Staff profile

Leonard Cseh


Senior Lecturer

Leonard Cseh at a restaurant holding a pen and paper.

Subject

Culinary Arts and Management

College

College of Business, Law and Social Sciences

Department

Centre for Contemporary Hospitality and Tourism

Campus

Derby Campus

Email

L.cseh@derby.ac.uk

About

I am a senior lecturer in the Centre of Contemporary Hospitality and Tourism (CCHT) within the Derby Business School. I work with employers in the UK, Europe and the USA regarding placements and graduate internships. My role allows me the great opportunity to work across programmes ensuring that employability and applied learning are at the heart of the curriculum.

I am also the programme leader for the part-time route for the MBA Global programme delivered on campus and at our collaborative partners in Greece and Malta. 

My duties include leading the programme with the course director. This involves combining a passion for learning, inspiring students and contributing to curriculum development and enhancement to ensure that we continue to build and enhance the reputation of the programme and the University of Derby nationally and internationally.

I also have responsibilities for pastoral care as a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT), module leadership and student engagement across our programmes. 

I am an experienced hospitality industry professional with national and international experience. I teach across a range of subjects, including product design, professional development, design and event planning and leadership.

Teaching responsibilities

My teaching responsibilities include professional development, standards and employability skills within our student body and support for students undertaking 12-month placements (usually between years 2 and 3 of study) and graduate opportunities.

I teach on modules from levels four to six, ranging from professional development, planning and leading hospitality events, innovation and technology in hospitality and contemporary issues in the service sector

I supervise undergraduate Independent Studies at level six and postgraduate at level seven.

Professional interests

I am an external examiner for two other higher education institutions (HEIs). As an external examiner, I review sample scripts sent by the HEI. This is to ensure staff maintain nationally (and internationally) comparable standards in undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research degree programmes.

I am a keen advocate of professional industry exposure. I am always talking to the industry regarding professional developments, placements and graduate opportunities. We have enabled a series of industry speakers to deliver talks on professional standards, working towards the service sector and graduate opportunities.

I have a professional interest in food science and how science works within our everyday products, cooking methods and service delivery.

I am an active mentor within the Institute of Hospitality via their Mentor Me programme. 

I am under consideration for a book chapter titled: An Interdisciplinary Cross-Modal Approach to Graduate Employability Curriculum Post Covid-19. 

I speak Italian as a second language.

Research interests

I have a keen interest in the anthropology of food with particular emphasis on the psychology and causal patterns of consumption habits and rituals. I have submitted papers to research conferences. I have also had papers accepted into peer-reviewed academic journals.

I enjoy researching Asian-based dishes, understanding the philosophies behind them and reinterpreting them based upon flavour profiles of the host nation.

I have a keen interest in the use of music and soundwaves within the classroom as a method of active learning. 

I am currently developing a portfolio for an application to be considered for a National Teaching Fellow award. 

I am working with flavour technologists in conjunction with a major international brand looking into flavour analysis with the use of extracted flavours and natural flavourings.

Membership of professional bodies

Qualifications

Undergraduate qualifications

Postgraduate qualifications

Recent conferences

Experience in industry

I spent over 20 years in the hospitality industry working in private country clubs in the USA leading and developing staff and private events. My experiences also include supervisory and management positions within Michelin-starred properties and country house hotels in the UK and Italy.

International experience

I have experience if the hospitality industries in the USA, Italy and the UK leading on staff training and performance review, event development and management, kitchen staffing and training.

Additional interests and activities

I am a keen Derby County fan and enjoy attending games when possible. I have recently taken up boxing (purely for pleasure) which is an enjoyable and energetic pastime. I also enjoy rugby, although my playing days are sadly behind me.

Recent publications