EXCEPTIONAL PLACE TO LEARN
W

e at IFT have an ongoing commitment to the continuous improvement of our facilities in order to support the academic and personal development of students and scholars.

IFT continuously invests in the upgrade of its facilities in order to offer a unique teaching and learning environment in terms of physical space and technology. The Institute’s use of contemporary academic resources, social venues and accommodation has all been designed to enhance the experience of students, staff and scholars.

Students at IFT have access to specialised training facilities, including state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories and demonstration kitchens, and an educational restaurant and hotel. The Institute also offers 2 libraries, electronic information services and computing facilities.

In addition, IFT is developing a new campus in Taipa. It came into use in academic year 2015/16. Its facilities will provide an inspirational, technology-rich and flexible study environment, enabling members of the IFT community to create and share new ideas.

CERTIFIED OPERATIONS

The Institute has earned various international accreditations over the years. They are a clear sign that IFT is committed to developing sustainably by following appropriate policies and processes.

Since 2013, IFT operations have been accredited under the ISO/IEC 20000 certification. This is an international standard specifically aimed at information technology service management.

In 2016, the operations of IFT were certified under the ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System. The certification is valid until September 2018.

GREEN THINKING

The Institute sets clear objectives as the basis for continual improvement in performance regarding its environmental practices. IFT has targets for efficient use of energy, water and other resources.

The Institute actively promotes the so-called ‘5 Rs of sustainability’: reduction of resources consumed; reuse of resources whenever possible; repair of damaged resources and regular maintenance to extend their life; recycling of resources and use of recycled materials; and rethinking of operational procedures to make them more environmentally friendly.

Each academic year, IFT takes part in a number of community events aimed at promoting awareness of environmental protection, including the local version of the global Earth Hour campaign, during which non-essential lights are extinguished for 60 minutes. To promote further awareness of energy saving measures, the Institute organises a “No Elevator Day” at IFT to encourage students and staff to take the stairs instead of using the lifts.

MORE SPACE, BETTER PROSPECTS

IFT is expanding appreciably as its new campus swings into action. The new campus on Taipa gives us the potential to build our international standing, to become more closely involved in academic research around the world and to become an Asian hub for education and training in tourism.

LEARNING BY DOING

At IFT, students gain hands-on experience in 2 operational facilities that are open to the general public: one a boutique hotel and the other a restaurant. The facilities – on the IFT Mong-Há Campus – are designed to provide a rich training environment and a chance for students to interact with real guests and diners.

“Pousada” is the Portuguese word for an inn where travellers can rest before continuing their journeys. At the Educational Hotel – Pousada de Mong-Há, guests relax amid the boutique hotel’s graceful décor, which is punctuated by traditional “azulejos”, the hand-painted ceramic tiles of Portugal.

By serving travellers from around the world that choose to stay at the Pousada, IFT students are able to sharpen their language and communication skills. They gain professional confidence and acquire real-life work experience under the supervision of seasoned instructors.

The 20-room hotel is ranked among Macao’s best accommodation. Several international guides recommend it, including the famous Michelin Guide and the travel website TripAdvisor.


The Institute’s Educational Restaurant provides a practical learning environment for students. Coached and supervised by the restaurant’s team of instructors, students can acquire valuable practical experience of food and beverage operations.

The IFT Educational Restaurant serves a unique selection of Macanese and Portuguese dishes with a modern touch. It supports organic agriculture and the Slow Food movement, growing its herbs in a special garden at the Mong-Há Campus.

The venue also hosts special events promoting culinary products and cuisine from around the world. In academic year 2015/16, the Educational Restaurant hosted promotional events for food and wine from New Zealand and food and whiskey from Ireland.


COFFEE, ART AND TRAINING

Since June 2016, the Institute has been running a café on the waterfront of Nam Van Lake. It is part of an effort by the Macao SAR Government to revitalise the Nam Van Lake area and turn it into a new leisure and tourism hub.

The revitalised waterfront includes recreational facilities, shops selling cultural and creative products, a book market and a weekend craft market. The area additionally offers regular outdoor performances. At the lake, pedal boats are also available for visitors to enjoy.

The new IFT Café not only serves IFT’s signature food, but it also provides training to IFT students. The outlet additionally operates as a venue to promote culture, and regularly hosts exhibitions featuring local artwork.

The IFT Café will run on a temporary basis until the venue is leased to a private operator through a public tender process.

 

KNOWLEDGE HUB

The IFT Library offers a tranquil study environment for students, staff and visitors, providing access to a wealth of information resources on tourism and hospitality.

The IFT Library boasts thousands of printed and digitally stored resources. It features rooms for groups and quiet study areas, computers, printers and copiers.

The facility is the only library in Macao, Hong Kong and Chinese Taiwan to be part of the World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Depository Library programme. It joined the scheme in academic year 2015/16. The IFT Library was the first academic library in Greater China to be included in the programme. The Depository Library programme aims to expand public access to reports and other publications produced by UNWTO.

Entry into UNWTO’s library scheme was part of the ongoing effort by the IFT Library to improve its services. The IFT unit is a member of the Macau Academic Library Alliance, set up in 2014. The Alliance enables students from the 9 participating higher education institutions to borrow publications from any of the libraries in the corresponding institutions.

In addition, the IFT Library aims to be a source of knowledge for tourism industry practitioners. Companies are eligible to apply for what is known as an Industry Library Membership, allowing staff from such firms to borrow books and other resources from the library.

Scholars and researchers from outside IFT can also apply for permission to use the resources of the library.

The IFT Library is additionally stepping up efforts to make available more resources online. The goal is to make access more convenient for users, including the possibility of round-the-clock access to materials. Putting resources online also enables library operations to become more environmentally friendly, by reducing reliance on printed materials.


165,000
NUMBER OF ITEMS IN THE IFT LIBRARY COLLECTION, INCLUDING PRINTED AND DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS, AS OF JULY 2016

With the opening of the new IFT Taipa Campus, library resources have been further strengthened. The campus features a library double the size of the existing facilities at the Mong-Há Campus, with expanded offerings for the IFT community.


"VALUABLE RESOURCE"


Carmen Lei
Head of the IFT Library


The Head of the IFT Library, Ms. Carmen Lei, says inclusion in the World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Depository Library programme is a significant achievement for IFT.

“As we are an institute that offers degree programmes in the field of tourism, the addition of these resources helps to provide valuable information when people linked to IFT are conducting research in this area,” she says.

Ms. Lei is an IFT alumna. She also has a master’s degree in Information and Library Studies. She has been heading the library since 2008.

“As UNWTO is a world-leading international organisation in the field of tourism, it is a reliable source of information in the tourism sector,” adds the library head.