Shanghai Disney Resort launched its Shanghai Disney Dream Vocational Campus on Friday, a virtual college program that offers immersive learning and training opportunities at partner universities.

From right to left: Andrew Bolstein, senior vice president of operations at Shanghai Disney Resort, Mickey Mouse and Professor Liu Xiaomin, Party secretary of the Shanghai Institute of Tourism, unveil the first Shanghai Disney Dream Vocational Campus in Shanghai, Feb. 21, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Shanghai Disney Resort]

The program will leverage Shanghai Disney Resort's operational expertise to provide hands-on learning experiences. This initiative represents a significant step in the resort's ongoing commitment to high-quality talent development, aiming to create employment opportunities for graduates while supporting the evolving demands of the tourism industry.

The Shanghai Institute of Tourism will pioneer the program in March, accepting internal applications from current students. Enrollment will be open to undergraduates pursuing degrees in tourism management and junior college students specializing in tourism, advertising and marketing, hotel management, catering and exhibition planning.

"Shanghai Disney Resort is committed to nurturing the next generation of tourism professionals by equipping students with practical skills, real-world industry knowledge and employment opportunities early in their careers," said Andrew Bolstein, senior vice president of operations at Shanghai Disney Resort.

"Through the Shanghai Disney Dream Vocational Campus program, we are excited to expand our efforts in cultivating young talent by collaborating with local institutions like the Shanghai Institute of Tourism to provide hands-on learning experiences and industry insights," Bolstein added. "These initiatives will help students excel in China's tourism sector and advance its service quality."

Shanghai Disney Resort hosted an announcement ceremony on Friday morning with leaders, faculty and students from the Shanghai Institute of Tourism and representatives from the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Education, the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, the Administrative Commission of Shanghai International Resort, and Shanghai Shendi Group. The resort has become a major training ground for the local tourism sector, offering development programs that have produced thousands of industry professionals.

The new initiative will bring together Disney's operational expertise with university resources to create career pathways for young people. Students will benefit from a jointly developed curriculum, practical training and internships at Shanghai Disney Resort. This alignment of talent supply and demand will strengthen tourism education by incorporating Disney's industry experience while creating lasting career opportunities for students.

"The Vocational Campus is an important bridge between industry expertise and academic learning," said Professor Kang Nian, president of the Shanghai Institute of Tourism. "The establishment of this campus reflects the deep cooperation between our school and Shanghai Disney Resort. It represents a new form of diversified education and industry-education integration. The vocational campus aims to cultivate highly skilled service and management talent for the tourism, leisure and vacation sector by enhancing mechanisms that incorporate professional values with technical education and integrate work experience with academics to provide practical solutions for industry-education integration."

The initiative builds on Disney's existing partnerships with over 150 Chinese colleges and universities. The resort launched its Talent Class program at 14 institutions in 2016, combining industry-specific coursework with internship experiences. Nearly 50% of these interns have transitioned into full-time positions at the resort. Moreover, the resort's annual Disney Imaginations Shanghai Design Competition, established in 2018, cultivates creative talent among students across diverse academic disciplines, expanding their career prospects in culture and tourism.