Nordic students’ springboard into the world – HIM Business School

At HIM Business School, the step from the lecture hall to the labour market is not far. Common to our Nordic students is that they use practice as a strategic springboard – from luxury properties in California to leadership programs in Iceland.

Business school with a strong international touch

HIM Business School, located on the shores of Lake Geneva in Montreux, has in recent years evolved from pure hotel school to an internationalised business school. Students study a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BBA) in collaboration with Northwood University, with four specialisations: Hospitality, Finance, Marketing and Management. A central part of the programme is the two compulsory internships, which give students up to one and a half years of real work experience already at graduation.

Traineeships give career life

Leo Harju, a sophomore in finance from Sweden, conducted his first internship at the real estate company Nest Seekers International in Beverly Hills – one of the world’s most competitive markets for luxury housing. His way there is in itself a lesson in drive and initiative: instead of seeking advertised services, he contacted the companies directly. “No one gives you a way into the real estate business – you have to create your own opening” he sums up in the magazine.

https://online.fliphtml5.com/omimp/ODYSSEY-SUMMER-2026-XBCb/files/pageConfig/3f6404bf0c44fa7b115e19cec5226b02_1785486849099.mp4 Elinor Viken, who graduated in March 2026, immediately started a leadership program (Management in Training) at Center Hotels in Reykjavik – with previous experience as assistant to the CEO at a Swedish distillery, where she worked with corporate governance, project coordination and support to management. Her course illustrates the breadth that the training allows: from operational activities to strategic responsibility.

Alumni building bridges

The alumni Ellinore Forsell, originally from Sweden, after his years in the Swiss hotel and event industry today has the role of Meeting & Events Specialist at Ernst & Young, one of the world’s largest audit and consulting companies. Her experience confirms the value of the education in business: “Communication, adaptability and empathy are skills that large companies are still looking for – that’s why they appreciate the degree from hospitality and business schools,” she says. Today she is also involved in the Swedish-Swiss Chamber of Commerce network for young professionals.

Training with the business community

What distinguishes HIM in particular is the systematic link between education and the labour market. Through the annual symposium Be World Ready, industry representatives from, among other things, banking, finance and the automotive industry review the curricula themselves, and the school’s career coaches follow the students throughout the practice process. The magazine Odyssey also shows the results: internships at KPMG, Citibank, Roland Berger, Kempinski, Ritz-Carlton and Moncler.

For Nordic students who want to combine business economic competence with international work experience, the picture becomes clear: the path may well go through Montreux.

Source: Odyssey – HIM Internship & Career Magazine, Summer 2026 (fourth edition).