The inaugural HKU Business School Alumni Homecoming Weekend has marked an exhilarating start to 2024! Thank you to the 1,500 alumni who joined us from March 15 to 17 for this unforgettable series of events, filled with learning, networking, and reminiscing.
Day 1 – March 15, we kicked off the weekend with a nostalgic Campus Tour at HKU, followed by an enlightening Luncheon Talk by Prof. Michael B. Wong on Hong Kong’s housing market. We also had an amazing time taking 100 alumni on a Company Visit to Cathay Pacific Airways, where they had the rare opportunity to sit in a flight simulator. Additionally, our visit to Lee Kum Kee Company Limited was an incredible experience that highlighted the importance of family cooperation. We want to express our sincere gratitude to both companies for their flawless organization and warm hospitality.
Day 2 – March 16 featured a captivating Distinguished Lecture by Mr. Algernon Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development on Hong Kong’s vision for sustainable economic growth. The day concluded with our dazzling HKU Business School Alumni Gala Dinner, where friendships were rekindled and memories were made.
On Day 3 – March 17, we celebrated sports and business synergy at our Sports and Business Forum, featuring three of Hong Kong’s most famous athletic heroes (including our very own celebrity alumnus, Alex Fong!), three iconic global sporting brands, our elite sports scholars who competed in the Hangzhou Asian Games, and a star Silicon Valley alumnus entrepreneur.
A heartfelt thank you to all our alumni for making this homecoming weekend a roaring success! We hope you left with new insights, valuable connections, and fond memories of your time at HKU Business School. Stay connected and see you at future alumni events!
We are delighted to announce the successful conclusion of the HKU-Accenture Business Consulting Programme (BCP) 2023-24, held on February 24, 2024. This year marked the sixth edition of the programme, which aims to equip students with industry knowledge, exposure, and essential skills for the business consulting field, allowing them to apply their university education in practical scenarios.
After a rigorous selection process from a pool of hundreds of applicants, 30 students from HKU Business School were selected and divided into six teams of five to participate in 4 master class lectures curated by Accenture Managing Directors, covering a range of topics such as Introduction to Consulting, Design Thinking, Storyboarding & Executive Presentation, and Next Gen Technology. Accenture Managers also provided coaching sessions to help students reinforce their learning. The programme focused on developing core consulting skills and culminated in a case competition, where students could apply their newly acquired knowledge in a simulated business environment and compete for the Championship and Best Presenter Award.
Mr. Elvis Kwong, Team Leader of the Champion Team, a year-4 BBA(Acc&Fin) programme student, expressed his appreciation for the programme, stating, “throughout the programme, I learnt to solve real-life problems by adopting design thinking and identified underlying business problems by using MECE framework. Additionally, I honed my ability to construct compelling storylines that effectively communicate with the audience. Our team also had the chance to network with the professionals and received constructive feedback after the final pitch. I highly recommend those who want to enter the consulting industry to join this programme.”
The Best Presenter, Ms. Angela Leung, who is a year-3 BBA programme student, added that “it has been an incredible experience for me. The programme has not only equipped me with valuable skills like design thinking and storytelling but also provided me with the opportunity to receive mentorship from my incredible mentor. Her guidance and expertise have inspired me greatly in generating innovative business strategies. Moreover, I feel extremely fortunate to have collaborated with my teammates. The synergy and camaraderie within our team have been instrumental in our success. I am grateful for this opportunity to learn, grow, and build lasting connections through the HKU-Accenture BCP.”
The key to success for this programme is HKU’s long-standing partnership with Accenture, who brings in not only industry-proven consulting expertise but also dedicated consulting professionals who commit to the University’s and Business School’s shared goal of nurturing future business talents. The University looks forward to a continuous collaboration with Accenture in the years to come. Congratulations to all the participants of the HKU-Accenture Business Consulting Programme 2023-24!
Champion Team – Agile Mind:
Mr. Elvis Kwong (Team Leader – 1st from the right)
Ms. Such Kaur (1st from the left)
Mr. Samhith Vaidya (2nd from the left)
Mr. Bob Li (3rd from the left)
Ms. Stephanie Leung (2nd from the right)
Case Presentation by The Champion Team
Ms. Christina Wong, Accenture Managing Director (2nd from the left) and Mr. Jeff Chiu, Accenture Coach (3rd from the left) with the Champion Team
Mr. Luca Fong, Accenture Managing Director (left), Mr. Milton Fung, Accenture Strategy Senior Manager (right), with Ms. Angela Leung (middle), The Best Presenter of the Case Competition
The Case Competition Judging Panel, Prof. Olivia Leung (1st from the right) and Prof. Winnie Leung (2nd from the right) from HKU Business School, and Ms. Christina Wong (3rd from the right), Mr. Luca Fong (2nd from the left) and Mr. Milton Fung (1st from the left) from Accenture, with the Champion Team and Best Presenter.
Everyone gave a “thumbs-up” during the Lunch Celebration
The Debriefing Session with Accenture judges and coaches after the Closing Ceremony
Two current Undergraduate Students, Mr. Christopher Lee [Year 4 – BBA(IS)], and Mr. Leslie Li [(Year 4 BFin(AMPB)] have been nominated by the Faculty as student representatives for attending the Cultivating Authentic Leadership Beta Gamma Sigma Conference in Washington, D.C. from 8-10 February 2024.
The 2024 Cultivating Authentic Leadership Conference boasts a comprehensive program comprising keynote sessions, workshops, panel discussions, and other engaging activities carefully curated to facilitate an in-depth exploration of the realm of Authentic Leadership for all student representatives. Additionally, the conference provides invaluable networking opportunities, enabling BGS members to connect with accomplished leaders and fellow members from across the globe. Below are the appreciation testimonials from Christopher and Leslie, highlighting the valuable insights and takeaways they gained from their participation in this transformative conference.
“Networking is the biggest takeaway of the conference. Christopher said, “Interacting with students from different universities provided a unique perspective on global leadership challenges. There were even students coming from Australia and Nigeria. These connections extend beyond mere acquaintanceship, holding the promise of future collaborations and partnerships within the Beta Gamma Sigma community.”
Mr. Christopher Lee | BBA(IS) Year 4, Academic Year 2023-24
“The panel discussions provided real-world examples of how fellow members from various fields leveraged their Beta Gamma Sigma membership to drive authentic leadership in their career paths. From social entrepreneurship to crisis leadership, the panellists shared practical insights and actionable takeaways, inspiring me to harness the resources and opportunities Beta Gamma Sigma offers in my professional journey.”
Mr. Leslie Li | BFin(AMPB) Year 4 , Academic Year 2023-24
Beta Gamma Sigma is The International Business Honor Society recognising and honouring top performing students from around the world in business schools accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). The Beta Gamma Sigma HKU Chapter was established in 2012.
Members of Beta Gamma Sigma are the top 10% of undergraduate students, top 20% of graduate students and all doctoral candidates that have successfully defended their dissertation at an AACSB accredited business school. Besides giving recognitions to outstanding students, Beta Gamma Sigma also awards business verterans with exceptional leadership as Chapter Honorees in the annual Induction Ceremony.
Since its founding in 1913, Beta Gamma Sigma has inducted more than 900,000 outstanding students into membership worldwide. With more than 600 collegiate chapters and lifetime members from over 190 countries, Beta Gamma Sigma is truly a global network.
The China Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao Digital Economy Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition 2024 was hosted by the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC) and HKU SAAS Data Science Lab, and organized by International Association of Business Management Simulation. The Competition aimed to promote informatization and advance the modernization of economic and trade practices, and served as a platform for students to demonstrate their talents and engage in exchange activities.
Students were required to submit a business plan and prepare related PowerPoints for a road show. On January 20, 2024, 10 finalist teams from 8 universities in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao competed. The HKU team was awarded the 2nd Runner-up!
https://bit.ly/4c3H7Wc (Traditional Chinese Version only)
Award: 2nd Runner Up
Team Name: The first emperor has never been in the middle of a collapse group (先帝創業從未中道崩組)
Team Members:
Ms. Wen Cuiyi, BEcon&Fin, Year 1 (Team Leader)
Ms. Li Yihan, BBA(ADA), Year 1
Ms. Xi Chang, BBA, Year 1
(The team comprises 1 other team member from other Faculty of The University of Hong Kong)
Students Sharing :
“We are so proud and excited to receive such an amazing award in Year 1 at HKU Business School! During the competition, what touched me most was the unconditional trust, the successful cooperation, and full devotion among the four members of the team. We fully respect each other’s ideas, which further brought out more brilliant ideas and innovations about our product. As the team leader, the competition also taught me that being a leader not only means leading and instructing but is also about responsibilities, devotion, and strength. It is so lucky of me to meet such an amazing group and have such a brilliant experience! I sincerely believe we all gained and growth a lot from this competition.”
(By Wen Cuiyi)
“I am feeling so happy and proud of my amazing group mates for the award! This is actually our first time to stand on a competition stage and deliver a speech of our own business idea. I learnt how to write a business plan and apply digital economy to address the market needs. We have done extensive market research in the beginning stages and polished our project continually. It was much appreciated that the judges provided useful advice on our idea, which highly motivated us to carve out a business and dig deeper into the industry. Last but not least, I am deeply grateful to HKUBS for providing us all the information related to business competition, which helps us gaining out of classroom experience and be better prepared for our future careers.”
(By Li Yihan)
“My friends and I are all interested in business. Hence, we decided to sign up for this exciting business competition once received the promotional email from HKU Business School. Due to our lack of experience, we encountered many difficulties in preparing for the competition, such as estimating costs and financing with only one design proposal. To overcame the challenges, we tried to reach out and visited many companies in the upstream and downstream sectors, and conducted extensive market research. Ultimately, we completed the competition and achieved satisfactory results. This experience also sparked my interest in researching how to advance and implement our proposal. I want to thank my amazing teammates and the University! I will continue to work hard and strive for excellence!”
The Investing in the Future University Competition 2023 by Pictet Asset Management provided an opportunity for students from universities in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan to act as investment managers in Pictet Asset Management’s thematic equities team and to identify a company with attractive growth prospects that offers products and/or services tackling the world’s pressing environmental issues.
The competition consisted of two stages. Students were required to submit a concise proposal which was evaluated by the screening panel, composed of sustainability and investment experts from Pictet Asset Management and the International Chamber of Sustainable Development (ICSD). The finalists were shortlisted to present their ideas to a panel of judges, composed of top-tier industry experts, who evaluated the pitches and determined the ultimate winners of the competition.
Out of around 800 talented participants representing 21 universities across Hong Kong SAR, Mainland China, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, HKU team was awarded the 2nd Runner-up!
“Participating in the competition was a fun and unique experience. Throughout this competition, I was able to hone my research skills and, at the same time, gain practical knowledge in the thematic investment field. I also seized this precious opportunity to learn from the professional judges and the teams from all around Asia.
Last but not least, I would like to thank my teammates Huey and Kelvin for their immense effort and unconditional support. We would not have gone this far without them. I would also like to express my gratitude to mentors and organisers from Pictet Asset Management for their guidance and continued support in the training and feedback sessions.”
(By Chung Muk Yan (Adrian))
“Winning the competition has been an incredible experience for me. From the initial information session to the enlightening sessions with professionals from Pictet and HKUST, I have gained a deep understanding of ESG investing, focusing on a micro-level that centers on individual companies. Not to mention, it was a bliss to compete with teams from Singapore and Mainland China in the finals. I truly enjoy exchanging insights and learning from each other’s unique perspectives. Last but not least, I must thank my dedicated teammates who worked tirelessly throughout this competition.”
(By Lee Hiu Yee (Huey))
“Engaging in the competition was a significant milestone in my journey. From the comprehensive analysis of individual equity in the initial round to the final presentation in the final round, I have developed a profound comprehension of how ESG factors affect investment decisions. Collaborating with professionals from Pictet Asset Management and HKUST enriched my knowledge in thematic investment and ESG investing. Additionally, participating in an international competition with teams from Singapore and China provides a valuable opportunity to broaden my horizons. Lastly, I am immensely grateful to my teammates for their incredible efforts and hard work throughout the competition.”
Congratulations to Prof. Yang You, Assistant Professor in Finance, for winning the 2023 Research Output Prize for the paper “Redeemable platform currencies” published in The Review of Economic Studies.
The paper shows that token issuers who provide redemption services have a natural tendency to limit token tradability. The private token issuers tend to implement price discrimination by limiting token exchanges among token holders and customizing token issuance policy by tracing users’ redemption data. Our paper suggest s regulations on platform token mechanism design and limiting data users’ transaction history data. Prof. Yang You contribute s to the theoretic al framework of platform tokens.
Research Output Prize is to identify and recognize the best research outputs in different Faculties. While other awards under the Outstanding Researcher Awards scheme assess the research achievements of individual scholars accumulated over a relatively long period (usually more than five years), the Research Output Prize accords recognition to and honours the author (or a team of authors) of a single item of research output published or created in the preceding calendar year. The emphasis of the Prize is therefore on an outstanding output item rather than on an individual researcher’s track record.
Congratulations to Professor Zhiwu Chen, Chair Professor of Finance, Cheng Yu-Tung Professor in Finance, Director of Centre for Quantitative History and Director of Hong Kong Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, is awarded “Economist of the Year 2023” by South Reviews Magazine, a leading politics and economics magazine in China.
The ACCA Hong Kong Business Competition 2023 provided an opportunity for students to demonstrate their business analysis and problem-solving skills by assuming the role of business consultants for start-up companies – Filix Medtech, MakeOmnia, and R2C2 from Cyberport Hong Kong with a focus on sustainable solutions.
The theme for this year’s competition is “Be you. Be part of future unicorn.” Over 250 students were presented with real-life business cases and challenged to provide strategic recommendations using their accounting and business knowledge to address the challenges faced by the start-ups. An online briefing session was held to support students to gain a deeper understanding of the operations of the selected start-up companies.
Students were required to submit proposals outlining innovative solutions on a randomly assigned business cases. Top 9 teams were shortlisted to join a professional workshop and coach meeting supported by ACCA-qualified professionals before presenting their proposals at the final competition. Three winners were selected from the finalists of each stream, and the three stream winners then competed for the grand champion.
3 teams of HKU students won 4 awards including Outstanding Team Award for start-up Filix Medtech, Merit Team Awards for start-up MakeOmnia and the Team Excellence Award.
Outstanding Team for start-up Filix Medtech (First in Stream Filix Medtech)
Team Excellence Award
Team Name: exCEL
Awardees:
Ms. Lam Tsz Yan, BBA(Acc&Fin), Year 3
Ms. Wu Hong Ni, BBA(Law)&LLB, Year 3
(The team comprises 1 other team member from other Faculty of The University of Hong Kong)
Award(s):
Merit Award for start-up MakeOmnia
Team Name: Polygon
Awardees:
Ms. To Shu Kiu, BBA(Acc&Fin), Year 3
(The team comprises 2 other team members from other Faculty of The University of Hong Kong)
Award(s):
Merit Award for start-up MakeOmnia
Team Name: Planify Consulting
Awardees:
Mr. Kwan Chun Ho Owen, BSc(QFin), Year 4
Mr. Li Yi Sen, BBA(BA), Year 2
Ms. Fong Kwai Yi, BEcon&Fin, Year 3
(The team comprises 1 other team member from other Faculty of The University of Hong Kong)
Students Sharing from Outstanding Team for start-up Filix Medtech:
“Joining the ACCA Business Case Competition was a game-changer for me. My teammates, Connie, Iris and I had to work on a B2B2C strategy for Agarwood products for a trailblazing start-up, Filix Medtech, which made us think hard and get smart about the business world.
We had to dig into market research, check out what the company was doing, and get creative with our solutions. This made us better at understanding how businesses work. We also got a real feel for what customers want, how to get products to them, and the return of the whole project to our investors.
Working together as a team helped us get better at working with others and sharing our ideas clearly. The competition atmosphere was exciting, too! I also got to meet experts and participants from other universities. This has grown our network and could lead to cool opportunities in the future.
Overall, this competition was so much more than just trying to win. It gave us new skills, a lot of confidence, and a real respect for how complex business can be. Getting to put what I have learned in school into action was an awesome part of my learning journey.”
(By Lam Tsz Yan, Emily)
“Joining the competition with my friends, Iris and Emily, fulfilled my university life and empowered me to be more prepared for the challenges in my future career. The competition not only provides a platform for us to showcase skills and knowledge but also allows us to contribute to the advancement of sustainable business practices.
The process of the whole competition is tough but rewarding. We dedicated countless hours to setting strategy and fine-tuning our presentation. Through numerous practice sessions, we honed our public speaking skills, and our confidence grew. Our team devoted significant time and effort to improve our performance, like our team name, “exCEL”. The final pitching session gave us a great sense of satisfaction and encouraged us to keep fighting.
This once-in-a-lifetime case competition experience taught me invaluable lessons that extend beyond the realm of academia. I learned the importance of teamwork and effective communication. The experience also highlighted the significance of thorough research, innovative thinking, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. It instilled in me a sense of confidence and reinforced my belief that with dedication and perseverance, any challenge can be overcome.
The honour is truly meaningful to our team and I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my teammates, our mentor Miss Rebecca Fox from Alipay HK, and the organiser ACCA.”
