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.
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.
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.