The Institute of Tourism Studies has officially opened a satellite campus in China.

Its Shanghai campus will offer students in the Chinese city the opportunity to enrol in a three-year course leading to a Higher National Diploma in Events or Culinary Arts, starting in 2024.

Graduates of those courses will then be able to further their studies with a Bachelor’s degree programme held at the ITS campus in Malta.

ITS will develop and deliver the Shanghai-taught curriculum, with selected lecturers periodically conducting classes in China.

The satellite campus idea comes from the school's agreement with the Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Polytechnic (SICP) on November 22, 2023, in Malta.

Representatives from ITS, including its chief operating officer Claire Briffa and  International Department Assistant Manager Can Feng presided over the inaugural ceremony in Shanghai on Friday.

The ITS said the collaboration “further cements ITS's dedication to internationalisation, building on its existing partnerships with esteemed institutions and universities worldwide. SICP, recognized for its educational excellence and numerous accolades, proudly inaugurates the SICP Malta International School.”

The ITS made national headlines earlier this week after a National Audit Office report found that it had hired MP Rosianne Cutajar as a consultant on a fraudulent basis, giving her a backdated contract for work she was not qualified to do.

That deal was signed by ITS CEO Pierre Fenech, who told auditors that he brought Cutajar on board following instructions from the tourism ministry, which at the time was led by Konrad Mizzi.