On the 12th of September 2022, the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts welcomed 15 chefs and food bloggers from many Arab countries in collaboration with Jordan Tourism Board. Guests from Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco and Tunisia visited RACA as part of their tour in Jordan organized by Jordan Tourism Board to discover many Jordanian flavors and experience Jordan’s touristic attractions from a culinary point of view, and also to introduce them to the culinary arts scene in Jordan. During their visit, guests were introduced to RACA’s programs: BA in Food & Beverage Management and the Two-Year Diploma in Culinary Arts. In addition, each guest chef cooked their national dish at RACA’s kitchens with the help of RACA’s students, and later on shared the dishes over a multi-cultural dinner at RACA’s Terrace. We thank Jordan Tourism Board for this collaboration; as it was a lovely experience to RACA’s faculty and students to interact with fellow chefs from the region.
On 23 August 2022, the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts was honored by the visit of HE Sheikh Hilal Al-Maamari, the ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Jordan and the Minister Plenipotentiary Mr. Mohammad Al-Bloushi.
RACA’s Director Chef Jacques Rossel lead the esteemed guests in a tour around RACA’s campus to introduce them to the various academic and technical facilities, in addition to the academic programs taught at RACA: BA Program in Food & Beverage Management, they also discussed the future opportunities of cooperation between the embassy and RACA with regards to hands-on training and enrolling Omani students to study in Jordan
On Monday August 22, 2022, Mr. Michael Nugent, Accor’s Vice President Operation Levant & Pakistan, inaugurated the newly created Room Division classroom at the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts in the presence of Regional Managers of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts and RACA’s management.
‘Wadi Rum’, the name of the classroom, is a replicate of a 5* hotel bedroom to be used as a learning tool for Room Division modules where RACA’s students are introduced to Front Office and Housekeeping functions and responsibilities of a hotel.
During the opening, Mr. Michael Nugent stated: “Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts – Jordan is very proud to support RACA’s newly opened Rooms Division mock-up classroom aiming towards advancing the students’ learning process in both the Front Office and Housekeeping Modules. It gives us great pleasure in being part of RACA’s learning module that seeks to develop youth’s competencies for occupations in the hospitality industry.”
RACA’s Director, Mr. Jacques Rossel expressed the importance of this new unit for delivering the Rooms Division courses as they highlight one of the core values of RACA which is ‘Excellence’ that brings to mind how housekeeping department takes a pride in keeping the hotel clean and comfortable. Additionally, Mr. Jacques Rossel voiced his thanks to Mr. Nugent and his team for the generous contribution of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts – Jordan toward this project.
It is worth mentioning that the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts is a Technical University College, established in 2008 following the vision of His Majesty, King Abdullah II, to raise the level of education in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector, and reorient young men and women toward education related to the technical market. RACA is an Associate Member of the Network of EHL-certified Schools and offers a Four-Year Bachelor’s Degree in Food & Beverage Management, in addition to a Two-Year Diploma in Culinary Arts.
Believing in the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts’ role in social responsibility and community service, RACA organized in collaboration with the Blood Bank Directorate; a Blood Donation day on campus where students, faculty, and staff participated. The Academy extends its heartfelt thanks to the Blood Bank Directorate and RACA’s Nurse & Health Counselor, Ms. Tahani Tayeh, and to everyone who contributed to this event.
The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts celebrated their Top Students for the April 2022 Semester.
Marya Kamel, SherelleThompson and Zahra Al Abdallat, three RACA students with remarkable academic achievements from the previous semester, were awarded as Top Students in April 2022 by Chef Jacques Rossel, the Director of RACA.
Marya Kamel, who is currently a Semester 2 student of the Bachelor Program in Food & Beverage Management, was awarded for her achievements and grades during Semester 1. Upon receiving her certificate, she expressed her joy and said: “I would lie if I said that I worked extra hard to be the top student; I knew that my passion for cooking and culinary is what put me there. When I first received the news that I can apply for RACA I actually cried, and now being the top student amongst my colleague in this major is the best feeling: the feeling of success, which insured me that I’ve really chosen the right path.”
Also, current Semester 2 student of the Two-Year Diploma in Culinary Arts, Sherelle Thompson happily received her certificate and said: “At orientation, I set the goal to achieve top student of the semester. I feel honored to obtain this award for my first semester here. In fact, I actually teared up when I received the news. I am so grateful to my family, friends, teachers, and teammates who supported me the entire semester and to RACA for acknowledging my hard work. I look forward to the rest of this memorable journey.”
Lastly, Semester 3 student Zahra Al Abdallat, who is now currently in her internship semester, was awarded the Top Student certificate for the second time. She expressed her happiness by saying: “It was fabulous to be the top student for the second time, as I worked hard to achieve this goal; nothing comes easy! When I received that I am the top student for semester 2, I felt very proud of all what I did. At the end, always try to follow your goals even if you think that they are impossible; as with hard work absolutely they will come true!”
RACA participates as the Strategic Partner for JOSPEX 2022
The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts has participated in JOSPEX Exhibition for Food & Beverage as a strategic partner, where RACA’s Director Chef Jacques Rossel attended the exhibition’s opening which was under the patronage of Mr. Khalil Al Haj Tawfiq, the Chairman of Amman Chamber of Commerce, joined by Mrs. Malak Najjar, the organizer of this exhibition.
The exhibition took place in White Hall Amman on the 9th, 10th and 11th of May 2022, with a big crowd from the Hospitality and Food & Beverage Sector.
The exhibition included various cooking competitions where Chef Jacques and some of RACA’s instructors such as Chef Yousef Iqleim; RACA’s Executive Chef and Chef Mohammad Al Zubaidi; RACA’s Senior Pastry Instructor were amongst the judging panel of those competitions.
In addition to that, some of RACA’s students volunteered in this event to provide help to participants of the cooking competitions
Thirteen short courses specialized in culinary arts were held this year at RACA on various topics such as: American and French Pastry, Baking, Steak & Meat, Italian Cuisine for beginners, Keto, Cheesecakes, International Pastry and Arabic Cuisine. The duration was 12 hours per course spread over three days at RACA’s campus.
These courses aim to attract culinary arts enthusiasts who wish to develop their skills and increase their knowledge in this field, and to give an opportunity to beginners who would like to explore the culinary world.
The participants of the courses were from various age groups and nationalities;for their great confidence in the information and expertise provided by RACA and its instructors. To get the full experience, participants were provided by RACA with all the tools and food ingredients needed to prepare the dishes of each course in the kitchen, in addition to a booklet containing details of the recipes they worked on during the course.
The participants were taught by RACA’s instructors, such as Yousef Iqleim (Executive Chef), Mohammad Alzubaidi (Senior Pastry Instructor), Amani Al-Sallaq (Pastry & Bakery Instructor), Khalil Abu Ali (Pastry Instructor), Jihan Sahawneh (Culinary Instructor), Mazen Qusous (Culinary Instructor) and Yousef Aljabasini (Culinary Instructor).
RACA welcomed over 50 individuals from different ages and backgrounds, who are united by their passion for culinary arts and Food & Beverage Management and their eagerness to learn hard in order to start their rewarding careers in the hospitality industry.
Enrolled students of the BA Program in Food & Beverage Management and the Two-Year Diploma Program in Culinary Arts went through the Induction Week as a mandatory kick-start for their journey at RACA. Firstly, they were welcomed by RACA’s Director Chef Jacques Rossel, and then they received their equipment such as knife sets and iPads.
New students met their instructors and fellow classmates through team-building activities organized by RACA’s faculty and staff. After that, they thoroughly discovered the campus in order to be familiarized with what will be considered to them as their second home.
A lot of valuable information was delivered to the newly enrolled students during the induction week through specialized lectures where Chef Jacques Rossel informed them about RACA’s values, mission and vison and the study plan for both of our programs: the BA in Food & Beverage Management and the Two-Year Diploma in Culinary Arts. New students were also informed about RACA’s standards in terms of personal grooming and dress code, in order for them to start adopting the hospitality mindset.
Moreover, they learned about personal branding and they met one of RACA’s alumni, Ms. Haya Jaber, where she shared her experience with them about the time where she was a student at RACA and about her journey after RACA which has led her to her current position in the Events & Conferences at the Intercontinental Amman.
The Induction Week was concluded by a motivational presentation delivered by the first female executive chef in Jordan, Chef Mariangela Ruggiero who is the current executive chef for Hilton Dead Sea, where she encouraged the new students or their decision to enter the industry and also shared many stories she experienced from all over the world.
Lastly, students got the chance to do field visits to Four Seasons Hotel Amman and Intercontinental Hotel Amman where they did a tour around the hotels and they had a brief discussion with the hotels’ executive chefs.
Wishing our new RACAteers all the best and success for the start of their chapter at RACA!
The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts graduates 63 students from the Vocational Education Training Program funded by EBRD and FCDO
The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA) celebrated the graduation of 63 Syrian and Jordanian students from its Vocational Training (VET) Program, which was funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). This three-month VET Program aims to develop the professional competencies needed from youth in order to be employed in the hospitality and culinary sectors.
The graduation, which was held at RACA’s campus, was attended by representatives from the EBRD, FCDO, and more than 12 employers including hotels, restaurants, and retail outlets, in addition to the graduating students who benefited from the program.
The ceremony included a welcoming speech by RACA’s Director Mr. Jacques Rossel, where he thanked the funding entities and the employers who participated in the program, hoping for more cooperation in the future due to the importance of these vocational programs in preparing the youth for employment and empowering them with the basic skills, in addition to helping the employers save the effort and time of training upon hiring.
Rami Samain, Regional Head of Gender and Economic Inclusion at the EBRD, added that the EBRD is proud to have worked with RACA to develop and deliver this new offer of short term VET courses, tailored to the market’s needs in the culinary arts industry, and that such courses provide opportunities for youth to better access vocational education and employment in the sector.
This VET Program included eight theoretical subjects specialized in professional and career development, food safety, and sales, in addition to practical subjects specialized in the basics of kitchen and service, and a two-week on-site training opportunity with employers.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, We were honored to celebrate the #InternationalWomensDay with the FIRST female Executive Chef in Jordan, Chef Mariangela Ruggiero who addressed a motivational speech to RACA students. We would like to wish every woman a Happy Women’s Day. Continue to inspire everyone around you
