Notre Dame ‘foodie’ takes business degree to Japan

25 Jan 2017

By The Record

After two years of working as Maitre’d at Crown Perth’s Nobu Restaurant, The University of Notre Dame Australia student Declhan Lee is planning to build on his knowledge of the hospitality industry with a journey to Japan for further study. Photo: Supplied

After two years of working as Maitre’d at Crown Perth’s Nobu Restaurant, The University of Notre Dame Australia student Declhan Lee is planning to build on his knowledge of the hospitality industry with a journey to Japan for further study.

Mr Lee has already completed a Marketing and Public Relations Degree at Notre Dame’s Fremantle campus, and in March will set off to Osaka, where he hopes to complete a Master’s Degree in Asian Studies.

While there, he will continue to work remotely for Nobu on an e-commerce venture he helped initiate during his student internship at the restaurant’s Tokyo base.

This will form part of his studies, as the four-week industry placement required of all students at Notre Dame’s School of Business.

Mr Lee said he was looking forward to encountering the food culture of Japan during his studies there.

“I’m most looking forward to being permanently based in a country and culture that I love, and a place where people are as obsessed with food as I am,” he said.

“Looking ahead, I would like to try to break into the world of international consulting to become the bridge for companies looking to expand into Japan or Japanese companies looking to expand into the west.

“Helping firms understand cultural, linguistic and personal preference differences between the markets and how best to target and advertise in these spaces is something I am passionate about.”

He added that his Notre Dame experience had given him a strong platform to excel in the global business community, and encouraged future business students to seek a breadth of industry experience whilst at university to enhance their employment prospects.

“Being able to apply the marketing knowledge I gained through my studies into a practical environment during my internship placement within the marketing team for Nobu in Tokyo was invaluable,” Mr Lee said.

“I strongly believe that an employer is always going to prefer the candidate with real-world workplace and industry experience.

“It is challenging to strike this work, life and study balance but with correct management skills, you can set yourself up to be ahead of the game come graduation time.”

Visit www.notredame.edu.au for more information on studying at the university.