Dr Fuhua Song (right) presented the donation cheque to Professor Kaye Chon — Photo by Hong Kong Poly

The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University received a donation of HK$1.08 million from Zhejiang Drore Technology Co., Ltd. (Drore) for the establishment of the "Drore Scholarship" in support of the SHTM's efforts in advancing hospitality and tourism education.

With full support from Drore, two entry scholarships per academic year will be set up for three years commencing 2017. The scholarships will be awarded to local as well as non-local students intending to pursue their studies at the SHTM with the Master of Science (MSc) in Global Hospitality Business, MSc in International Hospitality Management, MSc in International Tourism and Convention Management or MSc in International Wine Management programmes.

Based in Zhejiang province, Drore is the leading company in the mainland that develops and operates smart tourism cloud services, integrating the technologies of cloud computing, tourism big data, three-dimensional real scenery map as well as mixed reality. The company attaches much importance to research and development on smart tourism technology and its application.

While presenting the donation cheque on behalf of Drore, Dr Fuhua Song, Founder and CEO, said, "We see education as the backbone and foundation to the sustainable development of the entire industry. With the establishment of the Drore Scholarship, we hope to support the SHTM's efforts in nurturing future leaders in this dynamic and fast-growing sector."

Professor Kaye Chon, SHTM Dean and Chair Professor and Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management, expressed his sincere gratitude to Dr Song. "This benefaction does not only play an important role in the advancement of hospitality and tourism education, but also demonstrates the industry's deep commitment in nurturing future industry leaders," he remarked. "The SHTM is a recognised leader in hospitality and tourism management education and, with concerted efforts, we offer students the most advanced educational programmes in the field."

About PolyU School of Hotel and Tourism Management

For 45 years, the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has refined a distinctive vision of hospitality and tourism education and become a world-leading hotel and tourism school. Ranked No. 1 in the world in the "Hospitality and Tourism Management" category in ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023 for the seventh consecutive year; placed No. 1 globally in the "Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services" category in the University Ranking by Academic Performance in 2022/2023 for six years in a row; rated No. 1 in the world in the "Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism" subject area by the CWUR Rankings by Subject 2017; and ranked No. 2 in the world among university based programmes in the "Hospitality and Leisure Management" subject area in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 for the seventh consecutive year, the SHTM is a symbol of excellence in the field, exemplifying its motto of Leading Hospitality and Tourism.

The School is driven by the need to serve its industry and academic communities through the advancement of education and dissemination of knowledge. With a strong international team of 90 faculty members from 20 countries and regions around the world, the SHTM offers programmes at levels ranging from undergraduate to doctoral degrees. Through Hotel ICON, the School's groundbreaking teaching and research hotel and a vital aspect of its paradigm-shifting approach to hospitality and tourism education, the SHTM is advancing teaching, learning and research, and inspiring a new generation of passionate, pioneering professionals to take their positions as leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Website: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/shtm/

Pauline Ngan
Marketing Manager
+852 3400 2634
Hong Kong Poly