To broaden students' horizons and deepen their understanding of the development of cultural tourism and industrial innovation in mainland China, the Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management of Macau University of Science and Technology, in conjunction with Shunde Polytechnic, organized a "Shunde Academic Exchange Tour" from June 9 to 10, 2025. The event was led by Assistant Dean Jose Wong, Program Director Yang Chieh Yun, and Assistant Professor Hong Fang, attracting 20 undergraduate, master's, and Ph.D. students to participate.
The academic exchange activities mainly covered three major areas: visits to professional institutions, field research, and cultural and artistic experiences. The team visited Shunde Polytechnic, where both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as curriculum development and talent cultivation. They also had the opportunity to tour the cooking training laboratory to understand the unique strengths and innovative practices of Shunde Polytechnic in culinary education, gaining a more intuitive understanding of the inheritance and development of cooking skills.
Seminar at Shunde Polytechnic
The team members visited the ancient architectural complex of Shengping Community to gain an in-depth understanding of the intangible cultural heritage—fish lantern making. In the quaint and charming buildings, the students listened to the historical origins and production techniques of fish lanterns and personally experienced the process of making them. In addition, they visited other distinctive cultural and tourism projects in Shengping Community, feeling the successful experience of Shunde in cultural heritage protection and tourism development. They also discussed how to achieve sustainable development of the cultural and tourism industry by inheriting and innovating while protecting cultural heritage.
The team members visited the headquarters of Midea for an educational tour. As a globally renowned home appliance company, Midea's experience in product innovation and corporate management is worth exploring in depth. During the visit, they gained detailed insights into Midea's product development process, intelligent production lines, and the company's diversified development. They learned how Midea enhances product competitiveness and drives continuous corporate growth through technological innovation and design optimization. Subsequently, the team members visited the Shunde Industrial Design Town to gain an in-depth understanding of the local innovation and design industry. Here, they discussed the important role of industrial design in product development and industrial upgrading.
On-site investigation in Midea Headquarters
On-site investigation in Shunde Industrial Design Town
At the end of the event, the team members visited the He Art Museum. Inside the museum, the students admired numerous outstanding works by well-known domestic and international artists, ranging from traditional paintings to artistic installations. The diverse range of artistic forms immersed the students in the ocean of art, allowing them to contemplate the relationship between tourism and culture from an artistic perspective.
On-site investigation in He Art Museum
This Shunde academic exchange activity provided students from the Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management of Macau University of Science and Technology with a platform to gain an in-depth understanding of the current development and trends in cultural tourism and industrial innovation in mainland China. Through joint organization with Shunde Polytechnic, valuable topics were explored, expanding the research horizons of faculty and students and yielding new academic inspiration. The event also established good communication and cooperation with mainland universities and enterprises. In future studies and research, efforts will be made to explore new paths suitable for the diversification and sustainable development of Macau's tourism industry.
