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The Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) has always been committed to promoting the cultural industry in Macao. Apart from constantly providing a variety of cultural and creative courses, IFT has also pursued active cooperation with artists in recent years, organising exhibitions to provide a platform for local artists to demonstrate their artworks and in turn to integrate arts into the daily life of local residents. IFT Café at “Anim’Arte NAM VAN”, is one of the platforms to showcase local arts and provides citizens and tourists with a relaxing dining experience with cultural and art elements.
IFT has the honour to invite local artist Che In Lei to hold “Strolling on Paper” exhibition at IFT Café from 21 April to 21 June 2017, showcasing her Chinese ink wash painting. Chinese ink wash painting adopts the freehand brushwork to create myriads of images on Xuan paper. Aside from an emphasis on powerful brushstrokes and lively ink painting, the drawings are infused with unique feelings that stroll on the paper, exploring soul-stirring things and objects in our daily life with art to enrich the connotation of drawing and promoting traditional Chinese culture.
The newly established IFT Café not only serves the Institute’s appetising food; but also provides training to IFT students. The outlet additionally operates as a venue to promote culture, and will regularly host exhibitions featuring local artworks. In addition to IFT Café, “Anim’Arte NAM VAN” has many other elements in creativity, leisure and performances for citizens and tourists to experience. The revitalised waterfront includes recreational facilities, shops selling cultural and creative products, a book market, and a weekend craft market. Additionally, the area has regular outdoor performances. At the lake, pedal boats are also available for visitors to ride.
Established in 1995, the Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) offers the most extensive selection of tourism and hospitality related bachelor degree programmes in Macao, and about twenty thousand participants attend its vocational and professional training courses annually. IFT collaborates with 101 universities and tourism organisations around the world, and builds strong links with 500 leading tourism and hospitality corporations to offer internship opportunities to its students. Being the first institution accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, IFT has now 8 bachelor degree programmes with the Certification. Currently, the Institute has the most number of bachelor degree programmes certified under the System of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. In 2017, IFT became the first institution to receive a successful International Quality Review(IQR) from the UK's Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). IFT has been ranked by the “QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017” as the 2nd best higher education institution in Asia in the field of hospitality and leisure management and the 18th best higher education institution in this field in the world. In addition, IFT has received the Medal of Merit in Tourism from the Macao SAR Government, and won twice the Gold Award in ‘Education and Training’ from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
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