Scholarships and fellowships are serious matters at IFTM: each academic year, the Institute makes available more than 350 grants to undergraduate students, valued at more than MOP4.5 million in aggregate. Management at IFTM highlights the importance of the scheme as a way to improve people’s access to education and to reward academic excellence. IFTM also makes available scholarships for internships and for exchange opportunities outside Macao.
IFTM fresh graduate Jesse Lao Chi Kong says that receiving a scholarship while studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism Retail and Marketing Management at the Institute, had encouraged him to excel. “I found that my hard work was being seen and recognised,” he states. Jesse adds he now plans to use such recognition as a springboard and register achievements in his professional career.
The overall IFTM scholarship programme serves several purposes. It not only aims to recognise students for their academic performance, but also rewards undergraduates who have performed exceptionally during their respective curricular internship. Some scholarships provide grants either for students to attend an internship or to participate in academic seminars outside Macao, or to take part in international exchange schemes. Other scholarships provide financial aid to undergraduates facing economic hardship.
The IFTM view of the benefit of scholarships is endorsed by the wide range of entities that fund them. Those endowing scholarships include arms of the Macao SAR Government, private enterprises, charities, associations and individuals. There are currently 22 sponsors – supporting a range of grants – providing in aggregate coverage for all the Institute’s undergraduate study programmes. In the last academic year, 284 scholarships and fellowships were distributed among IFTM students, amounting in total to more than MOP2.9 million.
IFTM also offers scholarships. In this academic year, 70 new undergraduates were exempted from paying tuition fees via that route. In addition, a set of scholarships was recently introduced under the IFTM Council, a new body that brings together industry leaders and professionals.
Rewarding fresh talent
IFTM hosted on 16 October its annual IFTM Scholarship and Fellowship Presentation Ceremony, to recognise its partners and those students awarded grants for academic year 2019/2020. The event took place at the Grand Hall, on the Mong-Há Campus.
Macau Traveling and Cultural Exchange Promotion Association is one of the long-standing supporters of IFTM’s scholarship programme. Association Deputy Secretary Mr. Vincent Lam Chi Cheong says it is a way to bring fresh talent and new concepts into the tourism and hospitality industry.
“The traditional business model of travel agencies is changing as more people resort to online tools to plan and book their trips,” he says. “We need more young people to join the industry, as they are creative and can bring new ideas on how we can adapt to changing consumer patterns.”
Hotel Management undergraduate Celina Gabriela de Assis Marques benefitted from IFTM’s scholarship programme while taking advantage of the exchange opportunities at the Institute. Since enrolling at IFTM, she has taken part in 2 overseas exchange programmes, receiving for one of them a Macao Foundation Scholarship to support related expenses.
“Having the opportunity to go to 2 different places for exchange is not common,” she says. “I’m really grateful to the Institute that students have lots of chances to go abroad” during their IFTM studies.
Genheil Nizei Santos Quinto also received a Macao Foundation Scholarship in academic year 2019/2020, but for a different reason: to reward her excellent academic performance.
“This is a great encouragement for me, and I will definitely be more motivated to study,” says the Year 2 Tourism Business Management student. She adds that the grant was also an immediate form of financial support, as her family struggles with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic due to reduced work schedules.
| IFTM scholarship and fellowship providers: |
| – Cultural Affairs Bureau – Higher Education Fund – Macao Foundation – Macao Government Tourism Office – Banco Nacional Ultramarino – Bank of China – Mr. Cheung Lup Kwan – Galaxy Entertainment Group – Golden Burger (Macau) Charity Association – Henry Fok Foundation – Mr. & Mrs. Huen – L’Arc Macau – Macao Cheng Loi Group – Macau Hotel Association – Macau Polytex Group – Macau Traveling and Cultural Exchange Promotion Association – Melco Resorts & Entertainment – MGM – Nam Kwong (Group) Company Ltd. – Sands China Ltd. – Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, S.A. – Wynn Resorts (Macau) – IFTM Council |
