Today (2 June), the IFTM Graduation Ceremony 2021 was held at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion. Ms. Ao Ieong U, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, presided over the ceremony, accompanied by Mr. Chan Chak Mo, Chair of the IFTM Council, and Dr. Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan, IFTM President. Immersed in cheers and applause, 416 IFTM students in diploma and degree programmes, including the first batch of master’s degree graduates, received their certificates and honourably became IFTM graduates. Representatives from the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR and the People’s Liberation Army Macao Garrison, members of the IFTM Council, members of the Legislative Assembly, government officials, school representatives, scholarship and fellowship providers, representatives from tourism and service industries, people from all walks of life, parents of graduates, and IFTM faculty were in attendance.

In her address, Ms. Ao Ieong U affirmed the IFTM’s years of contribution to talent cultivation for the Macao tourism industry. Although many challenges are brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Macao SAR Government has persisted in implementing the policy of “develop Macao through cultivating and importing talented people”. Since the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is determined to develop itself into a world-class tourist destination, the demand for talents who can explore the key fields of “tourism+” and major platforms of “Internet plus tourism” is steadily on the increase. Ms. Ao Ieong U hoped that the IFTM continues to optimise discipline construction, focus on the needs of Macao and the Greater Bay Area, and further play its leading role in tourism education, in a bid to strive for the sustainable development of the society. She also encouraged all graduates to grasp great opportunities, make bold attempts, and give full play to their strengths.

In Dr. Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan’s speech, she noted that for the last year the IFTM continuously upgraded its teaching quality, and reviewed and optimised its programmes. The teaching environment was improved by re-planning and adjusting the teaching space of the Taipa campus. Meanwhile, the IFTM actively enhanced its external co-operation and built close partnerships with academic institutions in multiple countries. Founded in 2019, the Tourism Education and Training Base for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has set up collaboration centres in Zhuhai, Guangzhou and the Shunde district of Foshan city, and has introduced quality courses to Mainland.

In the academic year 2021/2022, the revised “Cultural and Heritage Management” programme will take on a new look, combining the traditional teaching characteristic of cultural heritage conservation with the new element of cultural and creative industries, to broaden students’ horizons, outlooks and employment options. The programme has successfully passed the assessment of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) in the UK. What is more, the IFTM is preparing for a new postgraduate programme, “Smart Technologies in Hospitality and Tourism”, to keep up with the market demand for professionals with both technology and tourism knowledge.