Action, innovation and pragmatism: these are some of the core features of the programme adopted by the new leadership of the IFTM Student Union. The recently elected management team is led by IFTM Student Union President Venus Wan Oi Lam, a Year 2 student in the Tourism Event Management Bachelor Degree Programme.
“In the Student Union, we are more like a family than a working team,” Venus says. “We are walking together to build a better environment for all students.”
The union’s newly elected leaders were inducted for a 1-year term at a ceremony held in the Grand Hall on the Mong-Há Campus on 16 January. Among the IFTM figures and guests attending the ceremony were IFTM President Dr. Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan and Higher Education Bureau Acting Director Mr. Chan Iok Wai.
The governing bodies of the IFTM Student Union are its executive committee, supervisory council and general assembly. The new management team took over from a transitional committee that handled the union’s affairs last year.
Venus was involved in student affairs during secondary school. When she began her tertiary education, she says she was determined to keep contributing to the improvement of conditions for students.
Usually, the holders of elected positions in the IFTM Student Union are students in either Year 1 or Year 2 of IFTM bachelor degree programmes. Venus says the union’s youthful leadership is unique to the Institute. She says Year 3 and Year 4 students usually have little spare time because they are on exchanges abroad, undertaking 6-month curricular internships or busy completing their graduation theses.
Moreover, many of the administrative tasks of the IFTM Student Union involve interaction with the Institute’s administrative staff. Most of the administrative staff work on the Mong-Há Campus, while classes for Year 3 and Year 4 students are usually held on the Taipa Campus. “Student Union representatives need to spend a long time on the main campus, which can be difficult for Year 3 and Year 4 students,” Venus says.
IFTM Student Union Vice-President Oscar Chan Meng Fong highlights the union’s role in representing the interests of students to various stakeholders. “We are a bridge for communication between students and the IFTM community,” he says.
Oscar hopes the Student Union leadership can contribute to improving conditions for students at IFTM. He expects his involvement in union affairs to help him accumulate useful and memorable experiences. “We are starting our term with a smile, and I hope we will end it with a smile,” he says.
