China awarded hamburger diplomas


McDonald's mascots are used in training at the university

HONG KONG, China -- Multinational food giant McDonald's has opened a hamburger university in Hong Kong as part of efforts to establish a stronghold in China.

The McDonald's Hong Kong university is the food firm's seventh hamburger campus in the world and is designed exclusively to train its personnel on the basics of McDonald's operations.

"Over the years we focus on training and quality of the staff. The staff is being trained here in their own language for China," Dean of McDonald's University Hong Kong, Shirley Chang, told CNN.

Chang said the facility was created for their staff to ensure the best service in each McDonald's restaurant.

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The McDonald's university boasts to be able to effectively teach their personnel the basics of McDonald's operations.

For one, Chang said, the instructors in the campus use stuffed dolls of famous McDonald's mascots to encourage the students to take part in the class.

"We pass around the 'Grimace' doll. The person who ends up holding it must give out his opinions and ideas. That's how we get the students to participate," Chang said.

Aside from the basics of fast food operations, Chang said the school, "Emphasize(s) on interaction. We teach them how to smile."

Hamburger University is McDonald's worldwide management training center.

More than 65,000 managers in McDonald's restaurants have graduated from Hamburger University since it was established in 1961.

McDonald's also manages Universities in England, Japan, Germany and Australia.