Galaxy Entertainment launches Japan-Macau IR management scheme

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Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) is at the centre of a new program designed to educate students about Integrated Resort (IR) management, following the passage of a controversial new law.

Set to see the country’s first casino licences issued by 2020, with upto three IR’s believed to be welcomed, GEG has launched the Japan-Macau Integrated Resort Management Mentorship Pilot Scheme.

In conjunction with its own non-profit foundation and Tokyo’s Toyo University, with added support from the University of Macau (UMAC), the scheme is designed to aid academic institutions as preparations get underway to introduce the new industry.

GEG has also stressed a commitment to researching opportunities for Macanese youngsters to benefit from learning opportunities overseas, with a cross fertilisation of ideas and experiences containing a potential benefit for both Japan and Macau based IR’s.

Professor Jacky Yuk-chow So, Dean and BNU Chair Professor in Finance at UMAC, commented: “In the spirit of cross-cultural academic collaboration, we welcomed the chance to support GEG with this programme by making available our faculty members to share UMAC’s deep IR industry knowledge with the students from Japan.

“The invaluable experience gained through this programme will be hugely beneficial to both the students and participating academic institutions as they develop their own expertise in the years ahead.”

According to GEG’s statement “the Mentorship Scheme is intended to identify and give the coming generation of IR professionals in Japan a first hand look at what it takes to develop and operate the world’s most successful IR – Galaxy Macau.”

A first hand insight will be gathered during a four week Macau visit, at which a series of lectures will provided by faculty members of the International Integrated Resort Management Programme at UMAC, complimenting mentoring sessions conducted by GEG executives.

Francis Lui, vice chairman of GEG, explained: “Together with the GEG Foundation, and the support of University of Macau, we are very pleased to share our philosophy for sustainable and responsible IR development with what we hope will be the future homegrown leaders of IR’s in Japan.

“As a Group we are passionate about nurturing the next generation and in giving them the best possible opportunities for their future careers. And we recognise that Macau, and GEG, have both the vision and an opportunity to share its formula for success with Japan, as it embarks on the path of IR implementation.

“At the same time, we are researching opportunities to enable young people from Macau to benefit from a similar learning experience overseas, in particular in Japan. We hope that through this Pilot Scheme, we will be able to set the stage for a bilateral Mentorship Scheme to enable our own young people from Macau to better understand the unique traits of Japanese hospitality. As responsible citizens we should play a civic role in supporting the growing development of relations between China and Japan through the Mentorship Scheme.”

Beats breakdown: Japan’s Integrated Resorts Implementation Bill was passed despite some fierce opposition, and now the country’s government is targeting inbound tourist numbers to double by the year 2030. A significant chunk of that is to be an influx of numbers to IR’s set to be in full operation by that time, so educational schemes such as this are a logical step to take, to enable youngsters to develop the necessary expertise ahead of time. Moves such as this could be pivotal in ensuring Japan’s success in the IR scene.