IFTM Life Main Headline

IFTM adds Silver Jubilee Building to Taipa Campus

中文摘要 / Summary in Chinese

The Taipa Campus of IFTM is now officially larger, as it has gained an extra building. The inauguration ceremony for the Silver Jubilee Building took place on 5 November, and was attended by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Ms. Ao Ieong U, and by Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China Mr. Zhang Xu.

The Silver Jubilee Building, an existing structure, was granted to IFTM by the Macao SAR Government earlier this year, to support the development of the Institute. Renovation work on it started in April 2020, including facility checking, basic repairs and deep cleaning of desks and chairs used for teaching. In September, 2 floors housing classrooms were put into use. Renovations are continuing in the rest of the building.

Earlier this year, the Macao SAR Government also granted an additional plot of land to expand the Institute’s Taipa Campus. IFTM management plans to use it to develop a new facility, to be branded the “International Tourism Education Complex”. Its realisation will be a landmark event for the Institute.

“Development needs resources and space,” noted IFTM President Dr. Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan, in a speech during the opening ceremony for the Silver Jubilee Building. She added that the Institute’s management planned to make use of all the resources recently granted to IFTM by the Government, in order to add facilities the Institute either lacks currently or is short of. The fresh capacity would include new areas for teaching, study rooms, exhibition halls, areas for leisure activities, and space for administrative staff.

The IFTM Taipa Campus was officially inaugurated in October 2015 and began hosting classes from academic year 2016/2017. The site includes a number of buildings that the Macao SAR Government granted to the Institute after the University of Macau moved from Taipa to Hengqin Island.

25 years in review

The inauguration of the Silver Jubilee Building also served to mark the 25th anniversary of IFTM. “For an educational institution, 25 years is not a long period, but the achievements by IFTM since its establishment are tremendously encouraging,” said Dr. Vong. “In the future, with support from all sectors of society, we shall do even better.”

The IFTM President added that the Institute had an ongoing commitment to improving the quality of education it provides, while furthering efforts related to its research output. In addition, IFTM would continue to expand its international network of partner institutions, while boosting administrative efficiency and advancing initiatives linked to its ‘smart campus’ push.

Alumni representative Ms. Teresa Lao Kit U also delivered a speech at the inauguration of the Silver Jubilee Building. Having graduated from IFTM in 2001, she is now an executive at a local travel agency, and Vice-President of the Travel Industry Council of Macau.

In her remarks, Ms. Lao recalled her time at the Institute, including a unique opportunity to help in the official ceremonies of Macao’s return to the motherland in 1999. She also praised the combination of theory and practice that is central to teaching at IFTM. Ms. Lao highlighted that what she had learned at the Institute remained foremost in her mind almost 20 years later.

Also attending the event, IFTM student representative Shown Lei San Lam said the Institute had helped him to mature as an individual, and to broaden his view of the world. He pointed out IFTM had provided him with a number of opportunities for personal development, including to take part in an exchange programme in Europe, to participate in IFTM Student Union activities, and to engage in other extracurricular pursuits.

“I hope that IFTM will continue to seek innovation in pursuit of study and teaching,” he added.

President’s Corner

A special place

IFTM’s unique positioning means students have access to a deep pool of exclusive opportunities, including exchange and internship programmes outside Macao, allowing them to be exposed to new ideas, and to broaden their horizons. Read More