The new school will cater for up to 400 students, with courses focusing on hospitality management. The university, which has five campuses in Finland, is partnering with international hospitality schools from USA, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland on the project in the Baltic country, according to developers.

“Instead of traditional internships the aim is a ‘study and work’ concept”

The international hospitality management bachelor’s degree the school is planning to offer will target students from at global markets. Developers have suggested that students will come from Asia, but have not detailed from which countries it will seek to recruit students. All courses will be taught in English, though it is not clear which testing system the institution will use, or the levels students will have to achieve to be accepted.

Students who do attend will be able to benefit from working with local business as a part of their studies.

“Instead of traditional internships the aim is a ‘study and work’ concept in order to do it all not for the industry, but within the industry” the university said in a statement.

Haaga-Helia is hoping to attract the local restaurant industry to participate in the project, which it says will “greatly benefit” the region’s hospitality sector.

According to Haaga-Helia’s website, the university’s partners in Finland have included Ikea, Fujitsu, Turkish Airlines, Finnish hotel company Sokos, and BW restaurants.

The school in the Estonian capital will be called either Haaga-Helia International Hospitality Management School or Tallinn Hospitality Management Campus. Foundation year studies will begin in autumn 2019 and degree studies in winter 2019-2020.

Haaga-Helia declined to comment further when contacted by The PIE News.