We are delighted to provide you with a recap of our recent online workshop series on “Case Solving,” conducted by case expert Zsolt Ábrahám.
The workshop series consisted of three sessions, which aimed to equip participants with the concepts and tools necessary to excel in case and problem-solving, in addition to other skills relevant to business competitions.
The first session, “Option Tree & the Case Solving Process,” held on January 19th, provided insights into how to set up an option tree – a common tool used in business – and how to analyze the case-solving process effectively.
The second session, “Analysis and Strategy Building for Cases,” held on January 26th, focused on the various tools and techniques used in analyzing business cases. Zsolt shared his experience and insights on how to develop a winning strategy for a case, including understanding key performance indicators (KPIs) and how to work with them.
The final session, “Storylining & Case Presentation,” held on February 2nd, taught attendees about the importance of storytelling and how to use it in business competitions. Zsolt shared his experience on how to create a compelling story through storylining techniques and deliver effective presentations during case competitions.
The HKU Business School MBA programme successfully hosted the annual HR Leaders Forum 2023 on 20 February at the Park Lane Hotel in Causeway Bay. Around 100 participants joined the event, which offered a valuable opportunity for the MBA programme to strengthen partnerships with stakeholders and corporate partners in the field of HR. Featuring speeches and panel discussions by leading academics from the Business School and pioneering professionals with participation from MBA students, the event provided a platform for the HR community in Hong Kong to share best practices and explore the future direction of the field.
Prof Jin Li kicked off the forum with his keynote speech on talent attraction strategies. Drawing from his research, Prof Li explained how companies can adapt various strategies, such as de-labelling and offering customised packages, to gain competitive advantage in the labour market.
Moderated by Dr Bonnie Cheng, the first panel of discussion of the event focused on employee engagement and retention in the post-COVID world. Featuring four HR professionals from diverse industries – Bella Chan, HR Director (Central Asia Pacific) at Lenovo; Betty Lam, Head of HR at DBS Bank (HK); Donna Kirmani, Chief HR Officer at Manulife Hong Kong & Macau; and Kerry Rooks, Group Chief People Officer at HKEX, the discussion explored in depth how companies can balance the interests of employees and other stakeholders in a world where hybrid and remote work are becoming the norm.
Drawing from his years of experience in management, Gordon Watson, CEO of AXA Asia & Africa, delivered a fascinating keynote speech on diversity and inclusion. Combining lessons, he learnt from his personal and professional life with the latest research in D&I and mental health, Gordon offered a broad range of insights on building trust and exemplary leadership, giving the audience a better understanding of one of the trending topics in HR.
The event ended with a panel discussion on transformations in the field of HR. Moderated by Prof Yuk-fai Fong, the three panellists – Jacqueline Chong, Senior BDM, Digital innovation at AWS; Michael Cheng, HR Consulting Partner at PwC; and Florence Wong, Head of HR (Hong Kong, Macau, Japan) and Co-head of HR (GBA) at Standard Chartered Hong Kong – engaged in an in-depth discussion on the role of HR in adding value to businesses as well as future technological trends.
Aside from learning from experienced HR professionals, the Forum also offered an opportunity for practitioners and students to network and connect. The HKU Business School would like to extend its thanks to all the speakers and participants for making the event a great success.
A ceremony was held on January 10, 2023 at HKU iCube to mark the inauguration of the HKU-Accenture Business Consulting Programme 2022-23 – an experiential learning opportunity that allows students from HKU Business School to gain industry knowledge and exposure to business consulting. This year, 30 undergraduate students were selected to join this two-month programme.
Professor Ian HOLLIDAY, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) of HKU delivered the opening remarks. He expressed that the programme feedback from past participants was highly positive since its launch in 2016. ““We are extremely grateful to Accenture for pulling a lot of resources to the Programme and providing opportunities for our students to learn from industry experts.” Ms. Christina WONG, Managing Director, Strategy & Consulting, Greater China, emphasised how students could benefit from this Programme and get prepared for their future careers. Students would be equipped with the essential knowledge and skills in business consulting, with the most up-to-date strategies and topics, including design thinking methodology. “I am sure students will be able to learn necessary skill sets to cop with the challenges in the market, and set the right mindsets with innovation and creativity in order to contribute back to the society!”
Preded to the inauguration ceremony, the 2020-21 Awardees shared their experience with student participants and advised them to treasure this valuable learning experience.
Professor Hongbin Cai, Professor Ian Holliday and Ms. Christina Wong inaugurating the Programme
Professor Hongbin Cai, Professor Ian Holliday and Ms. Christina Wong inaugurated the Programme
Student sharing by Mr. Jiang Zhikun, Alan (2020-21 Awardee), Mr. Sheung Chi Long, Sunny (2020-21 Awardee), Mr. Leung Ethan Ting Cheung, Ethan (2022-23 participant) and Mr. Bajaj Rohan (2022-23 participant)
Ice-breaking session with senior consulting professionals of Accenture
FBE Student Contribution and Innovation Award aims to recognise and reward HKU Business School undergraduate students who have demonstrated contribution and innovation to the School, University and the wider community through their leadership and/or entrepreneurship; and to promote experiential learning through students’ participation in extra-curricular activities, involvement in community service and student leadership.
“I feel incredibly proud and honoured to be an awardee of the FBE Student Innovation and Contribution Award. I am very grateful for the tremendous and relentless support given to student societies like Business Association by the HKU Business School. This award reflects the recognition given by the School to the importance of extra-curricular learning and personal development. The award will certainly motivate me to continue contributing to the School, the University and the broader community by taking up more leadership roles in various organisations and exploring new perspectives on issues around us. As a student double majoring in International Business and Global Management and Politics and Public Administration, it is exciting for me to find opportunities in which innovative business ideas could be used to bring forth greater public good.”
– Chu Kin Hei, BBA(IBGM)
“It is my great pleasure to be one of the awardees. Being a student entrepreneur for more than two years, I have benefited from support from great government organizations, professors, and talented peers. I am confident that Hong Kong is one of the greatest places to start a business in the world. My startup Metalympics has made several meaningful contributions to the local society with practical education. And my vision in education never stops there. In order for Hong Kong to shine in the coming decades, we need to nurture great talents with new technologies and mindsets. Entrepreneurship is the word that excites me. As I dream of making the next unicorn business, I would love to become a role model and share my experiences and advice for the younger generations to start exciting and meaningful startup businesses. I deeply appreciate my family and my role model Yat Siu for their great inspiration and support.”
– Lee Christopher, BBA(IS)
“It is an honour to be awarded for the work I have put into giving back to society these few years. While the award may be on a personal note, the recognition won’t be just for me. I have my team to thank as they were the ones who believed in what I wanted to create for society – a place where values can be shared and a future worth fighting for.
I hope to continue my work in pro-bono student consultancy and shed light on societal issues in Hong Kong by cultivating more opportunities for HKU students to create social impact. It’s these times when we truly understand the meaning of what we do and I am certain I want to be part of this journey with our students for as long as I can.”
– Look See Yui, BBA(Law)&LLB
“I am thrilled and honored to have been selected as one of the awardees for the FBE Student Contribution and Innovation Award at HKU. It is a great recognition of my efforts and I am grateful for the opportunity to be acknowledged for the work that I have done.
In the future, I would like to continue making contributions to the field of Web 3.0, particularly in the context of Hong Kong. I believe that this technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with the internet and I am excited about the possibilities that it holds for improving communication, access to information, and overall connectivity.
I see a lot of potential in Hong Kong as a hub for Web 3.0 and I believe that we can make a difference in the development and growth of this technology.”
– Ng Chi Ting, BBA
“I am tremendously pleased to be selected to receive this award. The award serves as a meaningful recognition for my past contribution to the wider community with different leadership and entrepreneurial determination. I would also like to express my deepest gratitude for HKU Business School in encouraging me to explore various fields of knowledge, skills and cultures through diverse enrichment experiences during my college years, which inspires me to constantly improve myself and embark on my own initiation in creating social impacts focusing on youth.
I plan on using the offered scholarship to capture the learning opportunities that HKU Business School has offered, from international cultural enrichment to out-of-classroom courses. Heading towards the end of my undergrad degree, I would continue my determination in supporting youth development and do my best to embody the ideals that this award represents as I take the next step toward a brighter future.”
The inaugural edition of our brand new “Global Reunion Series” Alumni Dinner Talk was successfully held on January 12! Hosted by HKU Business School and co-hosted by HKU Business School Alumni Association and Yale Club of Hong Kong, a full house of about 100 of our own amazing alumni and alumni from Yale University came out to mingle, reconnect, and hear HKU’s very own Professor Zhiwu Chen to share his sharp insights on US-China relations and the state of the global economy.
Echoing the theme of “Global Reunion”, the dinner talk came on the heels of the reopening of the Hong Kong-Mainland China border, as well as the resumption of quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong and the world since the start of the pandemic. We look forward to bringing our valued alumni even more of these exciting events in 2023!
Let’s revisit some of the memorable moments on the event.
Professor Zhiwu Chen’s book The Logic of Civilization has been listed as one of the five “FTChinese-Oliver Wyman Business Books of the Year 2022”, a recognition of the most influential publication in economics and finance.
Prof. Chen introduces in his book four major approaches to cope with risks over human history, helping us rise to today’s geopolitical challenges. Prof. Chen believes that over the long journey of civilization, human will move towards globalisation and embrace a brighter future.
The International Forum on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development was successfully held online on December 15, 2022. Organised by HKU Business School and The National Revitalization Administration, the Forum gathered speakers from around the world, offering international visions on poverty reduction and highlighting the significance of youth development, industry innovation and cross-region alliances.
HKU Business School organises conferences and forums to promote knowledge exchange and encourage academic and public discussion on critical global issues. We will continue to create positive change in the world by partnering with communities.
On December 7, 2022, the Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) announced the recipients of the University’s Teaching Excellence Awards (TEAS) 2022. Mr. David Bishop in the Faculty of Business and Economics received the University Distinguished Teaching Award.
The TEAS aims to recognise, reward and promote excellence in teaching at the University. The Selection Panel was deeply impressed with the awardees’ dedication to teaching, their tireless and creative efforts to make learning enjoyable and challenging, and the impact they have made on student learning.
Mr. Bishop adopts a multicultural approach to teaching and strives to find better ways of reaching students and develop them into more confident leaders. Mr. Bishop has also been proactively developing courses at different levels, including Massive Open Online Courses relating to FinTech and ESG.
Dr. Chicheng Ma of HKU Business School (the School) has recently won the prestigious Arthur H. Cole Prize of the Economic History Association for his paper “Knowledge Diffusion and Intellectual Change: When Chinese Literati Met European Jesuits” published in The Journal of Economic History (JEH). The prize was awarded at the annual meeting of the Economic History Association, held in La Crosse, Wisconsin, September 16-18, 2022.
The award-winning paper uses the cliometrics approach to examine the impact of European science brought by the Jesuits on Chinese scientific production during the Ming and Qing dynasties, illuminating how the openness of knowledge exchange affected intellectual change. Drawing upon the biographies of Jesuit missionaries in China collected between 1580 and 1800, Dr. Chicheng Ma constructed a geographical distribution of Jesuit missionaries and their scientists in China and compiled statistics on the number of scientific works written by Chinese scholars in each prefecture based on the literature on the history of Chinese science. Econometric analyses indicate that the Jesuits’ diffusion of European sciences significantly stimulated Chinese scholars’ scientific research, especially in regions where there were more Jesuit scientists. This is mainly because Chinese literati benefited from the communication and collaboration with Jesuit scientists, adopting European methods to revisit Chinese mathematics and astronomy, correct the calendar, and develop cartography. However, after the Qing court began expelling the Jesuits in 1722, the intellectual contact between China and the West was interrupted and the number of Chinese scientific works declined significantly.
Dr. Chicheng Ma’s finding questions the conventional view that attributes China’s scientific stagnation (The Needham Puzzle) to Confucian literati’s lack of interest in science or Western learning. Instead, the stagnation is more likely to be related to the empire’s autarkic principle. A broader contribution of this lies in providing fresh historical evidence on the importance of openness to knowledge diffusion in knowledge production. The two corresponding quasi-natural experiments upon the Jesuit arrival and retreat enable this study to identify the causal impact of knowledge diffusion on knowledge production.
About the Arthur H. Cole Prize The Arthur H. Cole Prize is awarded annually by the Economic History Association for the best article published in The Journal of Economic History in the previous year. Previous award-winning papers can be found at https://eh.net/eha/prizes/economic-history-association-prizes-and-awards/
About the Arthur H. Cole Prize awardee Chicheng Ma Dr. Chicheng Ma is currently an assistant professor of economics at the HKU Business School. His primary research areas are in development economics and economic history, with a special focus on the roles of historical culture, human capital, and institutions in long-run development. Last year, with Professor James K. S. Kung (HKU Business School) and Dr. Ting Chen (HKBU), Dr. Chicheng Ma won the Royal Economic Society Prize for the best article published in The Economic Journal in 2020. Their paper, “Long Live Keju! The Persistent Effects of China’s Civil Examination System”, examines the long-term consequences of China’s millennium-long civil examination system for human capital outcomes. In 2022, the HKU-led quantitative history research team was awarded a major grant under the UGC’s Areas of Excellence Scheme (AoE). Dr. Chicheng Ma is a Co-Principal Investigator of this team.
In 2022, Optimas Capital and HKU Business School established a Scholarship Award for Vietnamese students, with up to 10 full scholarships per year. The Scholarship aims to support high calibre students from Vietnam to enroll in full-time Master Degree programmes at HKU Business School. Optimas Scholarship awardees will receive continual professional, financial and research development support throughout their Master’s Degree programmes and after graduation.
Individuals who hold a Vietnamese passport or have completed their undergraduate degree in Vietnam are eligible to apply. Candidates will be evaluated based on their academic merit, interview performance, and professional track record (if applicable).
Interested person please contact The Representative Office of The University of Hong Kong in Vietnam via info@hku-vn.org or visit here for more information.
