Shanghai Jiao Tong University, one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions in Asia, has introduced China’s first curriculum specifically created for students to specialise in the field of theme park management.

Dennis Speigel, President of International Theme Park Services (ITPS), a Cincinnati, Ohio-based consulting company, recently returned from Shanghai where he was the keynote speaker at the inauguration of the university’s new theme park institute.

Speigel delivered an address that focused on the global theme park industry and its impact on China. His address covered the industry’s growth through the decades, his expectation of where the industry is heading and how China’s theme park industry has played an integral part throughout each decade.

Speigel said: “China is the most exciting spot on the planet – a place where more than 60 theme parks are in the planning and construction stages all over the country. Not since the 1980s have we seen such proliferation of theme parks in one country.”

With such incredible growth in China, Speigel said it was fitting that Shanghai Jiao Tong University has taken this major step in establishing a programme and a curriculum for individuals interested in studying and properly learning theme park management.