PRESS RELEASE BY THE OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TOURISM Institute of Tourism Studies inaugurates second satellite campus in China

The Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) inaugurated its second satellite campus in China, through a strategic partnership with Zhengzhou Tourism College (ZTC).

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Ian Borg, inaugurated the new campus on Tuesday morning, as part of his three-day official visit to China.

Located in Zhengzhou, the capital of the Henan province and one of China’s nine national central cities, this satellite campus is a major milestone in the implementation of the ITS Strategic Plan 2020-2025, in line with its vision to strengthen its position as a globally recognised centre of excellence in tourism and hospitality education.

The Zhengzhou ITS Campus will deliver a three-year, full-time programme in Tourism and Hospitality Management, with an initial intake of up to 40 students annually. Students will graduate with a dual qualification, including a Chinese Ministry-accredited vocational diploma, and a Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF) Level 5 undergraduate diploma, equivalent to those awarded by ITS at its main campus in Malta.

Deputy Prime Minister Borg explained that the new satellite campus advances the ITS internationalisation efforts through partnerships with leading institutions such as Zhengzhou Tourism College, which is renowned for its excellence in vocational education and state of the art facilities.  The Deputy Prime Minister added that “More importantly it empowers ITS to continue augmenting the quality of its education to all its students in Malta and China, by ensuring that they benefit from curricula that are industry-relevant and internationally benchmarked.”

“This collaboration also reminds us that bilateral cooperation goes beyond traditional diplomacy. Education is not only a tool for individual advancement, but also a bridge between nations. Through such people-to-people knowledge-sharing initiatives, we are laying the foundation for enduring partnerships that benefit our students, educators, and industries alike,” Dr Borg stated. 

The Chief Executive Officer of ITS, Pierre Fenech, explained that this development in Zhengzhou follows the successful launch of ITS’s first Chinese campus in Shanghai in 2024, which is set to welcome its second intake in September. “The new campus reflects Malta’s commitment to educational excellence and the Institute’s proactive vision to build global connections through vocational training that meets international industry standards,” he said. 

Wang Yanhong, Secretary of the Party Committee of Zhengzhou Tourism College, underscored the cooperation and friendship between the two educational institutions. “This is an opportunity to establish a closer, longer-term collaboration in tourism education – let’s embark on this wonderful educational voyage for our students in Zhengzhou and Malta,” Yanhong concluded.