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TEd Summit 2018 showcases latest IFT student research

中文摘要 / Summary in Chinese

Regency Art Hotel hosted on 13 June the fifth edition of the IFT Tourism Education Student Summit, also known as TEd Summit. During the event, 45 of the best student theses produced in academic year 2017/18 were publicly presented. Best Paper Scholarships were awarded to 8 students from different programme cohorts.

A total of 277 IFT students successfully completed undergraduate thesis work in academic year 2017/18. It has been mandatory since academic year 2015/16 for each candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Science enrolled in a daytime programme at IFT to complete a thesis before he or she can graduate. The Institute is the only institution of higher education in Macao with this requirement for all its graduates.

More than 800 IFT students have met the undergraduate thesis requirement since it was introduced.

Students must come up with their own research proposals and write a thesis. The work must be based on the results of original research undertaken by the author.

Students have the direct guidance of a content supervisor and support services offering assistance with both language and research methods available throughout the process. Each thesis must be written in English. The content supervisor guides the undergraduate through the relevant conceptualisation and design of the project.

The thesis task is designed to give undergraduates the chance to think independently and to develop their critical and analytical skills.

The IFT thesis requirement has drawn international attention since its introduction. Many students have been invited to international conferences and similar events to present research papers based on their respective theses.

Industry recognition

Tourism industry executives joining the latest edition of TEd Summit praised the quality of the student presentations. Each of the 14 sessions of TEd Summit 2018 included a panel made up of an IFT-faculty moderator and a group of industry professionals. Panel members analysed the presentations, and provided commentary and feedback for each of the participants.

Dr. Francisco Vizeu Pinheiro, Vice-President of the Asia Pacific Creativity Industries Association and a scholar at the University of Saint Joseph, was one of the industry professionals invited to join a Ted Summit panel. He says the event was not only a great opportunity for students to present their work in front of industry executives, but also a chance for IFT to gather a valuable body of research on Macao’s tourism and hospitality sectors.

Gloria Hoi was one of the students awarded a scholarship at the latest edition of TEd Summit. Her thesis sought to examine how university students use online food ordering services in Macao. She found it “interesting” to investigate an industry that has only recently been introduced to the city. Gloria says the suggestions from students, as featured in her study, could be “very useful” for companies seeking to improve their services and reach a wider audience.

The 8 best papers were awarded scholarships each worth MOP10,000. Gloria plans to use the money to further her studies via enrolment for a master’s degree in food and beverage.

IFT Thesis/Project Regent Dr. Laurie Anne Baker-Malungu says she is satisfied with the outcomes stemming from the thesis requirement. All undergraduates joining TEd Summit have demonstrated “great potential” in academic research, she adds.

Ali Ng also gave a presentation based on her undergraduate thesis at TEd Summit 2018. Her work focused on tourists’ opinions on Macao’s public bus services. “As a Macao resident, I’m aware of the problems locals face when it comes to public transportation. I wondered what tourists felt about it,” she explains, regarding her choice of research topic.

While traffic jams are recurring issues highlighted by residents and visitors alike, Ali concluded there were problems more keenly felt by tourists, namely the fact that people in Macao do not queue to board public buses. “Hong Kong visitors in particular were very dissatisfied, as they are used to waiting in an orderly line,” she explains. The student hopes her thesis can help the Macao Government to improve its public transportation policy.

Although Ali is not planning to further her studies, she nonetheless is keen on returning to her research topic in the future. “Maybe I will do some research on local residents and what they think about public transportation,” the IFT student says.


Best Paper Scholarship awardees: TEd Summit 2018

Awardee Bachelor of Science Programme Content supervisor
Erato Li Heritage Management Dr. Sharif Shams Imon
Chloe Wong Heritage Management Mr. Philip Chan
Joyce Tse Heritage Management Mr. Philip Chan
Stephanie Ao Hotel Management Dr. Cora Wong
Dobi Iong Hotel Management Dr. Christina Iao
Gloria Hoi Tourism Event Management Dr. Andy Kuo
Joanne Yu Tourism Event Management Dr. Henrique Ngan
Rachel Tam Tourism Management Dr. Jose But