Scores of high school students visited IFT’s Mong-Há Campus on January 7, to attend the Institute’s Open Day 2017. The initiative attracted students with international backgrounds as well as locally-educated young people, parents and members of the public.
Among the attendees was Macao resident Chloe Man, who received her high school education in New South Wales, Australia, and is now weighing whether to continue her studies in Australia or at IFT.
“My main interest is in event management: how to manage a concert or some promotional event,” Chloe explained. She attended the Open Day with her mother.
“I definitely learned things from the Open Day that will help me with my decision making: for example, the fact that you can do work experience during your studies at IFT. I think that is a big benefit for a future career. It’s not just the theory of the subject, but the real experience.”
The IFT Open Day, an annual event, seeks to explain that combining theory and practice is at the heart of the Institute’s educational work. The event includes spoken presentations on IFT campus life and practical demonstrations of activities.
IFT Tourism Event Management Year 2 students coordinated the IFT Open Day 2017, from planning to actual operations. They took part in various roles including as masters of ceremony; as greeters of the visitors; and as guides around the campus, explaining activities.
Another high school student among the Open Day attendees was Hong Kong-based Jonathan Tse, who was accompanied by his father. For Jonathan, finding out about IFT graduates’ professional prospects – and more about the options for overseas exchange studies – were important highlights of the Open Day.
“I’m not sure about my exact path yet, but I’m interested in event management and tourism management.”
He added, commenting on the event: “I received lots of information about how the graduates perform [outside] after 4 years of study and how they learn from their internships and student exchange [programmes].”
Jonathan remarked: “I am interested in student exchange programmes. If I go overseas I can practise my English and have opportunities to talk to more people and widen my world.”
Right impression
One of the IFT graduates sharing experiences at the Open Day 2017 was Mr. Peta Ho. He graduated from IFT in 2012 after studying Hotel Management, and is now Manager in Organization Development and Training in the Corporate Office at Macau integrated resort operator Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd.
He recalled his own attendance at an IFT Open Day as a high school student. “Looking back now, it wasn’t just a sales pitch: it was really what IFT would offer to its students,” Mr. Ho stated.
Dr. Fanny Vong, President of IFT, and Mr. Antonio Chu, Head of the Technical and Academic Support Division of IFT, respectively introduced during the Open Day 2017 the Institute’s latest developments and admission information.
Dr. Vong said on the sidelines of the event: “One of the outcomes we seek from the Open Day is to give the most accurate impression of IFT to the high school graduates.”
She added: “Students at IFT have to take the initiative in their own learning: they have to be responsible… by participating in all sorts of in-classroom and out-of-classroom activities.”
Dr. Vong further noted: “The tourism industry is looking for people with a combination of things: knowledge, positive attitude and skills.”
