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With the concern and support of Mr. Chan Meng Kam, Chairman of the University Council, the FTIM, FED, SCS, IMD, and the ITG were established and led by Prof. Aliana Leong, Vice Rector of City U. In the past five academic years, these institutions have made great progress and achievements with the concerted efforts of all teachers and students. Since its establishment, the FITM City U has devised unique and extraordinary features of faculty branding and internationalization. The Master of International Hospitality and Tourism Management Program of the FITM City U earned the TedQual (Tourism Education Quality) Certification issued by the UNWTO in 2014 while the Doctoral Program of International Hospitality and Tourism Management of the FITM has earned the UNWTO TedQual Certification in 2016. It is the first ever tourism doctoral program winning TedQual Certification and also the first doctoral program winning an international certification in Macau. The FITM City U is currently the only faculty with both Master and Doctoral programs with UNWTO Certification in Macau. The FED City has invited famous education experts from Taiwan to assess and validate the self-evaluation protocol of the faculty. Welcoming more students from all over the world, the FTIM, FED, SCS, IMD, and ITG have stayed committed to the development of local talents. The FITM City U now holds the highest percentage of local students among all private higher institutions in Macau. Of the 3,000 full time students of the faculty, 80% are local students. The FITM also holds the most number of Korean students among all the institutions in Macau. In the 2015-2016 academic year, about 5% of the students of the faculty come from over twenty countries and regions, including Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, and others. Meanwhile, FITM welcomes international students each year from partner institutions. In terms of international communication and exchanges, the FTIM, FED, SCS, IMD, and ITG have signed cooperation agreements and student exchange projects with many universities around the world. FITM students have joined the internship program at the Orlando Disney Land in Florida, USA for four consecutive years since 2012. In the 2015-2016 academic year, 16 FTIM students were the largest number of interns among all the institutions in Macau that participated in the Disney internship program. The FITM has established credit transfer systems with world famous universities in the USA, France, the UK, U.A.E, Singapore, and Taiwan. Beside traditional destinations of exchange and studies like the USA and the U.K, there are more diversified options of studying in Austria, Switzerland, Singapore, and Dubai provided by the faculty. The FTIM, FED, SCS, IMD, and ITG have put great effort in organizing different themed activities to enrich students’ life and create a convivial campus culture. The High Table Night—a large Teaching & Practice activity, for example, has become an iconic theme activity after four consecutive years of having successful events. The English Workshop is another brand internationalized activity of the FITM. Each session of the workshop presents a selected theme for all the students to discuss and share their opinions on. The FTIM, FED, SCS, IMD, and ITG always encourage students to join academic events such as academic paper presentations and Taiwan MICE competitions. The FTIM, FED, SCS, IMD, and ITG actively promote academic activities and have made impressive achievements. Prof. Aliana Leong, Vice Rector of City U, had won two awards at the 4th Award for Excellence in Humanities and Social Sciences Research of Macau 2015. Her paper, “Nostalgia as Travel Motivation and its Impact on Tourists’ Loyalty” published by the SSCI journal Business Research, was awarded first prize (1st on Economics and Management Studies), and her monograph, “Study on Innovative Development Strategies and Security System of Macau Continuing Education” published by the China Social Sciences Press earned a merit award (4th in the group of Language, Education and Art). The FITM had published 12 research papers on top SSCI journals, five research papers on EI journals, and nearly 50 papers on other international journals and seminars in recent years. The FTIM, FED, SCS, IMD, and ITG emphasize a development mode featuring academy-industry cooperation. The FITM engages in internship programs with World famous enterprises like Walt Disney World, as well as Professional Development Schemes with top local enterprises like Ponte 16 and Starwood Macau. In the 2015-2016 academic year, students who took part in those programs have successfully completed their studies, of whom 76% were undergraduates and 83% were postgraduates. The institutions advocate specialized and versatile professional trainings. The AHLEI (American Hotel and Lodging Association Educational Institute), a cooperative institution of the FITM and a certificate authority of the tourism industry, held three exclusive CGSP (Certified Guest Service Professional) tests for over 100 FITM senior students. The CGSP, also known as the Golden Service, is specially designed for front-line service workers at the initial stage of their career. Over 90% of the test takers passed the tests and earned their certificates and badges issued by the AHLEI. These students will be included in the AHLEI global bank of vocational talents and gain a broader prospect of future vocational development. The institutions are devoted in the development of professionals urgently needed by the Macau community. The SCS actively cooperates with different government sectors and institutions providing diversified professional training programs, such as the MICE Industry Practitioners Training Programs jointly developed with DSAL, and the Exhibition Ambassador Program jointly developed with Macau FTA. The SCS Test Center, providing international English tests such as TOEIC and TOEFL and corresponding training programs, has been generally praised by cooperating agencies and students. Over 5,000 examinees take the English tests at the SCS test center each year. The FTIM, FED, SCS, IMD, and ITG have scored great successes, thanks to the leadership of Mr. Chan Ming Kam, Chairman of the University Board, the joint effort of all teachers and students of the faculties, and the kind support of the whole community.
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