Phoenix, 2005 Summer

Abstract

HKUST Business School Phoenix HKUST MBA Alumni Newsletter 2005 Summer

Prof. Larry Franklin Prof. Vodhan Goyal Prof. Albert Ha Prof. Gary Biddle

Contents 03 Message from the Editor 04 Cover Story Faculty Pride 10 In Focus Crest of a Wave for MBA Dragon Boaters 12. EMBA in the Spotlight The All-New Persuaders 16 Campus Link Behind the Scenes at Admissions MBA Alumni Advisory Board MBA Alumni Forum 2005 - China Series 21 Alumni Corner Angela Chow: Life In Switzerland Dean Missikowski: Ich bin ein Bejinger (I am a Bejinger) 25 MBAAA News MBA Mini-Olympics 2005 innovative Library Service

Message from the Editor

When you can apply the theories you learned on the HKUST MBA or EMBA program in your daily life and work, that’s when you most appreciate the faculty who taught you. In this issue of Phoenix, we talk to four award- winning professors who will be familiar to many of you - Prof. Gary Biddle, Prof. Larry Franklin, Prof. Vidhan Goyal and Prof. Albert Ha. We find out what inspires them and how their teaching has won the hearts and minds of students not only at HKUST but other leading business schools around the world as well. Most Phoenix readers have been through the MBA admissions process, but do you know what turns an applicant into an actual student? In the ‘Campus Link’ section, Phoenix meets MBA Program Director Dr. Steve DeKrey to discover more about HKUST Business School’s enterprising outlook on student selection. You may be a high-flyer in your career yet still find the HKUST EMBA a major turning point, as illustrated by our story on communications specialists Charles Brian-Boys, the man behind the financial Times banner advertisement on the IFC tower, and Mike Wong, the ex-Chairman of HK4As. Classmates in KH05 and both previously senior executives In major marketing and advertising agencies, they have now become partners at a dynamic marketing management firm which is re-energizing the field. Learn more about their view of the future in ‘EMBA in the Spotlight’. The MBA Alumni Development Office has also been busy innovating to build stronger alumni links. The MBA Alumna Advisory Board has been formed, enabling alumni input into MBA program development. In addition, the new MBA Alumni Forum links faculty, alumni and students through a series of discussions on current issues. Meanwhile remember to join the MBA Mini-Olympics on September 17 and be prepared to flex your muscles! Finally, a word about our new-look Phoenix. It has been redesigned to give you a clearer, sharper view of the people we feature and their stories. Tell us how you like it, along with any other ideas for your magazine. Your suggestions are always welcome. Kitty Chong (PT03) Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief : Kitty Chong (PT03) Contributing Editor : Sally Course Associate Editor : Fiona Tse Artwork 81 Design : Bigzip Design Please submit letters, stories or photos to mbaalunQust.hk To update your correspondence address, please login at www.mbaaa.com 03 Cover Story Faculty Pride They shared their knowledge, passed on experiences, made classes fun, and helped you to achieve your goals. But what makes HKUST business School teachers tick? Phoenix meets four, prize-winning professors to find out their formulas for success Whether you attended the MBA, EMBA or IEMBA, everyone who has been to HKUST Business School has stories and anecdotes about the courses they took and the professors who taught them. Equally, each faculty member has an individual tale to tell of what inspires their teaching and how their work has evolved. What does it take to teach at HKUST Business School? The School employs both world-class academics and highly experienced practitioners providing students with an all- round view of the latest thinking, current practice and future developments. At HKUST Business School, research is important, teaching is important, and with 140 faculty members - a size comparable with top global business schools - it can realize good synergies between both. At smaller schools, teachers may have to prepare for a spread of courses. At HKUST, numbers allow faculty to specialize in their teaching. The School’s world-class research complements this. The School actively assists faculty to be effective teachers. One initiative brings outside experts to help develop teaching skills. There is a mentoring scheme for junior faculty. Another major encouragement is the Franklin Prize to recognize and inspire successful teaching. As Dean KC Chan said: “Different instructors can have different styles but be equally effective. ” Professor Gary Biddle Head, Dept of Accounting, Associate Dean Subjects Taught Managerial Accounting foundations (MBA); Financial Reporting Systems (EMBA); Accounting Foundations (IEMBA) Awards: Kellogg-HKUST Top Faculty of the Year (2002, 2005), IEMBA Professor of the Year (2003, 2005, plus 12 Conditional teaching awards Prof. Gary Biddle is always on the move as a world map on his office wall filled with pins attests. This year alone the active professor has traveled to China, the US, Egypt, Australia, and most recently Russia, where he, his wife and two daughters traversed Russia on the Trans- Siberian railroad. He also is on the move when teaching, always seeking new and interesting insights with which to enthrall his students. Accounting boring? “‘No way! ‘: as student,$ in his classes know when Prof. Biddle is on stage.’ His enthusiasm for his subject and inspiring classroom delivery make accounting exciting and even fun, as a shelf full of accolades prove. This year alone, he has won Professor of the Year honors for both EMBA programs at HKUST, beating out the best in the world. But while ‘The Prof. Biddle Show’ is fun to behold, what lies behind the scenes is constant endeavor. “You don’t walk in as a rookie instructor and win awards from EMBA students,” said Prof Biddle, who has been lecturing for 25 years. “That would be extremely rare. It normally takes years of hard work and dedication.” Take, for example, preparation. “Anything I see, read or hear is potential teaching material, and I collect plenty,” he said, pointing to his full office. “Then, before I teach a course, I go through all the information I have collected and update my materials. 1’1) spend days deciding what to include and what to leave out. My next course never leaves my mind.” Prof. Biddle has focused on accounting since his undergraduate days at Ohio State University. He later gained an MBA and PhD from the University of Chicago, where he also served on the faculty, and he has been a Certified Public Accountant since the mid-1970s. At HKUST, he combines his teaching with world-class research and sees the School’s strong international research reputation as a definite plus in relation to student learning. “There is a misnomer that good research means poor teaching. This is absolutely false. Notice all of the top universities are strong in research, including HKUST. In fact, there is no better teaching than research-based teaching

that brings students the latest insights,” Prof. Biddle said. “As top researchers in the field, HKUST faculty convey cutting-edge insights in the classroom.” he explained. “We know exactly what is going on in the subject at the highest levels of the world, and we have real-world examples about how accounting really works, and should. These insights won’t show up in the textbooks that other universities use for 10 years.” Prof. Biddle engages his audience in class by sweeping away past conceptions and re-examining accounting’s role. “People have an impression that accounting is like math. Not exactly. In Math, two plus two always equal four. In accounting, two plus two can equal five, or seven,” he said. “Accounting is applied judgment, and when you get into the creativity and politics of it all, people are amazed.” As alumni can attest, this is the type of mental travel that leaves a lasting impression. Professor Larry Franklin Adjunct Professor, Dept of Finance, Franklin Prize Founder Subjects Taught Business Law, Venture Capital, Investment in China (MBA’]: Busyness Strategies, Global Investment (EMBA) Awards: Kellogg-WHU Teaching Prize (2004). Best MBA Elective (2004). IEMBA Professor of the Year (2003) As former students know so well, there is no room for messing about in Prof. Larry Franklin’s classes. “We start on time, we end on time because class time is precious,” he said. “During class, I use the Socratic method of engaging students in dialogue. This means I expect every student to come fully prepared to class. This means I will cold call on any student at any time. Not being prepared is not an excuse. In my class, you cannot say ‘I pass’.” If it sounds tough, it is an approach that meets with students’ approval, as Prof. Franklin’s list of awards shows. And while Prof. Franklin is strict on certain behavior in the classroom: “In general, I’m actually a very nice guy! ” Teaching is part of Franklin family tradition. Prof. Franklin’s late father was a professor of law, whose career included working at the University of Southern California (USC) for 50 years. “In our family, education was highly valued, more so than making lots of money” he said. “So while I’ve been out working in financial services for 25 years, I have always taught part-time.” His own studies have garnered a BA In French literature, an MBA and a Juris Doctor from Stanford. He IS also a Certified Public Accountant. After arriving in Hong Kong in 1981, the high flyer worked as a lawyer, commercial banker, investment banker, and ran a US$500 million venture capital fund for Hutchison Whampoa (China) Ltd. Prof. Franklin, who is married to Mei Kwong, Director of MBA Career Services at HKUST, now spends 75% of his time teaching and 25% consulting. Prof. Franklin’s extensive teaching portfolio of top global business schools includes invitations to participate in Kellogg’s School of Management’s five EMBA programs around the world. Last year, for the first time, he taught on the Kellogg program at WHU in Germany along with 16 Kellogg faculty, 14 German professors and a second faculty member from HKUST. Prof Franklin was the one to take home the students’ Best Teacher award. “HKUST is a very good business school, the best in Asia, in my opinion. Winning this award says to me that, beyond being the regional best, HKUST can compete at the upper levels of business education around the world,” he said. To motivate and challenge HKUST Business School faculty in their teaching, Prof. Franklin and wife Mei Kwong set up the Franklin Prize for Teaching Excellence in 2002. “I wanted to provide a way of recognizing great teaching throughout the Business School and it has worked well. The award has created a buzz and in particular has encouraged young faculty to work harder in their teaching preparation. ” Brilliance in the classroom, however, does not equate to brilliant but complex explanations that may be only a few students can grasp, according to Prof. Franklin. A very good professor is one who can take a complicated subject and explain it in a way that every student in class can understand, he said that is one of the essences of excellent teaching.

Professor Vidhan Goyal Associate Professor, Dept of Finance Subjects Taught

Corporate Finance, Strategic Finance and Value Creation (MBA); Integration of the Finance Function (EMBA) Awards: Best MBA Core (2004, 2005), Franklin Prize (2001), Michael G Gale Medal For Distinguished Teaching (2003) To some alumni, debt contracts may seem a novel source of inspiration for a decisive career move. However, for Prof. Vidhan Goyal, they proved the catalyst to move out of the commercial world into academic life and eventually to teaching and research at HKUST. After an undergraduate degree in electronics engineering, and an MBA in marketing from the University of Delhi, Prof. Goyal went to work as Corporate Treasurer for the First Leasing Company of India. “I became fascinated by how firms raised finance. But a company doesn’t have the flexibility to let you spend time really learning about a subject. ” So he decided to take a PhD at the University of Pittsburgh, Analyzing the structure of debt contracts, and his new path Was set academia is the best place if you love learning in area and if you love to communicate your learning to your peers and to your students,” Prof. Goyal said, As an academic, you are like an entrepreneur. You develop your ideas by working on research papers, you test them using large databases and deepen your understanding of an issue until you know more about it than most people.” But It has certainly not been all research. Prof. Goyal’s love of finance and hrs enthusiasm for sharing his knowledge of the subject has brought him numerous top teaching awards during his 10 years at HKUST, including the Michael G. Gale Medal, the University’s most competitive teaching prize. “I work very hard to develop a bridge between material in class and real-world issues. I also try to make a subject clear and concise for students,” he said. He appreciates the fact HKUST Business School encourages both teaching and research. Through research, academics can keep their knowledge current and develop quickness of mend, Prof Goyal said. On the other hand, teaching offers a two-way learning process whereby the professor helps students gain knowledge and vice versa. “When you step into a classroom, you get lots of new Ideas for research. Talking to students pushes you to think In different directions. Sometimes you come back from a class and start developing research ideas based on what has just been discussed.” Prof. Goyal feels students should be active learners willing to ask questions in class. As those previously on his courses WIII recall, he in turn is an active listener. A short questionnaire closes every class to ascertain what students Irked and what they didn’t understand clearly. Prof. Goyal then addresses this feedback at the beginning of the next session. He also talks to his students informally outside class, over coffee, or through email. “I tend to listen to my students a lot,” he said. Prof. Goyal is just as keen to learn from his students once they become alumni and encourages former students to keep in touch with professors. “It is always enjoyable to talk to alumni, to know what they are doing and to learn from them new applications of what we discussed in the finance courses.”

Professor Albert Ha Professor and Head, Dept of Information and Systems Management Chairman, MBA committee of teaching as a factor for promotion, provide the School with a strong teaching culture alongside its world-class research, he said. Subjects Taught Operations Management (MBA); Operations Management (EMBA), Operations and Supply Chain Management (IEMBA) Awards: Franklin Prize (2002) When Prof. Albert Ha heard he was among the 2002 Summer/Fall winners of the School’s Franklin Prize for Teaching Excellence, he was happy and relieved at the same time. It was his second year at HKUST Business School and his first teaching award, and he saw it as a milestone in his career. “Business professors are competitive. If there is an award, you want to win it!” In his teaching, Prof. Ha focuses on facilitating students’ understanding of fundamental concepts - and their limitations - in operations management and how they can be applied in the constantly evolving world of work “We are not in the business of consulting or teaching recipes to students,” he said. “The world is changing rapidly. My objective is to provide students with management principles they will find useful for 20-30 years after graduation.” He sees the Franklin Award as highly important in fostering an environment for great teaching to thrive, providing the opportunity for professors’ hard work in the classroom to be recognized each semester in categories ranging from undergraduate teaching to MBA. This, along with teaching workshops, mentoring, student evaluations and the inclusion Prof. Ha was awarded a civil engineering degree from the University of Hong Kong and worked as a civil engineer In the mid-1980s before gaining an MBA at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1988, discovering his passion for operations management, and later taking a PhD at Stanford. He then spent nine years at the School of Management at Yale University before joining HKUST in 2001. Research is important in keeping faculty members enthusiastic about the subject they teach and at the cutting edge of theory, according to Prof. Ha. Students also have a vital role to play in the learning process, he said. His informal approach in class is a result of his goal to encourage students to share their ideas. Everyone is on first name terms and he tries to get to know his students and their backgrounds. Comments provided via course evaluations form another useful way for students to generate input. “I read all the comments to gain an overall picture of how the class went,” he said. “Then I look for a pattern of what was appreciated and what could be changed. If I find a suggestion reasonable, I implement it. The more detailed information students give, the better,” he said. HKUST Business School’s extensive executive education was one of the reasons that drew Prof. Ha back to Hong Kong from the US, with its opportunities for faculty to broaden their teaching and interaction with managers at different levels. Hong Kong and the mainland were further draw cards. “I am a Hong Kong native. Hong Kong is a very dynamic place. In the past, operations management did not get much attention here. Now because of the economic development in China, operations and supply chain management have become very important business areas. So it is a good time to be here.

And the awards are The Franklin Prize What is it? An award scheme set up by Prof Larry Franklin to recognize teaching excellence in HKUST Business School at undergraduate and graduate levels. Up to five awards each semester, including two for MBA courses (core and elective). 3 Selection process: Faculty with over 80% on student evaluation forms become candidates for nomination. Three nominees selected by the School Appointments & Substantiation Committee (SASC). Nominees required to write a personal statement on their teaching philosophy. Winner selected by SAX. Prize: Name inscribed on a plaque outside Office of the Dean and cash award. IEMBA Professor of the Year What is it? An award to show appreciation of teaching excellence, professionalism and dedication on the IEMBA program.

Selection process: Student poll, with the winner chosen from HKUST faculty members teaching on the program. Prize: A trophy.

Kellogg-HKUST Top Faculty of the Year What is it? An accolade to recognize the best faculty member on the KH-EMBA program Selection Process: Student poll, with the winner chosen from teaching faculty from both Kellogg and HKUST Prize: A trophy. Michael G. Gale Medal for Distinguished Teaching What is it? The highest teaching honor awarded by HKUST as a whole The annual award goes to the academic who best exemplifies pursuit of excellence, devotion to teaching, and the ability to inspire and motivate others. Selection process: Nomination supported by at least five members of the University community, including at least two students Award recipient decided by selection committee and confirmed by the Senate. Prize: Gold medal presented at the annual University’s Congregation and a citation.

Kellogg-WHU Teaching Prize What is it? A student prize awarded to one professor on the KW-EMBA program. Selection process: Student poll, with the winner chosen from faculty members (Kellogg, German business school WHU and HKUST) teaching on the program Prize: A certificate

Best MBA Teacher (Core and Elective) What are they: Awards initiated by Class 2004 (Full-Time) to show their appreciation of top teaching. Selection process: Student poll for each of the two awards. Students cast one vote each for best core and best elective professor. Prize: Name inscribed on a plaque at the entrance to the MBA Office and a certificate. In Focus Crest of A Wave for MBA Dragon Boaters The Annual Dragon Boat Races held in Mui Wo (Lantau Island) and Sai Kung took Place on June 5 and June 11 respectively. They attracted significant interest form the HKUST MBA community. With more than 40 MBA alumni, students and family members demonstrating their team spirit as paddlers and supporters. I call it The Dragon Boat Philosophy of Management. Everyone in the boat has to paddle at the same frequency and in the same direction or the boat will not move smoothly. With these fundamentals met - alignment of interests (same direction) and consistency in execution (same frequency) - the more effort the whole team puts in, the faster the boat will go. Of course, it is also important to have a CEO (the drummer and helmsman in our case) to look at the overall picture and guide the team along. It would be worth considering as a 1 O-week non-credit course: eight weeks for workshops (group practices) and two weeks for the final presentation (festive races) Edwin Mok (PT05)

Everyone has been so supportive. Although we didn’t win any prizes in the final race, ‘ we had a lot of fun and took home happy memories Richard Chan (PT05) We did a tremendous job and had a really unforgettable time. I was so proud, not because of where we came in the races but because one year after graduation we could still gather more than 20 people to take part in this event. It made me realize once again how cohesive we are and how teamwork enables us to achieve great things Jacky Mak (PT05)

HKUST MBA alumni teams gained two awards in the competitions: Mui Wo Dragon Boat Race 2005 Ladies Open Silver Cup, Third Runner-Up Sai Kung Dragon Boat Race 2005 Mixed Open Group B first round, Second runner-up. We play different roles but share the same goal Even without the coach We’ll put on our best show Miranda Chang (PT04)

EMBA in the Spotlight The all – New Persuaders Charles Brain –Boys + Mike Wong (KH05) Eight Partnership When you have worked for 20 years in the business world and risen to the top rungs of the corporate ladder, where do you go form there? If you are marketing and advertising specialists Mike Wong and Charles Brian- Boys, you look ahead to the next 20 years facing your industry and take an entrepreneurial leap towards a new business model. The two communications dynamos, who became close friends after meeting on the EMBA, have over their years In the business garnered many accolades and much respect for their work at major corporate agencies and for the Industry as a whole. Mike’s former roles have included managing director and vice-president of MCCann-Erickson Hong Kong & Greater China, Managing director of Ogilvy and Mather and chairman of the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents of Hong Kong (HK4As), while campaigns have ranged from San Miguel to Rolex to One2Free, Citibank and Coca-Cola. Charles has previously been regional marketing director at Alfred Dunhill Asia-Pacific, a partner with the Ball Partnership and managing director of Mediaedge:cia. He has worked on promoting many leading global brands, including Tag- Heuer and Intel, and increased his recognition factor in a large-scale way as the inspiration and driving force behind the lFC2 tower’s 20,000-square-meter billboard for the Financial Times. In this fractured new world, there is a need for greater understanding of how people receive information and consume it. Research methods and tools are changing and different approaches to doing business are evolving alongside the traditional multinational agencies. Eight is a compact, dynamic team of just over 40, dedicated to service excellence, clarity of vision, and to forging the next-generation client-communications industry relationships. Now they are working as executive colleagues at the Eight For top executives in a multinational corporation, large Partnership marketing management firm, set up in 1993 amounts of time are devoted to administration and internal by industry creative spark Chris Fjelddahl. operations. At Eight, the majority of the What has drawn them to Eight? management team’s time is spent The desire to be involved in with clients. “The difference an innovative enterprise, in quality is you get after being stretched to think in fresh “At Eight, we don‘t want to be the biggest We do want to be the best ways by the” Mike said. “We say EMBA, and the WIII Charles Brian-Boys we are small to push the industry “China as a market will shape the world” enough to care, big forward at a time of enough to deliver.” huge change within the field. Mike Wong As a marketing management company, there is also an emphasis The communications business is at a crossroads in terms of its development with the explosion of channels over the past 10 years resulting in an increasingly cluttered world. Television, for example, was previously a guaranteed way of catching people’s attention on a large scale. Now It is just one of a multitude of media competing to put across a message, “The days when a creative director went on involving CEOs in order to effect successful change for clients at the strategic level. “With branding, for example, if you develop your strategy together with the CEO, it cascades down through the organization. You co-own it and it happens,” Charles said. out for lunch and cranked out a TV advertisement in the afternoon have gone,” Charles said.

What does not happen at Eight is pitching for business. “We live by our reputation and by delivering results,” Charles said. “If we don’t do a good job, clients walk out the door. If we do, then we reap the rewards through good word of mouth and more clients. At Eight, we don’t want to be the biggest; we do want to be the best.” It is an exciting time to be involved in such a move. In Hong Kong, there are promising prospects for those forging a new path in marketing and brand promotion as better economic times finally encourage firms to switch their focus from the bottom to the top line and gear up for growth. Meanwhile, Mike moves to Shanghai thus summer to head Eight’s first office across the border. He sees the mainland represents a challenge, a laboratory, and an opportunity for the communications business to regain its ability to inspire cultural trends. “The industry Parallel Lives thinks it has a leading role to play in culture and takes pride in this fact. Yet in the past lo-20 years globally, we have lost this kind of momentum,” Mike said. “As practitioners, we have to have the ability to lead, to make the world crazy about what we do “That is why a market like China, where the questions being asked are focused on what will happen tomorrow rather than what we know today, or did yesterday, is so important. “It is not just a simple question of bringing in what we have learnt and what we are good at. China as a market will shape the world - have its own language - and we would like to be part of it. Mike and family Charles and family Born six days apart, Mike Wong and Charles Brian-Boys grew up in separate worlds in 1960s Hong Kong. One came from a resettlement area, the other an expatriate family that moved to Hong Kong when he was five. Today they relish the parallels in their lives and the changes in the city that have seen them become friends and now management colleagues at the Eight Partnership. Both had also had creative dreams when younger, putting their respective aspirations to become an artist and a photographer to work in marketing and communications, “In the past, there was no way our paths would have come together,” Charles said. “I see our friendship as a really nice reflection on how Hong Kong has developed.” Although Mike and Charles had previously noted each other as professionals in the same field, it was only when they became members of EMBA KH05 (Class 2003), they started to realize just how many similarities there were in their lives. University? Yes. About 20 years in the communications business? Indeed. Married with two children? Yes. Ready for a fresh challenge? Absolutely Your Referrals Count Kellogg-HKUST Executive MBA We depend on the help of all our graduates to identify and encourage the right candidates to apply for the forthcoming KH09 EMBA. Alumni referrals play a valuable part in admissions and your support is highly appreciated. Together we can continue our tradition of quality and diversity in the classroom and beyond. Send us the name, company and email address of your referrals NOW! Please contact MS Judy Au at emba@ust.hk or call the EMBA office at (852) 2358-4180 for more information on referrals and program details.

Campus Link Who are the right MBA candidates for HKUST? Behind the Scenes at Admissions Despite a global decline in MBA applications, HKUST’s applicant pool continues To grow and we are selective in who we take. As alumni, you are likely to be asked by candidates what the School requires. Phoenix interviews EMBA/MBA Program Director Dr. Steven DeKrey to gain the inside story on the selection process (You may even find out why you were admitted) HKUST MBA classes contain people from many different backgrounds. Is there anything special about the way candidates are chosen? Alumni have all been through the application process as candidates. How does MBA selection work from the School’s side? Absolutely. We are looking at potential for career success. We work to bring in leaders. We don’t simply use academic criteria and we don’t overdo the GMAT. As a psychologist by training, with six years as Director of Admissions at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, I have conducted a lot of validity studies about admissions criteria. When you boil it down, interpersonal skills are as important as academic skills for MBAs. We are not looking for ‘A’ students, but leaders who are adaptive to changes, who will be successful in all aspects of life. If you over-rely on one or two criteria like GMAT - which many schools do - you are likely to find that weaknesses exist in other areas that matter. Ours is a comprehensive process that aims to look at candidates across dimensions. There is no single criterion that will make or break an application. You have to balance them all. Yes, it is partly a subjective process, that’s why we interview everyone to find out what motivates them and to see if the HKUST MBA is a match. After applications have been received, the admissions team will look at the written record and, compared to norms from the past, carry out a pre-screening. We have a broad range of applications and some applicants are obvious no- gos, for example, those whose academic score is far below the minimum; those who did not have a solid work profile; or those who cannot specify clearly how the MBA will help their career development. We do pre-screening and then we interview as many appropriate candidates as possible within our staffing capability. Applicants are interviewed by a panel of at least two people appointed by the Admissions Committee. The panel can Before we admit you , you have to admit yourself first. Confidence is a big part of our criteria 16 comprise faculty, careers services, alumni affairs or administration members. Interviewers write up their recommendations to the Admissions Committee which makes a final decision. If there is a debate - for example, interview strong, test scores weak - or a disagreement in recommendations, then the Director provides the tie-breaker role. In some cases, we seek Input from the MBA Committee. In this way, you have input from many different people on who should be admitted. In the future we would like to involve alumni In these interviews. team, student organizations, socializing at night and other leadership activities when they were in school. Leaders do not stay in the library all the time trying to get 4.0. The best candidates balance their lives and spend their time selectively. A lot of business schools admit those with high GMAT scores and top GPAs. They frequently find they have admitted the wrong people. These people often comply with rules and perform well for others. But we want people who can think creatively and bring new ideas to influence and lead. Do you have a maximum or minimum class capacity? How many applicants do you take per year? We care most about the quality of students and we won’t admit less-than-qualified ones to meet an enrollment quota. Similarly, if we have more good candidates than expected, we are capable and flexible enough to find the additional resources to expand. Over the past 10 years, the average class size for part-time has moved from the 70s to this year’s 135+. We have over 60 students for our full-time and 45 for Shenzhen program this year. If we grow much more, we will need additional sections. What is the purpose of the interview? Do you have set questions? The Interview is a chance for an applicant and the School to learn more about each other. We look for effective communicators with strong internal motivation. They tell us what they are seeking. We consider whether a match exists by explaining what we offer. Candidates need presentation skills and must be organized in their thinking. A near-native English standard is also important These criteria differentiate the best from the rest.

A structured interview -where everyone is asked the same series of questions - is a more powerful specific job, but at HKUST we are preparing people for many different types of work. So we use a semi-structured Interview and base our specific questions on the application.

Is there a different approach for MBA and EMBA admission? Yes. The most obvious difference is that there is no GMAT test for EMBA applicants and they all have a minimum of 10 years’ working experience. You have better predictors in the written application - the size of the firm, positron, company promotions. As you go up in experience, it makes a bigger difference. At the EMBA level, company sponsorship and support from The company is a serious and critical criterion. If a major Company is willing to pay for a person to attend a high-priced, High-quality program because they want to develop that executive in their business, that sends a strong message. We take students without full financial backing. But it is one sign of support and a way of verifying how well a candidate is doing for their company.

Is there a chance for an interview if a person has great working experience but an average GMAT or prior grades? Very likely. Many Fortune 500 CEOs have average grade point averages (GPAs) yet they are running the biggest businesses in the world. They stayed busy leading the track

How is it best to prepare for an application to HKUST? Is there a ‘right’ candidate for the School? Before we admit you, you have to admit yourself first. A strong motivation and desire to be at HKUST is as critical as other criteria. During the interview, you need to convince us that you belong at HKUST. If you are not excited to be here you are not going to enjoy your student life and our class. A positive attitude builds cohesion and a strong culture in the HKUST on form should only take a short while what you need to spend time on is research and examining your own personal criteria in order to match with a business school. Be yourself during the interview and tell us why you belong at HKUST. Some people think going for an MBA is a goal. It isn’t. An MBA is a process towards a goal. We take pride in our alumni who have been through the process and are now working towards their goals. There is definitely not one type of ‘right’ candidate as everyone is unique. Alumni are proud to be associated with the HKUST brand and admired by those who have not yet had the opportunity. These are the candidates you can refer to us We are not looking for just ‘A’ students but leaders who are adaptive to changes and who will be successful in all aspects of life MBA Alumni Fund update A big thanks to all donors to the MBA Alumni Fund, established in November 2004 by the founding graduates of Class 1994 (Part-Time). Donation of HKS10.000 or above . LIU Stng Cheong PT94 Donation of HK$2,000-HK$4,999 CHIANG Hung Kwok Rico FT94 CHOI Ping Ah Wilfred KO Mun Yiu Monica PT94 TANG Bo Sin Anonymous PT94 PT95 HO Edmund TSE Chun Ming Raymond Donation of HK$500-HK$1,999 AYAZ Ahmad CHENG Bik Hoi Geoffrey HEW Kwan Yee NG Ching Yi Jenny WU Ming Kei Eddy Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Record as Aug15, 2005 FT94 PT95 FT93 PT94 BU Dongwei David CHOW Kin Sang KO Yuk Choi Andrew WO Wai Shun Jonathan YOU Zhenyu Jerry Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous FT04 PT95 PT99 FT03 5204 CHAN Ching Chu Rebecca ELLI Marco KWAN Suk Yee Wendy WONG Tat Fai Andy YOUNG Chun Hau Bruce Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous PT94 FT94 PT97 PT98 PT02 PT06 PT94 You, too, can assist the development of the Business School and help forge a better future by keeping this list growing. If you would like to make a donation, please contact the MBA Alumni Office at mbaalum@ust.hk, or download the form at www.mbaaa.com. 18 MBA Alumni take strategic lead on Advisory Board W e are pleased to announce the formation of the MBA Alumni Advisory Board, with effect from July 1. Board members are MBA alumni who have demonstrated an active interest in developing the alumni community and the School. The board will play an advisory role and offer strategic direction to enhance alumni involvement in strengthening the MBA program in creating tomorrow’s leaders. Sixteen alumni representing different years from both full-time and part-time programs (including the Shenzhen class) have been invited to join the Board, with the MBA Alumni Development Office acting as the secretariat. Members will serve a two-year renewable term with the following mission: > to represent alumni and to advise on MBA program development and administration > to assist and promote the MBA program in building essential links to companies, media and potential candidates > to serve as a support group for MBA career services activity > to serve as access to companies to support research and case study development > to guide the school in securing financial resources ) to foster school commitment and add value for alumni ) to help connect alumni to the School and support MBAAA activities We would like to thank all Board members who have made a contribution to the MBA Alumni Fund. For further enquiries, please contact Kitty Chong at kitty.chong@ust.hk or 2358-8489. Steve DeKrey MBA Program Director HKUST MBA Alumni Advisory Board Directory 2005 Representatives in Hong Kong: Ahmad AYAZ (FT94) Director First Language Ltd HONG KONG Marco ELLI (PT98) Chief Financial Officer Ferrero Asia Ltd HONG KONG Mabel Mei Yee LAU (PT95) Director China Team International - Executive Search HONG KONG Pascale M BRUNET (FT98) Vice-President, Strategic Technology Services Group Morgan Stanley NEW YORK Josie Cheuk Yee WONG (PT94) Chief Representative Hong Kong Monetary Authority LONDON Jerry Zhenyu YOU (5204) Director of Sales & Marketing Shenzhen Powercom Co Ltd SHENZHEN Rebecca Ching Chu CHAN (PT97) Director PricewaterhouseCoopers HONG KONG Edmund HO (PT94) Director - HK Investment Banking Citigroup Global Markets Asia Ltd HONG KONG King Wai LO (PTOO) Deputy General Manager Sun Hung Kai Properties HONG KONG Jenny Ching Yi NG (PTOO) Market Director Spectrum Strategy Consultants HONG KONG Eddy Ming Kei WU (PT94) President - Greater China GE Advanced Materials - Silicones SHANGHAI Feliciana Siu Wai CHEUNG (PT97) Deputy General Counsel Hong Kong Monetary Authority HONG KONG Joanne Fung Yee HO (PT97) Vice-President, Human Resources & Administration LI & Fung (Trading) Ltd HONG KONG Jackson Chik Sum NG (PT95) Chief Financial Officer Modern Terminals Ltd HONG KONG Grace Ying WANG 6799) General Manager Jebsen & Co (Shanghai) Ltd SHANGHAI Felix Wing Yiu YAU (PT96) Chief Financial Officer Unihub Global Services China Ltd BEIJING

MBA Alumni Forum 2005 - China Series Continuing to learn after finishing your MBA program is essential for on-going development. As your lifelong partner to success, HKUST Business School has recently started the MBA Alumni Forum, a series of enrichment programs to keep you up to date with industry trends and best practice. The Forum program got underway with the China Series, held over three Thursday evenings in June and July at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Central. Sessions saw senior alumni, faculty members and other industry practitioners share their insights with fellow alumni and students on the topics of brand marketing, human resources, and currency exchange issues in the mainland. W Below, alumni who attended the series give their views: I learnt two important things in this session: firstly, that advertising strategy In China need not be all that different, or localized 100%; and secondly, that online advertising is growing faster in China than in Hong Kong!! Overall, a very useful session delivered by a seasoned professional. Bhaskar Sambamurthy (FTO2) Senior Manager –Corporate services, KC Maritime Ltd Session 2: June 30 Your next career in China Speaker: Simon Wan President of China Team International Dick Li (PT00) Magaer, Laps Solutions Limited

The talk was informative and interesting. It helped me understand important issues in recruiting staff in China. The experience shared by Simon was very valuable.

Professor Cheng can always impress you by making use of basic international trade theories to explain and predict complicated real-world economic issues and phenomena. This talk was no exception as he explained what was likely to happen in the event of a change in the RMB exchange rate. Session 1: June 16 Brand-insight-idea: in search of magic in China” Speaker: Mike Wong (KH05) Managing Partner of Eight Partnership, and ex-chairman of HK4A s Session 3: July 7 How the RMB exchange rate affects the competitiveness of Chinese industries Speaker: Professor Leonard Cheng Head of Economics Department, HKUST Derek Chan (PT94) Managing Director, Tai Fook Capital Ltd

Alumni Corner Congratulations to our parent alums. Dad: Carsten PAASCH (FT94) New arrival: Christian born 22 February weighed in at 8.9 Ibs “Being a parent gives you wonderful and challenging new perspectives on life. jf you thought you have seen it all in your life because you have had a rewardrn9 career traveled the world, have a wonderful spouse, many friends, etc., think again Raising a child should make you humble again. You now need to ensure that you really live the core values in your life, as now YOU not only do this for your own benefit, you need to be a role model and example for your child. Truly exciting and rewarding times ahead-” Dad: Albert CHUNG (FTo2) New arrival: Boris born 28 March weighed in at 5.7 Ibs “Babies are very much like business projects. The Conception period lasted only a few minutes but it took 10 months to see just one customer at the door, And by the time the project is over, the project manager has retired to her bed and you can’t wake her up for the next two months. During this time, the business manager will have to answer to the customer who will launch a complaint every two hours. But then, lust when you are starting to wonder why you did this project in the first Place, the customer’s winning smile dissolves all these difficulties away...” Dad: David BU (FT04) New arrival: Tian Hui born 25 January weighed in at 8.5 Ibs “My daughter is really an unexpected gift from God, This little angel is bringing us happiness and keeping us busy. The trade-off for having a lovely baby? Hmmmm, my absence from several MBA alumni gatherings In Beijing.” Mum: Dianna LI (FT01) New arrival: Leo Born 21 May Weighed in at 8.1 lbs Husband Simba and I are happy to announce the birth of our first child, a son. We hope little Leo will grow up as brave, independent and lovely as a lion. Dad: Dean MISSIKOWSKI (FT05) New arrival: Sophia Elisabeth Born 23 May Weighed in at 7.7 lbs Currently her favourite is Waaaaa”

Life in Switzerland By Angela Choi (FT01) Angela.choi@alumni. Ust.hk It has been 10 months since I arrived in Switzerland and the change has been dramatic: from Hong Kong to Geneva; from an American bank to a Swiss bank; from investment banking to private banking; from Cantonese to French. Why would a SWISS bank need someone from Asia to work In Geneva? Well, I now work for the Asia desk of Credit Suisse Private Bank dealing with counterparts or clients in Hong Kong and mainland China where my understanding of the culture and languages really helps. I am very much enjoying being in this country, so far. While Geneva is not as big as Hong Kong - and friends always tell me that a city girl like me will not survive here for long _ it IS a great place for sport. Lots of ski resorts are less than two hours away by car. There are scenic routes for hiking. In addition, Lake Geneva is the largest lake In Europe for water sports. So I have a different lifestyle now. By Angela Choi (FT01) angela.choi@alumni.ust.hk Geneva’s international character also makes it easy to adapt. The UN IS situated in Geneva and it IS also the European headquarters for many leading companies, Including P&G, Reuters and IBM. In fact, 40% of Geneva’s population come from other countries. Not surprising, then, that 99% of my friends aren’t from Switzerland. Geneva’s location at the heart of Europe means all major cities are within two hours by plane. This makes it easy to visit other HKUST alumni living in Europe. I have met up with alums in Nice, Munich, Innsbruck and Paris. With alumni chapters in Beijing and Shanghai, shouldn’t we set one up in Europe as well? If you know any alumni now In Europe, please tell the MBA office. And if you want to organize a skiing trip, let me know! left: Angela and Charles (FT01) skiing in Courchevel in France, one of the biggest ski resorts in Europe middle. Marko (FT01) and Angela apres ski (having drinks after skiing) right Angela with Nicolas and Nikos (Exchange-in 99) With alumni chapters in Beijing and Shanghai, shouldn’t we set one up in Europe? With alumni chapters in Beijing And Shanghai, shouldn’t we set one up in Europe? Phoenix note: As part of her full-time MBA, Angela went on exchange to WHU in Germany where she stayed for six months. She said it was this experience that encouraged her to return to Europe and helped her to quickly adapt to life in Geneva.

Ich bin ein Bejinger (I am a Bejinger) By Dean Missikowski (FT05) dean. missikowski@yahoo.com 0ne of the best parts of my MBA experience was my exchange to Beijing. My memories of this are still fresh. One of the first thongs I did was splurge 150 RMB on a bike in order to figure out the geography of the city. My favorite part of the day was the morning ride to my language school where I spent Six hours each day. Every trap was an adventure. I pedaled shoulder to shoulder with a teeming horde of fellow : bikers. Some were three-wheelers, I usually piled precariously with cases of : Tsingtao or refrigerators and most had at least one extra person balanced graciously behind the one doing the pedaling. Each morning, a tough-looking, old traffic cop at one of the busy Intersections would give me the eye as I lined up in front of her. I got my first smile from her after three weeks. From then on, we never failed to exchanged good morning nods. She personified a trait I found common among Beijingers: crusty on the outside but warm and down to earth on the Inside. My wife and son moved from Hong Kong to join me In Beijing about two months after I arrived and as I was about to start my MBA exchange at Tsinghua University. Just turned three, my son was excited about his new surroundings, especially his kindergarten where, like a sponge, he absorbed more Mandarin than I have in the past six years. My best souvenir from Beijing was my daughter Sophia, who was born In May. (See also P21) Angela (left) and Dean (back) together with alumni Jessie Lee (PT01) (right) and Kitty Chong (PT03) (middle) during Trailwalker 2003 We have since moved back to Hong Kong and are enjoying life in a relatively green part of Tseung Kwan O. My wife and I have lived in many places during the past 10 years from Canada to Hawaii, Hong Kong and now Beijing. It has become a tradition to decorate one wall of our home with snapshots. Nowadays, pictures from Beijing take up a pleasingly disproportionate amount of the space Phoenix note: Dean is originally from Preston, Ontario, in Canada, born to parents who emigrated form Berlin, Germany. He has worked as a R &D software developer for Software AG and is now a freelance IT consultant. The famous words Ich bin ein Berliner( I am a Berliner) were part of a speech made by US President JF Kennedy in 1963 in Berlin. Nominations for 2nd MBA Alumni Achievement Awards The MBA Alumni Achievement Awards Were established demonstrated loyalty and lifelong friendship to the School by HKUST Business School in 2004 to honor alumni who and have helped build its success at home and worldwide. are preeminent in their fields and have shown support and Awards will be presented to both Part-time and full-time commitment to the continued development Of the school. MBA class members of 1995 at their 10th anniversary reunion dinner in November, All alumni and Other members These dedicated alumni are proven leaders who have of the MBA community can nominate one or more graduates persona\ lives, and have of Class 1995. succeeded in their careers, contributed Significantly to their business industries and the community, They are MBA role mode’s1 who have class list and nomination details are available at www.mbaaa.com. Please contact mbaalum@ust.hk for more information. 10th Graduation Anniversary Dinner for Class 1995 Time files and its is now 10 years since Class 1995 graduated from HKUST’s MBA programs Are you still in touch with your old classmates? Do you know what they are up to? Now there is a great chance to reconnect with old friends and faculty members by joining our 10th anniversary reunion gathering. What could be better than catching up with classmates you may not have seen for a long time? Saturday, November 5, 2005 Venue : Tin Ka Ping Hall, HKUST , Clear Water bay Program : 5100 pm Campus Tour HKUST, Clear Water Bay 6’oo Pm Cocktail Reception 7.30 Pm Dinner For reservations and enquiries, please contact the Organizing Committee at Alum’s work launched at Book fair Exams Aimed at scores Publisher: Red corporation Limited, Hong Kong Author Advises students on how to get high marks by such unorthodox means as dropping non-essential books, recognizing traps in easy questions Author’s background? Engineer Carl Wou (PT02 has run his own plumbing contractor business for the past eight years. Why write It? For personal fulfillment, he says. And to share his “weird” exam-taking skills (which he believes to be a DNA gift). The idea to write this book has been with him since high school. Where is it for sale? Joint Publishing, Commercial Press, Chung Hwa Book Co. and other major book stores.

Let’s Salsa soon after the Salsa demo show at the last MBAAA annual dinner, several different groups of alumni started private Salsa classes. Come on your own or with a partner and have fun as you dance with everyone. A great opportunity to meet new friends, do some exercise and get ready with those Salsa steps for your next party. Please contact mbaaa@ust.hk for more information. On your marks for the MBA Mini-Olympics 2005 Prepare for great fun and games as well as moon cake over the Mid-Autumn Festival weekend at the first ‘MBA Mini-Olympics’ and Homecoming Party. Indoor games and outdoor sports events will be held on campus on September 17 that brings together alumni, faculty, families and friends. Volleyball, basketball, badminton, table tennis, squash, mahjong, Chinese chess tournaments along with a rock- climbing demo workshop are all included in the programme. Have you organized your alumni and student teams to take part? Individuals and faculty members are also welcome to join the competitions. For more details and last-minute registration, please contact MBA Alumni Affairs Officer Fiona Tse at 2358-8492 or email Let’s Salsa! 2 5. Rock’ n hike at Tung Ping Chau Photo-opportunities were to the fore on the scenic Tung Ping Chau rock’ n’ hike on May 2. The excursion to see the multi-layered rocks that lie in all shapes along the Tung Ping Chau trail attracted over 35 alumni and their families. The amazing pictures shown are just some of those taken by members of the Photo Club formed by Class 2004 (Part-Time). More photographs can be found in the Photo Gallery on the alumni web site www.mbaaa.corn Friendly soccer match With HKU MBAs Over 20 HKUST MBA alumni soccer enthusiasts were up and on the Kowloon Tsai Park pitch at 9am on May 16 to kick off a friendly game with HKU MBAs. HKUST players, wearing yellow and white tees, took turns on the soggy pitch (soaked through due to the previous night’s rain), with the match providing the chance to bring old friends back together again. It also helped encourage players to start regular practice to prepare for the next competitive match. A Yahoo group has now been created for alumni interested in joining the team. If you would like to take part, please contact Edwin Mok at Edwin_mok@gnec.net See You at the next Roundtable Lunch Gathering Fresh networking opportunities over the office lunch hour are proving an easy and convenient way for alumni from different years and fields of work to get to know one another. The lunchtime gatherings, organized since March, are held in different districts and take place every last Friday of the month. The map (right), shows where events have been held so far. Watch out for MBAAA e-news of the next lunch spot! The University Library has started a highly useful service which gives all alumni remote access to a number electronic databases. The subscription-based Alumni e-Resources, which started in July, enables HKUST alumni to view 20 full-text ProQuest databases, China Infobank, Lexis/Nexis Academic, Gale encyclopedias, ERIC and over 30 Cambridge Scientific Abstracts databases. The Alumni e-Resources website also offers a list of selected free electronic resources, including the HKUST Institutional Repository which contains digitized doctoral theses. The annual fee for Alumni e-Resources is HK$250, with a 20% discount for HKUST Alumni Association members (MBAAA members are automatically enrolled in the HKUST Alumni Association). For more information, please visit http://library.ust.hk/serv/alumnr.html 27 MBA Tour 2005 Call for MBA Alumni Support The HKUST MBA office will join the MBA fairs in 19 cities to recruit students from all over the world. And you as our MBA alumni will be ideal ambassadors. If you happen to stay or work in these cities (see above), do join us and share your HKUST MBA experience with hundreds of MBA prospective students. And of course, this is a good time for alumni gathering. Our program staff would like to meet you when we are in your city, and you will get to know your fellow alumni near the region. Email Calie Chung at rnbamktg@ust.hk to join us. Location Date Asia Bangalore Bangkok Beijing Hong Kong Kuala Lumpur Manila Mumbai New Delhi Seoul Shanghai Singapore Taipei Tokyo N America LA New York Toronto W Europe Frankfurt London Paris 科大龍 顛倒眾生 天慧 考試就是求分數