Eight women sat around a carefully arranged table, chatting about the weather together.
When the soup bowl was brought out, the instructor quickly approached them, adjusting so that the spoon had to be placed opposite to the person who ate it. Another teacher whispered reminding the eater to lower his elbow when he brought the spoon to his mouth.
This is one of the usual scenes at the Institut Villa Pierrefeu - the last self-improvement academy in Switzerland. There, ladies and gentlemen are well-trained on the code of conduct and politeness.
"I realized that I had confused French dining style with English," said Heba (34 years old, Egypt). She placed the forks on the plate during the meal even though she was not using it - a taboo in table culture in France.
Learn to eat, learn to speak ... in a noble style
Heba is one of 30 students from 14 different countries attending intensive summer courses at Pierrefeu. In about 3-6 weeks, they will be taught carefully about the culture of business communication, dining table culture, flower arrangement art, the art of afternoon tea, personal presentations as well as how to coordinate employees.
Appearing in Europe since the late 19th century, the academy perfected itself as a place where noble ladies were trained in etiquette and manners to manage their families. Thousands of women around the world have flocked to Switzerland to attend these courses. However, the rise of feminism as well as cultural changes has made this trend gradually disappear.
Not resigned to that fate, Pierrefeu Academy has developed a completely new curriculum, more suitable for modern society. Thanks to that, the trend of self-improvement resurfaced again. Many celebrities such as Princess Diana, Duchess of Cornwall Camilla or former French First Lady Carla Bruni are also former students at one of these schools in Switzerland.
"Sometimes we also welcome the children of the president and the royal princesses. However, they do not make up the majority," said Viviane Neri - Director of the Pierrefeu Academy.
"A lot of people want to come back to take extra classes and introduce them to relatives because they realize they have learned many valuable things that other people don't know."
Each course like this is not cheap. Depending on the different content, students will have to spend about 44,000 AUD (about 700 million VND) for 6 weeks of training. They will learn and practice the rules, etiquette, as well as the taboos of over 20 different countries.
Trend "fever" of the Asian elite
While self-improvement institutions like Pierrefeu are no longer popular in Europe, they are an emerging trend in Asia.
In China, the elites rushed to study European aristocracy in the hope of being welcomed and respected by the international community. The economic boom has created a new generation of wealthy people, but very few of them have access to Western culture or international travel.
"If you come to the US or Australia and have dinner with your business partner in a luxurious place, you need to know how to order," said Guillaume Rue de Bernadac - one of China's most sought after ritual teachers. Quoc - said.
He himself owns De Bernadac's Self-improvement Academy. 95% of his students are women, but more and more families send their husbands and children to these classes.
"There are not many full-time housewives here. Most of them are successful businesswomen. They are determined to be a better person."
Similarly, in India, self-improvement institutions are mushrooming. According to Atul Raheja - Lifelong Academy's director, the target audience here is mainly women who are about to get married. Teachers will help them get ready for the next marriage, from cooking, eating, making up to managing houses and family finances.
The number of women who have gone to work to register for the ritual is also very large, because they want to know the skills needed to balance work and family. According to practitioner Gunjan Agnihotri (20 years old), the most important thing is that it makes people become more independent. They will not feel bewildered when entering the marriage life if they know how to behave properly.
In addition, IT engineers in India are also very interested in this academy model. They come here to learn how to dress, drink drinks, talk to customers and dining tables.
"IT professionals here are among the best in the world, but they lack the communication skills to do business with the West," said Sudhir Udayakanth, founder of IT company Edge Advanced Learning Private Ltd. - comment.
In Vietnam, self-improvement institutes have also begun to be born, including the Iris Finishing Institute in Hanoi. Ms. Nguyen Cam Uyen - who attended 2 courses at the Institut Villa Pierrefeu - the last self-improvement institute in Switzerland - shared that she had spent 2 years preparing to put the most accurate and methodical model. back to the elite in the country.
When working with the Iris Finishing Institute, students will experience short-term courses, inspired by a long-standing school in Switzerland, with an international standard curriculum. Nguyen Cam Uyen will teach in class. The interesting thing about IFI is that students will learn to go along with onions, including setting up banquet tables, flower arrangement art, having lunch and some tea party, tasting and feeling wine, cheese, coffee ...
In addition to focusing on the quality of food for practical meals when using high-class ingredients, consistent with the theme of European culture with special menus, Cam Uyen also invites 5-star hotel chefs. ; many years of cooking for the French ambassador ... about the implementation.
The hotel's comfortable and elegant school space is a plus, benefiting Iris students. Creating emotions from the learning environment is an interesting way to learn and practice together, every student who experiences courses at Iris feels comfortable and excited like a trip. Europe has many memories, this is a big difference from the usual classroom types. "
Wealth is about behavior, not money
Amanda King - Director of Australia's Perfecting Institute - said customers are no longer interested in the old curriculum, such as how to arrange flowers, how to walk with their backs straight, etc.
"They want to learn soft skills to communicate better, feel more confident and engaging in social interactions, and understand the importance of building an image in the eyes of the opposite person." .
According to King, in today's global society, international code of conduct is what determines who will be the leader and who will be left behind. Even a small mistake can ruin your career development opportunity.
"If you don't know the differences in culture, you can cause conflicts for very silly reasons," said Neri. For example, blowing your nose in public is rude in Japan, but it is encouraged in Germany.
Mr. Udayakanth has encountered many embarrassing situations because his colleagues behaved less gracefully. "Whenever I meet foreign visitors, I am nervous, afraid my colleagues will cause trouble," he shared. "He may be wearing bad clothes, smoking, teeth brushing or burping. I've lost a few customers because of this."
These etiquette courses cannot completely change anyone's career or life, but it helps students broaden their understanding, go beyond the limits and pay attention to details. "This is a way to respect others and yourself," Neri said.
Amanda King also agrees with this view: "The way you dress, talk, communicate - all of which is not old and outdated. They are an important tool to help you overcome crazy situations. in the life that everyone faces. "
According to Jacqueline Tang, a student at De Bernadac Academy, money is nothing to do if the behavioral culture is not commensurate with the amount of property you own. "Everyone admires beauty, but the beauty is only part. You can own a bunch of beautiful roses, but you need a good flowerpot to plug them," she concluded.