Recently, a group of Year 2 students from UTM’s Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Brand Management degree programme, led by Assistant Professor Dr. Catherine Li, visited the GAC Trumpchi Automobile Co., Ltd. in Guangzhou. This study tour is a significant initiative by the university to promote practical learning and actively engage with the industrial resources of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, providing students with a platform to gain firsthand experience in brand operations within enterprises in the Greater Bay Area.
GAC Trumpchi is a well-known automobile brand in China, established in 2008 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of GAC Group, which ranks 181st in the Fortune Global 500. During the visit, the faculty and student delegation toured the modern assembly workshop at GAC Trumpchi and observed the highly automated assembly production lines, gaining insights into the advanced manufacturing processes in the automotive industry. Following the tour, the experts from the brand marketing department of GAC Trumpchi delivered an in-depth presentation, introducing the team structure and sharing successful case studies that illustrated the full automotive marketing process. The session also encouraged interactive discussions with the students.
This “Exploring the Greater Bay Area” industry practice serves as an important extension of the Marketing and Brand Management curriculum. Students expressed that they benefited significantly from the experience, gaining a deeper understanding of how a national automobile brand rooted in the Greater Bay Area combines local manufacturing advantages with a global market perspective, innovating in product R&D, brand promotion, and user engagement. The visit not only enriched their practical case studies but also enhanced their understanding of the critical role marketing plays within the industry's ecosystem in the Greater Bay Area.
The Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Brand Management programme at UTM offers a curriculum featuring a strong theoretical foundation, hands-on practical training, and a focus on cultural tourism, the programme closely aligns with industry needs and integrates deeply with the development of the Greater Bay Area. It aims to cultivate brand management professionals with both local insight and global vision, serving the cultural tourism industry in Macao, the Greater Bay Area, and beyond.
[Prepared by Dr Simin Chen]
