A touch of upper crust

Venerable school of etiquette is now catering to upwardly mobile Chinese

Britain's 250-year-old heritage etiquette school Debrett's has chosen China to be its first international expansion market, riding on the growing demand of the Chinese middle class to broaden their social skills.

In March, Debrett's established an office in Beijing and another in Hong Kong. Debrett's hosted an inaugural weeklong residential training program in London in July for international students, attracting 14 students who are either Chinese or overseas Chinese from China and Australia.

And on Oct 18 it opened a training program in partnership with Dulwich College Beijing, a British international school, focusing on social skills not often taught at school, including securing internships, networking and dining etiquette.

It has three modules, each with several lessons that last a few hours. While hosted by Dulwich, students from other schools may sign up.

David Mansfield, headmaster of Dulwich College Beijing, says the Debrett's program will enhance the confidence of students when they step beyond the school gates.

"Professional success today is as much about EQ (emotional quotient) as it is IQ, and I have no doubt Debrett's will help our students in developing the social skills necessary to succeed in the modern world," Mansfield says.

Learning etiquette is growing in popularity in China today, as the Chinese middle and upper classes are becoming increasingly fascinated by the habits of Western aristocracy.

Many wealthy Chinese women travel to Switzerland to attend finishing school classes, traditionally an essential part of Western aristocratic ladies' education.

In 2012, Sara Jane Ho, a Harvard Business School graduate, established a finishing school called the Institute Sarita in Beijing. Ho also attended Institut Villa Pierrefeu, a fishing school, in Switzerland.

A two-week course at Institute Sarita costs 100,000 yuan ($16,340; 12,920 euros), and the courses are proving popular.

Debrett's in the UK holds the same level of prestige as Institut Villa Pierrefeu in Switzerland. Founded in 1769 as a specialist publisher, it expanded into decorum instruction for the well heeled. Through frequent mentions in media and literature, it has become synonymous with the etiquette of British culture.

It continues to publish etiquette guidebooks and other titles and provides training courses for students and corporate and private clients.

What started at Debrett's as classes to teach young aristocratic ladies social manners for when they married have now become more modernized courses to help young students and professionals enhance social manners and achievements appropriate for today's world.

And far from teaching just the typical British culture of afternoon tea, queuing and talking about the weather, it also teaches students interview skills, internship behavior and social networking, which are must-haves in today's competitive job market.

Debrett's program at Dulwich College Beijing has classes that run between two and four hours. It targets students starting at age 14 and classes include such contemporary topics as "personal brand".

Louise Ruell, director of Debrett's, says expanding into China has been a significant milestone because, for 250 years, it has focused on Britain. It also may consider expanding into the United States and India.

Ruell, who spent time over the summer guiding the international training program, says she witnessed significant growth in the Chinese students' confidence.

"At the beginning of the week they were quite shy. They were just willing to be taught and didn't ask many questions. Toward the end of the week they became more interactive, engaged and inquisitive."

The formal dining segment was a favorite for the Chinese students,she says. Although many of them had been to very fancy restaurants, they were not totally familiar with the ins and outs of dining rules at a table with a full, formal array of knives, folks, spoons and glasses.

"Whether it's the chopsticks, making noises when you eat, what you leave on the plate or not leave on the plate knowing the rules means when they go to formal dinners, they can make conversation and get to know the people they dine with, rather than feeling nervous about using the right glass," Ruell says.

At the end of the week, the students hosted a formal dinner for guests and put the skills they learned to use. The success of the dinner gave them a great sense of achievement, Ruell says.

The dining etiquette part of the course was customized, designed with more depth for the Chinese students compared with the training provided for British students, Ruell says, considering that the Chinese students were less familiar with British dining culture.

Another element of the Chinese course was making a video curriculum vitae, which is growing in popularity among young people in the West, but is not customary in China.

The idea of video CVs grew in popularity because in today's competitive job market it is increasingly hard for paper CVs to stand out, so many young people make short videos about themselves to send to prospective employers, giving them the flavor of their personality.

"A lot of international students are so talented and so studious, and putting together a video is a good way to show that. The first ones they put together are often stilted and formulaic, but through practice, role play and interactive workshops, by the end of the week they are enjoying it," Ruell says.

She and her colleagues also talked to the young students about the many work experience opportunities available internationally, which may not have occurred to young people whose focus has been within China only.

"We talked about the best places to apply, how to do it well, and also what happens when you do the work experience whether it's about your first impression or dress code or personal style," Ruell says.

What the students seemed to find particularly helpful was how to do in-person social networking, which is increasingly foreign to the digital-savvy young generation, she says.

"You can have more than 500 contacts on LinkedIn, but to have genuine contacts and face-to-face situations where you walk into the room and have the confidence to approach people are also very important."

The changing nature of courses provided at Debrett's is also a reflection of massive changes within British society, including today's increasingly flexible set of social rules, Ruell says.

Historically in Britain, as seen in popular television series such as Downton Abbey, social rules are clearly defined and easy to follow, whereas nowadays they are much more open to interpretation.

Such changes are also greatly affecting the way Debrett's delivers its courses, which is moving from traditional teaching to more interactive learning.

"The rules are not clear anymore, and that's one reason Debrett's academy has become so popular, as students have the opportunity to discuss the skills, debate the skills, and put them into practice. Those are things you cannot do from reading a book or going online," Ruell says.

And the target audience for Debrett's has also greatly widened, going far beyond the limited group of ladies marrying into certain families who want discreet coaching, to include many large companies, luxury brands, students and young professionals.

Debrett's expensive courses still, however, signify exclusivity. A 10-day residential summer program for international students to be offered next year will cost 6,850 pounds ($10,980; 8,680 euros), including the costs of staying in a London townhouse, meals, local transfers, activities and personalized training.

Each of the three modules offered at Dulwich College Beijing costs 4,500 yuan.

But Ruell rejects the idea that Debrett's is elitist, saying it recently established a foundation to support talented young people who are unable to afford the courses.

The Debrett's People of Today book, which documents influential people in British society, is no longer selecting its influential figures by their family background and bloodlines, but on their achievements.

Despite all the changes, Ruell says, the fundamental values of British etiquette have not varied. "I think British etiquette is internationally renowned. I think it's a lot about style and putting people at ease."

cecily.liu@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 10/31/2014 page20)