Final-year undergraduate Oscar Chan is about to complete his studies at UTM and enter the labour market. The Tourism Event Management student says he found UTM’s educational approach crucial in honing his ‘soft’ skills and event management capabilities
Oscar Chan Meng Fong, a final-year student at UTM, is eagerly anticipating concluding this summer his studies for a Bachelor of Science in Tourism Event Management. As he prepares to enter the labour market, Oscar is confident that the extensive knowledge and experience he has gained over the past four years will give him a competitive edge professionally.
Oscar states his time at UTM has helped him prepare for life in the events sector. “I learned that nobody is perfect, and I should be flexible in getting along with different people,” he adds.
One of Oscar’s proudest achievements at UTM was his role in launching the Business Club, an affiliate of the Student Union. “It gained some attention in the local community,” he says. “We successfully brought in external speakers to provide students with their first contact with different entrepreneurs in Macao in a friendly way.”
UTM was not his first station for higher education. After completing his secondary education at a local school, he initially went to the United States. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to return to Macao, where he eventually decided to enrol at UTM. “It’s a coincidence that I took up the Tourism Event Management programme,” he explains. “However, it turned out to be very close to my career plan.”
UTM’s unique educational approach combines knowledge about theory with the opportunity for practical experience. It provided Oscar with numerous opportunities to apply in real-world settings what he was learning in class.
“During my second and third years, organising large events was part of the curriculum,” he says. For the two events Oscar helped to prepare, he served as the group leader each time. He says that gave him “a comprehensive understanding of how to host an event”.
Teamwork is a crucial component of UTM’s curriculum, requiring students to collaborate on academic projects, class assignments, and event organisation. This focus allowed Oscar to hone his ‘soft’ skills and learn how to negotiate fruitfully with other people.
“It is normal for UTM students to spend time with the same group of colleagues for long periods. We have the same classes, work on projects together, and organise events as a team. There are times when we have disagreements or conflicts over work distribution,” he notes.
Drawing from his own experiences, Oscar advises fellow students not to focus solely on classroom knowledge. He encourages them to utilise the resources available at UTM to discover “their strengths and interests, and to think about how to integrate these elements into their future careers.”
Editor: UTM Public Relations Team
