FT is committed to the continual improvement of the facilities that support the development, personally and academically, of students and staff.
IFT has a strategy of continual investment in its facilities to offer an unmatched physical and technological environment for both teaching and learning. The way the Institute combines modern academic resources, places for social interaction and living accommodation enhances the experience of students, teachers and other staff.
Students at IFT have access to purpose-built facilities. These include state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories, demonstration kitchens, a training restaurant and a training hotel. The Institute also offers 2 libraries, electronic information services and computing facilities.
Under development is the new campus on the island of Taipa. The Taipa Campus first came into use in academic year 2015/16 and will eventually house a second training hotel, which the Institute hopes will be as successful as the first – the Pousada de Mong-Há. The complete plan for the new campus is still on the drawing board and the Institute will fully involve stakeholders to craft the blueprint for this important pillar.
The Institute is committed to developing sustainably by following the best possible policies and procedures. Accreditations earned from various institutions around the world are a clear sign of that obligation.
IFT operations have had ISO/IEC 20000 certification since 2013, showing they meet international standards for information technology service management. Institute operations received ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System certification in June 2016.
On the Nam Van Lake waterfront, IFT runs a café designed to train students of the Institute. The IFT Café opened in June 2016 as part of the Macao SAR Government’s efforts to revitalise the area around Nam Van Lake as an attraction for tourists and leisure-seekers. The café’s customers are served distinctive IFT fare and the venue regularly stages exhibitions of work by Macao artists. The IFT Café will remain in business until the premises are let to a private-sector tenant.
Improvements to the IFT Mong-Há Campus in academic year 2016/17 include the renewal of the uninterruptible power supply system and of the capacitors in the power distribution room of the Team Building. These enhancements will ensure a reliable supply of electricity. A new air heat pump was installed to ensure sufficient hot water is on tap at all kitchens. The audiovisual system in the Grand Hall has also been upgraded to meet the demands on a modern multipurpose facility.
On the Taipa Campus, several improvements were made to the East Asia Hall student hostel that will improve the living and studying environment.
IFT set up 2 breastfeeding rooms in academic year 2016/17, one on each campus, to comply with a Government policy of having employers provide suitable breastfeeding facilities.
Health and safety was emphasised by IFT throughout academic year 2016/17. The Institute held fire drills, fire extinguisher training sessions and accident drills. Together with the Labour Affairs Bureau, the Institute put on safety courses and arranged talks on health topics. IFT took part in World Challenge Day 2017, held on 31 May, which promotes the health benefits of regular physical exercise.
GREEN CREDENTIALS
IFT has established clear objectives to further enhance the way it cares for the environment. It has set targets for efficiency in its use of energy, water and other resources.
The Institute adheres to the 5 Rs of sustainability: reducing the consumption of resources; reusing resources whenever possible; repairing damaged resources and maintaining them to extend their life; recycling resources and utilising recycled materials; and rethinking operating procedures to make them more environmentally friendly.
Each academic year IFT takes part in community events intended to increase awareness of the need to protect the environment. These events include the Macao version of the global Earth Hour, when all but essential lights are extinguished for 60 minutes. The Institute observes No Elevator Day, encouraging students and staff to take the stairs instead of using the lifts. These efforts remind the community of the benefits of energy conservation.
Healthy and Green Month has been a feature of the IFT calendar each year since 2012. Healthy and Green Month encourages everyone to protect the environment, save energy, to live a more healthy life and to follow safe working practices. Healthy and Green Month was observed in September in academic year 2016/17. More than 1,700 people took part in the programme.
WINDOW ON THE INDUSTRY
Students at IFT gain hands-on experience of the hospitality industry at 2 training facilities on the IFT Mong-Há Campus: one is a boutique hotel, the other a restaurant, and both are open to the community. These facilities help train students in an environment that is as similar as possible to what they experience once their careers are underway, and offer the opportunity to serve guests and real diners.
The IFT Educational Restaurant is an establishment where students gain a rich, practical experience of the restaurant business, coached and supervised by experienced instructors.
On the menu is a selection of Macanese and Portuguese dishes, made with a modern touch. The restaurant supports organic farming and the Slow Food movement. Herbs used in its dishes are grown in a herb garden on the Mong-Há Campus.
From time to time the establishment puts on special events that promote the food and cuisine to be found in various parts of the world. It also has seasonal menus. In December 2016 and February 2017, for instance, the menu listed dishes chosen for their suitability for Christmas and St. Valentine’s Day respectively.
IFT food and beverage staff frequently attend training courses which keep them up to date on the latest trends in the bar and restaurant business. HK Brewcraft held one training course, on how to make craft beer, in Hong Kong on 27 August 2016. The course was attended by IFT Food and Beverage Department Executive Assistant Manager Mr. David Wong, and lecturers Mr. Hugo Robarts Bandeira, Mr. Miguel Gassmann de Oliveira and Mr. Grant James O’Bree.
IFT food and beverage staff also attend trade shows to add to their knowledge of the subjects they teach. In academic year 2016/17 representatives of the Institute attended the Natural and Organic Products Asia show, from 31 August to 2 September 2016 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre; the Restaurant and Bar Hong Kong 2016 show, from 6 to 8 September 2016 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre; and the 17th International Exhibition of Food and Drink, Hotel, Restaurant and Foodservice Equipment, Supplies and Services (HOFEX 2017), together with the ProWine Asia 2017 show, from 8 to 11 May 2017 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Pousada de Mong-Há, also called the IFT Educational Hotel, offers guests a relaxing stay in the graceful surroundings of a boutique hotel. Pousada is the Portuguese word for inn and the décor is punctuated by “azulejos”, the traditional, hand-painted ceramic tiles from Portugal.
By serving travellers from around the world, IFT students can improve their command of languages and hone their communication skills. Under the supervision of seasoned instructors, students gain confidence in their ability to do the jobs they are allotted, and gain experience of work in the real world.
The 20-room hotel is ranked among the best accommodation in Macao. It is recommended by several international guides, including the Michelin Guide Hong Kong and Macau and the TripAdvisor website.
The Pousada de Mong-Há retained its Macao Green Hotel Gold Award in 2017, an accolade it first won in 2013. The establishment has also claimed a Green Supporter Award for entering the awards every year since their commencement in 2007. It was in that year that Pousada de Mong-Há was first recognised for its environmental focus. The presentation of both awards were made at a ceremony on 22 June 2017.
TECH-SAVVY TRADITION
IFT understands how important information technology is in the pursuit of its objectives. The Institute makes significant investments to improve the way IT is applied with the aim of enhancing the learning experiences of students and to stay up-to-date with new teaching practices.
IFT has developed proprietary student information and personnel information systems. The systems give students, academics and other staff instant access to information and services at anytime. In academic year 2016/17, new services were rolled out to students and staff, including electronic payment services for holders of online bank accounts or credit cards, or at the electronic kiosks set up on IFT campuses.
The Institute introduced new applications for mobile phones during the academic year. One app allows users to give feedback on IFT courses and informs them about the progress of applications to enrol in courses.
IFT has taken measures to ensure that all elements of the digital network on its campuses, whether software or hardware, are protected from cyberattack and other threats. The second-tier firewall and email security gateway were upgraded in 2016. A high-capacity backup system was installed to prevent any loss of information in the event of a cyberattack or system failure.
IFT is aiming for ISO/IEC 27001 certification by 2018. This will demonstrate the Institute meets international standards for information security management.
STACKS OF KNOW-HOW
IFT has 2 libraries that offer a tranquil environment for study, whether for students, staff or visitors. These facilities store a wealth of information on tourism and hospitality.
The Mong-Há Campus boasts one of the IFT libraries and the newer facility is on the Taipa Campus. The IFT Taipa Campus Library opened in August 2016, in a significant boost to the Institute’s resources. The new library spans 700 square metres of floor space, divided into reading areas, a computer zone, nooks where readers can peruse magazines and places for meetings.
Since January 2017, holders of Macau Pass stored-value cards, which are used to pay bus fares and make small purchases, have been able to top-up the value at the library on the Taipa Campus.
The IFT libraries provide access to an expanding collection of electronic resources. In February 2017, the Institute and Google Scholar formed a partnership that enables readers to search academic literature online. Google Scholar delivers access to the information contained in journals the IFT subscribes to, as well as other sources already available to the Institute. The partnership makes it easier for students and researchers to find the information they need.
In academic year 2015/16, IFT became the first seat of learning in Greater China to join the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Depository Library programme. The programme is intended to give the public greater access to reports and other publications produced by UNWTO.
The Institute has belonged to the Macau Academic Library Alliance since it was formed in 2014. The arrangement pools the resources of 9 institutions of higher education in Macao, allowing a student at one institution to borrow from the libraries at any of the other institutions.
As well as serving its students and staff, IFT endeavours to be a source of information for people working in the tourism industry. A special form of corporate membership allows employees of companies to borrow books and other resources from the IFT libraries.
Academics and researchers at institutions other than IFT can apply for permission to use the resources of the libraries at the Institute.
IFT is putting extra effort into making more of its library resources available online, around the clock, for the greater convenience of readers. Making more resources available online also enables operations to become more environmentally friendly, by reducing reliance on printed materials.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
NOVEMBER 2016
– Macao SAR Government Social Affairs and Culture Secretary Alexis Tam Chon Weng visited the IFT Taipa Campus and inspected the library facilities.
– IFT Library Services Head Ms. Carmen Lei and IFT I.T. Team Head Ms. Chammy Tai went on a field trip to Shanghai arranged by the Macau Academic Library Alliance. Their party toured several facilities there, including the Pudong Library and the Fudan University Library, to learn more about the work of academic libraries in Mainland China and the technology they use to preserve cultural relics.
APRIL 2017
– The IFT library staff arranged a visit to St Joseph’s Seminary and the University of Saint Joseph Library in Macao to create interest in the city’s history and built heritage. Among the party were undergraduates studying Heritage Management and 2 academic staff.
– IFT took part in the annual Macao Library Week. The Institute and operators of databases for academic journals jointly put on activities intended to improve the ability of students to search for information, offering them incentive awards.
MAY 2017
– The library on the IFT Taipa Campus held a Book Sharing Night, an event to inspire better reading habits.