The participation of ICEPS students in the prestigious international AEHT 2025 competition for hospitality and tourism schools was marked this year by exceptional success, a highly professional performance, and an important step forward in strengthening the institution’s position within the European higher education landscape.
Students Milana Perišić and Danica Jovanović represented ICEPS with distinction among a large number of European schools, demonstrating a high level of knowledge and professional skills. A particularly proud achievement was the gold medal won by Milana Perišić, a third-year student of Restaurant Management, in the “Cocktail” category.
Milana competed in one of the most demanding disciplines, working as part of an international team together with a partner from Lithuania. Their joint performance, precision, technical execution, and outstanding teamwork were recognized not only by the expert jury but also by the audience. Milana herself emphasized that the competition was organized at an exceptionally professional level, with clearly defined rules, high standards, and a strong focus on teamwork, hygiene, workspace preparation, and safety in task execution. For her, the most emotional moment was the announcement of the winners, when she learned — to her great surprise and joy — that she had won the gold medal.
For Danica Jovanović, this was her first international competition experience, yet she demonstrated remarkable independence and professionalism. She competed alongside predominantly older and more experienced contestants, while the judges highly praised her work, organization, and approach to the assigned tasks. Special recognition was given to her excellent command of the English language, which represents a significant advantage for her future academic and professional development in an international environment.
An important aspect of this international participation was also the professional development of the teaching staff. As part of her Erasmus+ training mobility, Professor Milica Aleksić had the opportunity to gain detailed insight into the organization of one of the most significant European student competitions in the field of hospitality. This experience enabled her to become familiar with various student preparation models, mentoring approaches, logistics, and evaluation procedures, all of which will be highly valuable for the further improvement of teaching practices and the preparation of future ICEPS teams. In addition, the Erasmus+ staff mobility allowed Professor Aleksić to establish contacts with international schools and their representatives, learn about different professional approaches and methods of work, and further develop intercultural competencies and professional communication skills in a foreign language.
Reflecting on her experience, Professor Milica Aleksić emphasized that she is grateful for the opportunity to view her mentoring and teaching role from a new perspective, and to become better prepared and trained in guiding students through preparations for various future competitions.
She also pointed out that AEHT brings together schools of different educational levels, including highly developed European institutions with many years of systematic preparation behind them. In this context, ICEPS’s success gains even greater significance. Professor Aleksić sees her role in continuing efforts to increase the international visibility of both the students and the institution, with the aim of ensuring participation in the most prestigious student competitions across Europe.
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