{"id":11566,"date":"2024-05-28T10:40:46","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T02:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/?p=11566"},"modified":"2024-05-30T17:45:49","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T09:45:49","slug":"how-the-belt-and-road-initiative-and-utm-helped-thai-student-pisitpong-broaden-his-horizons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/how-the-belt-and-road-initiative-and-utm-helped-thai-student-pisitpong-broaden-his-horizons\/","title":{"rendered":"<strong>How the \u2018Belt and Road\u2019 initiative and UTM helped Thai student Pisitpong broaden his horizons<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-11566 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-herald-lay-a-full'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"herald-popup\" href='https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/3459014d111bd72fd9a3d8e1ba3aacac.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"990\" height=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/3459014d111bd72fd9a3d8e1ba3aacac.jpg\" class=\"attachment-herald-lay-a-full size-herald-lay-a-full\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-11568\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/3459014d111bd72fd9a3d8e1ba3aacac.jpg 990w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/3459014d111bd72fd9a3d8e1ba3aacac-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/3459014d111bd72fd9a3d8e1ba3aacac-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/3459014d111bd72fd9a3d8e1ba3aacac-414x276.jpg 414w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/3459014d111bd72fd9a3d8e1ba3aacac-470x313.jpg 470w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/3459014d111bd72fd9a3d8e1ba3aacac-640x426.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/3459014d111bd72fd9a3d8e1ba3aacac-130x86.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/3459014d111bd72fd9a3d8e1ba3aacac-187x124.jpg 187w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 990px) 100vw, 990px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-11568'>\n\t\t\t\tPisitpong Boonmak (third from left) during his time studying at Les Roches\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"herald-popup\" href='https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/ce402ed0d056b0a794bfedc03f18c226.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"990\" height=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/ce402ed0d056b0a794bfedc03f18c226.jpg\" class=\"attachment-herald-lay-a-full size-herald-lay-a-full\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-11614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/ce402ed0d056b0a794bfedc03f18c226.jpg 990w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/ce402ed0d056b0a794bfedc03f18c226-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/ce402ed0d056b0a794bfedc03f18c226-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/ce402ed0d056b0a794bfedc03f18c226-414x276.jpg 414w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/ce402ed0d056b0a794bfedc03f18c226-470x313.jpg 470w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/ce402ed0d056b0a794bfedc03f18c226-640x426.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/ce402ed0d056b0a794bfedc03f18c226-130x86.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/ce402ed0d056b0a794bfedc03f18c226-187x124.jpg 187w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 990px) 100vw, 990px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-11614'>\n\t\t\t\tPisitpong Boonmak (front row, left) during his time studying at Les Roches\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"herald-popup\" href='https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/9655c57b06949cdf96851437d5047582.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"990\" height=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/9655c57b06949cdf96851437d5047582.jpg\" class=\"attachment-herald-lay-a-full size-herald-lay-a-full\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-11613\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/9655c57b06949cdf96851437d5047582.jpg 990w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/9655c57b06949cdf96851437d5047582-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/9655c57b06949cdf96851437d5047582-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/9655c57b06949cdf96851437d5047582-414x276.jpg 414w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/9655c57b06949cdf96851437d5047582-470x313.jpg 470w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/9655c57b06949cdf96851437d5047582-640x426.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/9655c57b06949cdf96851437d5047582-130x86.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/9655c57b06949cdf96851437d5047582-187x124.jpg 187w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 990px) 100vw, 990px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-11613'>\n\t\t\t\tPisitpong Boonmak during his time studying at Les Roches \u2013 group photo during a school trip\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<span class='pum-trigger  popmake-11569  text-center font-blue' data-do-default=''>\u4e2d\u6587\u6458\u8981 \/ Summary in Chinese<\/span>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em>From Thailand to Macao, then to Spain and back to Thailand: Pisitpong Boonmak, UTM\u2019s first Thai graduate, utilised Macao\u2019s platform role within China\u2019s \u2018Belt and Road\u2019 initiative to advance his global knowledge and foster international links<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pisitpong Boonmak\u2019s journey at UTM has been unique. As a recipient of a \u2018Belt and Road\u2019 scholarship from the Macao Foundation, he became the first Thai student to pursue a bachelor\u2019s degree at the University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At UTM, he capitalised on the exchange opportunities available, joining the \u20183+1 Dual Bachelor\u2019s Degree Programme\u2019 offered in collaboration with the&nbsp;Sommet Education group&nbsp;. Under this scheme, he spent a year in Spain, studying at Les Roches Global Hospitality Education\u2019s Marbella campus. Les Roches is a top-ranked institution in the field of hospitality with its roots in Switzerland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His journey at UTM encapsulates the goals of the \u2018Belt and Road\u2019 initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping: improving regional integration, increasing international exchanges, and stimulating common development. It also highlights Macao\u2019s unique positioning and contributions to the \u2018Belt and Road\u2019 initiative, particularly as a platform promoting people-to-people exchanges and fostering cooperation between China and other participating countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was very fortunate,\u201d says Pisitpong, who recently graduated from UTM\u2019s Hotel Management Bachelor\u2019s Degree Programme. The \u2018Belt and Road\u2019 scholarship was a \u201cfantastic opportunity to experience different places and meet diverse people,\u201d he remarks, echoing the overall purposes of the \u2018Belt and Road\u2019 initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He recalls that part of his UTM studies were conducted remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted international travel to Macao. He praises the support he received during this period from faculty and staff at the University. \u201cThey were all very nice and approachable, providing excellent support,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pisitpong explains that the \u2018Belt and Road\u2019 scholarship from the Macao Foundation was immensely helpful, covering his tuition and daily expenses as a foreign student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He opted for Macao as the place to pursue his studies due to the city\u2019s international environment and cultural diversity. \u201cI chose UTM because I could learn about different cultures and languages while speaking English inside and outside the school,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Participating in UTM\u2019s 3+1 Dual Bachelor\u2019s Degree Programme offered him the chance to study in Europe. \u201cStudying in a second place abroad was an excellent opportunity to learn more about hospitality, experience new cultures, and make new friends,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spending a year at Les Roches was demanding, but Pisitpong says he felt well-prepared due to the education standards at UTM. The 3+1 Dual Bachelor\u2019s Degree Programme allowed him to receive a bachelor\u2019s degree from Les Roches in addition to the one from UTM, which Pisitpong hopes will open additional doors for him as a hospitality professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He encourages other Thai students to consider higher education at UTM. Pisitpong highlights the University\u2019s strong international reputation and the numerous opportunities it offers to broaden one\u2019s horizons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMacao is also renowned for its tourism industry,\u201d he adds. \u201cThailand, where tourism is crucial, can learn from Macao\u2019s example and adapt it accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Editor: UTM Public Relations Team<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From Thailand to Macao, then to Spain and back to Thailand: Pisitpong Boonmak, UTM\u2019s first Thai graduate, utilised Macao\u2019s platform role within China\u2019s \u2018Belt and Road\u2019 initiative to advance his [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":11568,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2322,136],"tags":[1636,261,3041,2413,400,1092,2727,2951,368,1017,2859],"class_list":["post-11566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bachelor-degrees","category-main_headline","tag-belt-and-road","tag-hotel-management","tag-international-links","tag-les-roches","tag-macao","tag-macao-foundation","tag-macao-institute-for-tourism-studies","tag-sommet-education","tag-spain","tag-thailand","tag-utm","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"views":161,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11566"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11566\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11615,"href":"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11566\/revisions\/11615"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}