IFTM held an open day on 23 April 2023. A tour of the campus was led by student ambassadors, and various workshops, courses, and admissions information kiosks were set up to attract many students, parents, and teachers to experience the Institute’s rich and diverse curriculum and campus life. Participants praised its wealth of information, which shed light on students’ future plans.
Dr. Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan, President of IFTM, highlighted at the opening ceremony that the institute was named one of the Top 10 higher education institutions in the world for hospitality and leisure management studies in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023, being adjudged also the best in the whole of Asia in this field.
Dr. Vong also disclosed that IFTM opened a Master of Science (MSc) in Smart Technologies in Hospitality and Tourism last year, will open an MSc in Digital Marketing Analytics this coming academic year, and will make its debut of a Master of Philosophy with a focus on International Hospitality and Tourism Management. IFTM has also been collaborating with Swiss and Australian institutions to offer 3+1 Double Bachelor’s Degree and 1+1 Double Master’s Degree programmes.
Opportunities to Shine
Ms. Fiona Lon, a teacher at Sacred Heart Canossian College’s Career and Life Planning Team (English Section), saw the Open Day as an opportunity for both students and teachers to become acquainted with the institute’s academic offerings and educational environment. Meanwhile, Mr. Arthur Lou, the director of academic affairs at Colégio Diocesano de So José 6, described the event as “rich in contents.”
Because each programme has its own booth at the Open Day, Mr. Lou saw the event as an opportunity for students to put their theoretical knowledge into practise. Ms. Lon added that she would be able to better describe the Institute to her students after attending the Open Day.
Both teachers praised IFTM’s efforts in organising the Open Day. They have been encouraging their students to broaden their horizons by venturing out and experiencing more. “Experiencing more will be beneficial to their future decision-making,” Mr. Lou concluded, adding that the Open Day provided participants with a clearer picture of each program’s curriculum.
The two teachers advised students to begin preparing for higher-education recruitment as soon as possible. To improve their chances of getting into IFTM, students should improve their language skills, such as learning more foreign languages, in order to deal with Macao’s prospects, with a focus on growing markets.
When asked if they would recommend IFTM to their students, Ms. Lon and Mr. Lou both replied with resounding yes. Mr. Lou is aware that IFTM offers programmes that are specific to Macao, like the Cultural and Heritage Management programme, which when combined with the institute’s international exchange opportunities will help students develop an international vision and mentality. Ms. Lon, on the other hand, believed that her students would not only gain academic knowledge at IFTM, but would also have numerous opportunities “to shine” in the future.
Diverse Academic Pathways
Jelin, Sonia, and Ethel, current undergraduate students at IFTM, attended the Open Day to learn more about the Institute’s post-graduate programmes.
According to Jelin, programmes at the Bachelor and Master levels may not be comparable, so earlier preparation is preferred. She also acknowledged the possibility of changing academic paths in the future, as IFTM has received recognition for certain disciplines.
Sonia and Ethel have written some augmented reality (AR) applications for some of their courses, which were presented at the Open Day. Given IFTM’s consistently improving performance in hospitality management, Sonia may pursue a career in this field in the future.
Vigorous and Appealing Programme
May and Yoyo, two local 11th graders, attended the Open Day to prepare for their future studies. They thought the event met their expectations in terms of understanding the IFTM programme offerings. The information was of sufficient quality and quantity to help them visualise the institute’s environment.
May, who is interested in cultural and heritage management, said that IFTM’s programme in this area was appealing to her in this regard.
Yoyo thought the programmes at IFTM appeared to be more vigorous and “appealing” than those at other higher education institutions. This is also the reason she will consider IFTM when applying for higher education next year.
