Macau (MNA) – The Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) is currently working on setting up a postgraduate culinary programme on, said IFT president Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan.
Speaking to Macau News Agency (MNA) after participating in a the forum session at the International Gastronomy Forum 2018, Dr. Vong said that they have referenced and studied over 70 different postgraduate courses related to a culinary programme.
“We hope to bring the good practices from other places to Macau,” said Dr. Vong.
Business Daily previously reported that IFT was planning to introduce postgraduate programmes from various areas.
The president revealed that the Institute is planning to conduct research on local cuisine, in particular Macanese and Southeast Asian cuisine.
“We have a rich history of Macanese cuisine but we lack an organised database of this knowledge and information,” said Dr. Vong.
When asked about the possible launch date of the programme, Dr. Vong indicated that IFT regulations must be revised prior to the establishment of the postgraduate programmes.
“We are multitasking; for one, we have to organise our content for the postgraduate course, and for two we will need to revise our regulations,” she said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Vong said the culinary industry in the city is constantly changing, with higher requirements for chefs, in particular their management skills.
With IFT’s Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts Management, established in 2011, Dr. Vong said the programme is popular when compared to other corses.
“There will be eight applicants fighting for one seat,” said Dr. Vong.
She also revealed that around 20 per cent of the students are from Mainland China, while 80 per cent are local, with international students taking the programme, too.
The president added that even short culinary courses attract a significant number of trainees
“For 2016 to 2017, some 3,000 trainees took up the short course, including for Portuguese and Macanese cuisine,” said Dr. Vong.
