At the Institute for Tourism (IFT) Studies’ Open Day Sunday on the Mong Ha campus, IFT President Fanny Vong Chuk-kwan revealed the launch of the tertiary education institution’s first two master’s degrees, one in hotel management and the other in culinary management.
The Open Day provided an opportunity for prospective students, parents and the general public to find out more about IFT and its programmes. Through various activities, visitors were able to get an understanding of the institute’s educational philosophy while looking around the teaching facilities and environment, according to a spokesperson for the event.
The IFT Open Day boasted a diverse range of activities including a guided tour, a tray race on which a cup of water was balanced, a dining etiquette workshop, artistic performances and a BBQ, as well as mocktails and egg rolls to try. To mark the Open Day, the faculty and some students launched balloons.
In a speech, Vong said that IFT would soon launch master’s degrees in hotel management and in culinary management, mainly based on research and theory.
The introduction of master’s degree courses in other fields in response to society’s and student needs was possible, Vong said.
Vong pointed out that the institute has started to set up a culinary centre on its Taipa campus.
The hilly campus previously housed the University of Macau (UM). It is now shared by IFT, City University of Macau (CityU) and the Macau Polytechnic Institute (IPM). Vong pointed out that as the area allocated to IFT on the Taipa campus is relatively small, her institute wants to have a larger space to host its master’s degree programmes. Vong said that IFT was currently negotiating with other government entities for more space on the Taipa campus as there are still unoccupied spaces there. Vong said the enlarged space for her institute would provide better teaching conditions.
“The culinary arts centre is still under construction”, Vong said, adding that this would not affect the launching of the Master of Culinary Management programme. The institute plans to optimise class time and seek cooperation with other institutions or organisations, she said, underlining that the master’s programme will focus on theory and research.
