• Sands China and UTM have launched the two-year Western Culinary Elite Programme including specialty training.
• The partnership aims to deepen cooperation across industry, academia and research while fostering local hospitality and culinary talent.

Sands China Ltd and the Macao University of Tourism (UTM) held a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony at The Londoner Macao on 25 November, officially launching the Sands China Western Culinary Elite Programme. The partnership aims to deepen cooperation across industry, academia and research while fostering local hospitality and culinary talent.

Under the two-year program, top graduates from UTM’s Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts Management will receive professional development opportunities designed to enhance their international culinary expertise. Participants will also be sponsored to attend an eight-week intensive training at the world-renowned École Ducasse in France to further refine their culinary skills and broaden global perspectives.

The program adopts a “hire and train” model, whereby participants join Sands China and undergo 24 months of comprehensive training covering academic theory, professional certification and hands-on operations at the company’s integrated resorts. Upon completion, participants will be promoted to the position of Cook I.

In conjunction with the MOU signing, Sands China and UTM co-hosted the Innovative Hospitality Management Symposium, themed “Hospitality Reimagined: Innovation and Technology with a Heartbeat”, which explored the application of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence in the hospitality sector. The symposium included three panel discussions – hospitality and the latest technology, using AI and robotics in the hospitality industry, and the latest innovations for meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Sands China and UTM first established their partnership in 2023 through a joint academic symposium and MOU focused on MICE development. In May and June this year, 14 UTM faculty members participated in Sands China’s Immersive Industry Experience Programme, gaining firsthand exposure to integrated resort operations and exchanging knowledge with company leaders.