Events

Date: Thursday, 11 November 2021
Time: 12:30 – 2:00 pm (HKT/GMT+8)
Format: Online via Zoom
Language: English
Enquiries: fbecomm@hku.hk
Fee: HKGCC member HKD $100 /non-member HKD$200 / HKU students, staff and alumni Free of charge
Registration Deadline: 9 November, 2021 10:00am

Emerged in the era where the Hong Kong economy took flight, the term “Lion Rock spirit” has become the dogma among generations of Hongkongers, that quality of life and social mobility could be achieved through grit and perseverance. But as years gone by, the momentum of Hong Kong’s economic growth is slowly losing its velocity. Opportunities for young people to climb the social ladder decreases, and the pandemic has affected the livelihood of the grassroots. Low interest rates and excessive liquidity in the market has skyrocketed asset price, widening the wealth gap to an unimaginable level. How can we create a silver lining for the future of Hong Kong?

Interested HKU students, staff and alumni, can join us on November 11, the final and last session of this online webinar series hosted by HKU Business School and HKGCC. The final session will be chaired by Professor Richard Wong, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong and Ms. Shalini Mahtani, Founder & CEO of The Zubin Foundation and Community Business. They will share their thoughts on social inequality and mobility in Hong Kong. They will also discuss how the housing shortage problem in Hong Kong has complicated the issue. Special thanks to Mr. Tony Miller, Chairman of the Chamber’s Economic Policy Committee, for moderating this webinar series from July to November.

Speakers’ bios

Professor Y.C. Richard Wong is the founding dean of HKU Business School, and the founders of the Hong Kong Centre for Economic Research and the Hong Kong Institute of Economics and Business Strategy. Over the years, Professor Wong has been actively contributing his economic wisdom to propel the economic development of Hong Kong. He had served on a number of public bodies. To name a few: Exchange Fund Advisory Committee, the Housing Authority, the University Grants Committee, the Central Policy Unit, and Chief Executive’s Commission on Innovation and Technology, etc.

Ms. Shalini Mahtani is the founder of The Zubin Foundation, a charity named after and created in memoriam for her deceased first-born. The Foundation works to improve the lives of Hong Kong’s marginalised groups, including ethnic minorities, women in crisis, and children with special educational needs, by providing them with aid and development opportunities to recover and soar high. The charity’s zeal and dedication in providing salvation to the needy are recognised by the society. As such, Ms. Mahtani is invited to serve on the boards of a few advisory bodies, statutory organisations, and local NGOs. Ms. Mahtani is also the founder and the first Chief Executive Officer of Community Business, the first organisation in Asia that works with global companies on inclusive workplaces.