000 graduates of the CIA, who indeed lead in the global food industry.

"With the openings of numerous resorts that include hotels, restaurants, and convention centers in Singapore, the demand for professional staffing is high," Ryan says. "Through its expert training and educational methods, the CIA intends to work with the Singapore Institute of Technology to provide a class of graduates that are highly skilled management professionals able to meet the workforce demands of Singapore's growing foodservice and hospitality industry."

The first class of bachelor's degree students will start classes at the CIA, Singapore in January 2011. For more information about the CIA's first campus is Asia, visit www.ciachef.edu.sg.

From the October 18, 2010, Prepared Foods E-dition