Friday 10 September, 2010 marked the end of the first
on-site weeklong seminar for the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV)’s
Master of Hospitality Administration (MHA) inaugural class. As part of
their graduate degree program, MHA Macao students spend most of their
time doing self-directed learning with their faculty via UNLV’s WebCampus
platform. However for one week per module, students come together to
study in class with their professors from Las Vegas, meet industry
partners, tour hospitality properties, and network with university
alumni.
This week
marked the end of the first Seminar Week of UNLV’s MHA Macao inaugural
group. UNLV’s Director of Graduate Studies Dr. Pearl Brewer presided over
her course of Information Technology and UNLV Singapore Campus’ Dr.
Nicholas J. Thomas took charge of his course on Human Resources.
Highlights for
the students included site visits to the Wynn Macau and Venetian Macau
for back-of-house tours and Q&A sessions with senior management
staff. Students were also treated to highly interactive lecture and
discussion led by the Galaxy Entertainment Group about its pre opening
activities for Macao’s newest property to open in 2011. An intensive week
of classroom learning, discussions and visits culminated with a final
reception with industry partners, UNLV alumni and UNLV faculty at IFT
Education Restaurant.
For MHA
student Beatrice Leong; Assistant Director of Casino Marketing – Slots of
MGM MACAU, seminar week was a real highlight of her studies thus far.
“This week was such a memorable experience! Not only did it widen my
academic knowledge, but the site visits and guest speaker interactions
provided the practical industry application about which I have been
studying.”
For classmate
Peggy Wong; Sales Manager for the Venetian Macao, seminar week was a
chance to bring the online learning into a physical classroom and bring
to life her classmates she sees online daily. “It was so great to meet
all of my fellow classmates and it was really a wonderful week together.
I know now that while I may be working alone with my textbooks and laptop
every night my classmates are nearby for discussions and that I can
always count on them!”
Fellow
classmate Yolanda Lao; Assistant Director of Special Events for the Wynn
Macau shared Peggy’s sentiment, “This week has been rewarding and
enjoyable with the exposure to all the guest speakers from the industry
sharing their experience and insights. It has been a great week for me to
meet and network with my classmates and professors who has been working
with me online all the time.”
UNLV’s Master
of Hospitality Administration (MHA) Executive Program targets working
professionals within the hospitality field and is being offered in
partnership with IFT Macao, a long time hospitality educator and partner
of the university. Its flexible program design, combining distance
learning and on-site intensive one-week seminars, is a convenient model
for industry professionals to maintain their current employment while
pursuing an internationally recognized graduate degree. The inaugural
group is looking forward to its next seminar week which will take place
in Las Vegas, Nevada in December 2010.
Background on UNLV and IFT
UNLV has a 50-year history of academic excellence and its graduates can
be found in key management positions in leading hotels throughout the
world. The Singapore Campus, which opened in August 2006, is UNLV’s first
international campus and has a current student population of close to 500
students. UNLV’s Singapore Campus is accredited in the United States and
recognized by the Singapore Ministry of Education.
IFT,
established in 1995, is a public institution of higher education that
offers degree and professional programs in a wide range of
tourism-related disciplines such as hospitality, tourism business,
heritage, events, retail and marketing, leisure and entertainment, sports
and recreation, creative and cultural studies, and culinary arts. IFT has
received various awards in recognition of its achievement in quality
education. In 2008, IFT was awarded the “Medal of Merit for Tourism” by
the Macao SAR Government for its contribution to the development of the
tourism industry.
Contact
Information for media interview
For more information or to
arrange for interviews with either Dr. Andy Nazarechuk, Dean of UNLV
Singapore, or Dr. Fanny Vong, President of IFT Macao, please contact: