UG News, Aug 2008

Abstract

UG News Aug 2008 Published by the Undergraduate Programs Office HKUST Business School The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: 2358 7533 Fax: 2358 1467 Email: bmug@ust.hk Website: www.bm.ust.hk/ug The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School 02 DIRECTOR'S COLUMN 03 GLOBAL BUSINESS EXPERIENCES 05 SPONSORING STUDENTS TO FLY FARTHER 07 COVER STORY: GOING 10,000 MILES 09 EXCHANGE PARTNERS 11 PHOTO GALLERY 13 MAINLAND AND OVERSEAS INTERNSHIPS 15 BUSINESS CONNECTIONS 16 UPCOMING WORKSHOPS 17 ACHIEVEMENTS 19 ALUMNI GATHERINGS 20 GRADUATE UPDATES 23 INVEST IN trUST 1 H K U S T B U S I N E S S S C H O O L The conclusion of school year customarily marks a time for appreciation and gratitude. It is also a time for us to make plans for the future. All universities in Hong Kong have been working hard on preparing for the new 4-year undergraduate degrees that will commence in 2012. The HKUST Business School has been as well, and I am proud to say that we are making great progress. In the future 4-year business curricula, we intend to provide enough international opportunities for all business undergraduates to acquire out-of-HK experience. Yes, we are setting a rather ambitious target, but we feel that international exposure is extremely important in business education in the 21st century. We are thus determined to work towards this goal. In our popular student exchange program, this semester we celebrated the milestone of reaching the 100th exchange partner with the signing of an agreement with the McIntire School of Commerce at Acknowledgements The School is very fortunate to have many corporate partners, friends and alumni to help us nurture our young business students. We would like to thank Exxon Mobil, the Royal Bank of Scotland and TVB for allowing our students to visit their companies so that they could learn about the inner workings of both multinational and local companies across various industries. Our heartiest thanks go to our corporate friends, Dr Alex Cheung, Ms Karen Lee, Ms Judy Leissner, Mr Vincent Liu, Ms Sophie Pasha, Dr Lawrence Wong, Ms Louisa Wong, and Mr Stephen Wong who are indispensable in organizing the many informative workshops or talks for our students. We are always grateful for our alumni’s wholehearted generosity to regularly share their experiences in our newsletters and to lend us their unconditional support. the University of Virginia. With the current network of 102 partner schools worldwide, we are able to send over 50% of our undergraduates out on exchange for one semester. Effort will of course be continued to seek for new partnerships to ensure an increasing trend in our exchange quota and to explore new initiatives such as study tours, overseas internship opportunities, Mainland community projects, etc. We also provide financial assistance to help students gain international exposure. The School has established the “trUST Fund” to provide grants or non-interest-bearing loans to needy students to go on exchange, and international travel grants to encourage more students to participate in overseas competitions or conferences. We believe putting effort and resources in supporting students’ international experiences is an investment that yields a lifelong return, and we want every undergraduate to have the opportunity to earn and enjoy that return. BY ANGELA NG Director's Column: International Opportunities for Everyone 2 UG NEWS AUGUST 2008 In January, fifteen students from the Global Business Program went to India to explore the business, culture and educational environment of India, one of the most significant emerging economies in Asia. The 15 participants, along with their guide, Professor Paul Forster, spent 8 days journeying in the country meeting business and educational leaders and experiencing the culture of India firsthand. In Mumbai, the group met with the news and media giant, Reuters and learned about the media industry in India and the economic and social environment. They then paid a visit to the National Stock Exchange (NSE) where they were briefed on its operations of the NSE. The students also visited one of the largest movie production facilities in the world, Bollywood where they were part of the studio audience of a national television show. In between companies they were treated to visits to a Hindi temple, excellent vegetarian food, and shopping in the crowded streets of Mumbai. Bangalore offered an entirely different cultural experience. Reminiscent of Southern California, this high tech centre has a very different economic and social profile than Mumbai. The students visited three prominent schools, the Jain International Residential High School, Central Management School, and the prestigious Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB). At IIMB, students received a lecture and participated in a discussion on the business environment of Bangalore from business faculty and MBA students. The students visited the facilities of SKF Bearings for a tour of the manufacturer and a briefing on the company's supply chain and the growing Indian automotive industry. The group also visited several cultural sites including the famous Mysore Palace to learn about southern India’s heritage. Global Business Experiences India Study Trip Tiffany Kwan (Year 1) said, “From this trip, I know more about the factors boosting India's economy and its potential to expand. However, overwhelming poverty was what “The GBUS Study Trip provided me with the opportunity we saw behind these glamorous curtains.” to take a close look at what's happening in India and the reason behind its vast development. We built friendships and exchanged ideas with top students in two of the top business schools in India.” said Adco Leung (Year 1). 3 H K U S T B U S I N E S S S C H O O L Sixty undergraduates from the Marshall School of Business of the University of Southern California (USC) and forty students from the Global Business Program of HKUST joined together to examine the business case of Ocean Park in March at HKUST. The USC and HKUST Global Business students teamed up to explore the business case of Ocean Park and present their very creative ideas for new rides in a mini case competition. The process taught students about the entertainment industry in Hong Kong as well as revealing differences in cultural perceptions. Afterwards, the students headed to Ocean Park to meet Mr Thomas Mehrmann, Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Park. Mr Mehrmann spent an hour explaining the history, opportunities and challenges for the Park and its phased expansion for the years ahead. A Mini Case Competition with the University of Southern California at HKUST “It was a great opportunity for students to discuss the business environment in Hong Kong, share ideas and culture as well as get outside the classroom to meet a prominent Hong Kong business leader.” said Professor Paul Forster, Program Director of Global Business. U G N E W S A U G U S T 2 0 0 8 4 Darvesh Daswani (Global Business, Year 3), Parvesh Fabiani (Global Business, Year 3), Julian Gosiengfiao (Information Systems, Year 2), Kevin Tam (Global Business, Year 3) and Weixin Yang (Global Business, Year 1), representing the HKUST English Debate Team at the World Universities Debating Championship organized by the Assumption University in Thailand. Chris Wong (Finance, Year 2), Michelle Wong (Global Business, Year 3) and Kit-Man Lam (Global Business, Year 1) gaining valuable experience at the Chulalongkorn University International Conference in Thailand, January 2008.

The School offers various grants to encourage students' participation in various enrichment activities. These grants aim to help students become better business leaders in the future with an improved global perspective and sense of social responsibility. The Service Learning Initiative Fund (SLIF) and the International Competitions Travel Grant (ICTG) have been established to subsidize travel expenses so that students can go on overseas volunteering programs and compete in case competitions. In the 2007- 08 academic year, quite a number of students have benefited from these grants. enrichment Sponsoring students to Fly Farther Fly Farther H K U S T B U S I N E S S S C H O O L Jacob Cheng (Global Business, Year 1) and Cyrus Wong (Finance, Year 2) attending the Undergraduate Business School Leadership Conference organized by Emory University in Atlanta, February 2008. Florence Hui (Finance, Year 2) and Carrie Ng (Global Business, Year 1) attending The Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations Conference at Harvard University in Boston, April 2008. Pau-Yau Foo (Quantitative Finance, Year 3), Johnson Lai (Quantitative Finance, Year 3), Kelvin Lai (Economics & Finance, Year 3) and Jacky Lei (Finance, Year 3) took home the first runner-up prize in the Barclays Technology Challenge 2007 organized by Barclays Capital in Singapore.

U G N E W S A U G U S T 2 0 0 8 6 “It is better to travel 10,000 miles than to read 10,000 books”, an inspirational Chinese proverb, literally extols the virtues of traveling, over those of reading, in the pursuit of knowledge. Since inaugurating the first student exchange program with the University of Southern California in 1994, the HKUST Business School fully recognizes the program as an effective way to give students a ‘real’ overseas experience and raise their cultural awareness. Over the years, the School has been steadily expanding its network of student exchange partners culminating in an agreement this year with its 100th exchange partner, the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. The McIntire School is currently ranked as the No. 2 undergraduate business program in the U.S. by Business Week. Cover Story: Going 10,000 Miles H K U S T B U S I N E S S S C H O O L 7 Since the inception of the exchange program 14 years ago, about 2,300 students have been chosen to study one semester at renowned institutions worldwide. In 2007/08 alone, nearly 400 business undergraduates have been added to this number. Propelled by more exchange partners and increasing awareness of the benefits of the program, the number of students on exchange will reach new heights this year. The rising number of students enrolling in the exchange program encourages the School to continually seek new exchange partners. In fact, negotiations with new partners have continued this year with the National Chengchi University in Taiwan and the University of Warwick in the U.K. becoming the latest partners to join the School’s league. The 102 partners are a blend of business schools with sterling reputations from the North America, Europe and Asia and offer wide variety of options for students. Currently 60% of the School’s undergraduate population takes part in the exchange program every year. The ultimate goal is to give all undergraduate business students the opportunity to gain overseas academic experience. This is an important part of the School’s mission as we gradually move to a four-year curriculum. Other associated programs include study tours, international case competitions, community projects and internship opportunities outside Hong Kong. The School sets the bar for the academic learning experience at a whole new level with its portfolio of internationally flavored programs. These programs will confirm HKUST’s status as a world-class university at the cutting edge of all targeted fields of pursuit. 102nd partner University of Warwick 101st partner National Chengchi University 100th partner University of Virginia Professor Roland Chin, HKUST Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Professor Leonard Cheng, Acting Dean of HKUST Business School, and Professor Carl P. Zeithaml, Dean of McIntire School, were all present at the signing ceremony, lending singular importance to the alliance. U G N E W S A U G U S T 2 0 0 8 8 Exchange Partners EUROPE (36) Aarhus School of Business, Denmark Bordeaux Ecole de Management, France BI Norwegian School of Management, Norway Corvinus University of Budapest of Hungary, Hungary Ceram Sophia Antipolis, European School of Business, France City University, Cass Business School, U.K. Copenhagen Business School, Denmark EDHEC Business School, Lille – Nice, France EPSCI-Groupe ESSEC Business School, France Erasmus University, The Netherlands European Business School-Germany, Germany European Business School-Paris, France Groupe ESC Rouen, France Helsinki School of Economics, Finland IESEG School of Management, France Institut de Formation Internationale (IFI), Groupe ESC Rouen, rance Lancaster University, U.K. Leon Kozminski Academy of Entrepreneurship and Management, Poland Lund University, Sweden National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden Technische Universität München, Germany Tilburg University, The Netherlands Università Commerciale L. Bocconi, Italy University College Dublin, Ireland University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands University of Innsbruck, Austria University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic University of Maastricht, The Netherlands University of Manchester, U.K. University of Navarra, Spain University of Northumbria, U.K. University of St. Gallen, Switzerland University of Warwick, U.K. – 102nd Partner Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien (Vienna University of Economics & Business Administration), Austria Wissenschaftliche Hochschule für Unternehmensführung (WHU), Germany Total: 102 9 H K U S T B U S I N E S S S C H O O L Canada (11) HEC Montréal Memorial University of Newfoundland McGill University Queen’s University University of Alberta University of British Columbia University of Calgary University of Manitoba University of Western Ontario Wilfrid Laurier University York University Mexico (1) Monterrey Tech University OCEANIA (3) University of New South Wales, Australia University of Sydney, Australia Massey University, New Zealand NORTH AMERICA (43) China Fudan University Harbin Institute of Technology Nanjing University Peking University Shanghai Jiaotong University Sun Yat-Sen University Tsinghua University University of Science and Technology of China Xian Jiaotong University Zhejiang University Japan Kyoto University Sophia University Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Singapore National University of Singapore Singapore Management University Korea Korea University Seoul National University Yonsei University Taiwan National Chengchi University – 101st Partner Thailand Chulalongkorn University ASIA (20) United States (31) Boston College Carnegie Mellon University Emory University Georgia Institute of Technology Lehigh University Michigan State University New York University Northeastern University Ohio State University Purdue University Texas A&M University Tulane University University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Riverside University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz University of Florida University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Maryland University of Minnesota University of Pennsylvania University of Southern California University of Texas at Austin University of Virginia – 100th Partner University of Wisconsin-Madison Washington University in St. Louis U G N E W S A U G U S T 2 0 0 8 1 0 Exchange-Out Boston College, US Korea University, South Korea Yonsei University, South Korea National University of Singapore, Singapore Singapore Management University, Singapore Ceram Sophia Antipolis, European School of Business, France Monterrey Tech University, Mexico New York University, US Queen's University, Canada University of Alberta, Canada University of Texas at Austin, US University of Wisconsin – Madison, US York University, Canada University of Florida, US University University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign, US of Southern California, US ESC Rouen, France Lancaster University, UK LKAEM, Poland Tilburg University, the Netherlands Ceram University, France McGill University, Canada H K U S T B U S I N E S S S C H O O L 11 Exchange-In Photo Gallery University of New South Wales, Australia Ohio State University (OSU), US – January 2008 (Winter Program) IESEG, France – June 2008 (Summer Program) Study Tours U G N E W S A U G U S T 2 0 0 8 1 2 USA Hong Kong Chi Walt Disney International College Program, USA Ernst & Young Scholarship and Internship Program, HK & Beijing Queenie Ka-Yi Lui (Accounting, Year 3) I am very glad to have this opportunity to share my work experience in the Ernst & Young Scholarship and Internship Program. In this 8-week internship program, I worked in HK and also the Beijing office. It was a very interesting experience and gave me a lot of valuable memories. When I was working in the audit department, I was able to participate in different projects. By involving in these projects, I acquired some audit techniques, and now have a better understanding about auditing. I also had the chance to meet more people and colleagues when switching from one project to another. After six weeks in HK, we visited the Beijing office. Over this period, we worked closely with the colleagues in Beijing and found that the culture in China is totally different. It allowed me to appreciate the culture in the Mainland and value our cultural differences. In this internship program, I met a lot of good friends and colleagues. I really like the company culture and people in Ernst & Young. It was a very wonderful experience for me. Karen Man-Chun Tse (Management, Year 2) Working, learning and living at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida was a unique work and cultural exchange experience. I met people from all over the world and made a lot of friends. I have learned more about different cultures and had many interesting experiences during my time in a very diverse and multicultural environment. It was really a fruitful internship and a life-changing experience. Cathy Lai-Fong Chan (Marketing, Year 2) Joining the Disney College program was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It was truly far more than just working in a foreign country. Through working and interacting with people from different parts of the world, I now understand more about cultural differences. More importantly, I have started to appreciate the open-mindedness of the overseas culture and have become more open-minded myself. I used to be shy and a bit passive, but now I am very open or even proactive to make non-local friends and face challenges. It is definitely the most rewarding bonus I have gained from this program. MAINLAND AND OVERSEAS INTERNSHIPS H K U S T B U S I N E S S S C H O O L 13

Japan Shinsei Bank, Japan Matthew Yat-Chiu Fok (Quantitative Finance, Year 3) I was very lucky to have the chance to go abroad for some valuable job experience last summer. My internship at the Shinsei Bank in Tokyo has enabled me to learn various skills through practical work. My job was to promptly deliver relevant and accurate data to my colleagues. There was no room for any misunderstanding. I enjoyed the working culture in Japan . I found it very welcoming to see how well people were able to cater for the needs of others. For example, there was a regular session where I could meet and chat with my seniors over drinks. I also had numerous other chances to enrich my network through these types of gatherings. I even attended a gathering of UST alumni in Japan, which was again very enlightening. And of course, to add to all these, the fact that I could travel around Japan in my free time was something that I very much enjoyed. The entire experience has broadened my views of this wonderful country and will benefit me for the rest of my life. Hua Xia Bank, Beijing Chui-Ying Chan (Finance, Year 2) I had an inspiring and rewarding summer in Beijing last year. Not only did I expand my understanding about China, but I also made a lot of friends. There is a Chinese saying that ‘seeing the world is better than only studying books’, I learned a lot more about the history of China after visiting many famous sightseeing spots such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace. I also discovered that people in Beijing are very hospitable and nice. In particular, my colleagues taught me a lot about the daily operations of the bank. They sometimes brought me to try the local desserts after work. We became good friends, and have kept in touch since then. Another benefit of the internship is that I can speak Mandarin much more confidently now. I highly recommend this program to every UST student. Johnson Kai-Tsun Lai (Quantitative Finance, Year 3) My overseas internship experience in Japan was an extremely special one. Working in the Japanese society was a lot different from what I had expected. Being in a foreign country for only 10 weeks and where very few people spoke my language, I learnt to be more independent and to adapt to a completely new culture. It seemed to be a formidable task for me at the beginning but turned out to be an exciting and rewarding experience. I realized that the real key to excellence in business is not the ability to do quantitative analyses quickly in my head; rather, it is mental toughness. I overcame a lot of obstacles and found out the main obstacle to achieving “the impossible” may be a self-limiting mindset. Overall, the learning curve was steep and the exposure was a unique one. This experience has truly enlightened my vision. INTERNSHIPS U G N E W S A U G U S T 2 0 0 8 1 4 Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) “It was very interesting to find out how new evolving consumption habits of teenagers threaten the solid foundation of advertising income of TVB. The message from the management level from TVB advises that observation and solution are important for a business to stay ahead of the game.” Ebe Chan, (Global Business, Year 1) To bring students closer to the business world, the School organizes regular visits to companies in different industries in Hong Kong. In these visits, students get to meet with company representatives, talk to senior management of the corporations, tour around their offices, and sometimes be greeted by HKUST alumni who are working at these companies. These activities help students become better equipped for their future careers in the business field. Exxon Mobil and the ElectriCity Power Station “I gained a lot by visiting the electric generators and will consider my future career in the oil and gas industry.” Wai-Pong Tang, (Economics, Year 3) Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) “Visiting different offices in RBS was the most beneficial part for me as we now have a better understanding about how the bank operate after the visit. We rarely have a chance to know about the working environment in an investment bank but this visit provided us with such an opportunity.” Tony Chan, (Quantitative Finance, Year 1) “The workplace visit with newly hired staff was the most beneficial to me. It gave me an insight into the atmosphere of working in an investment bank, and I got to know more about the exact requirements of different divisions in RBS. To better equip myself, I may take more courses related to derivative securities.” Hebe Liu, (Finance, Year 2) Business Connections 1 5 H K U S T B U S I N E S S S C H O O L Technical knowledge is important but communication, interpersonal and leadership skills are also essential ingredients for business success. In view of that, the School arranges various workshops to help its undergraduates polish and sharpen their soft skills. These workshops cover a broad theme from stress management to discovering an Enneagram personality leadership type, from resume writing to interview tips, and from team building to leadership. September Create the Leaders of Tomorrow How to Plan Your Career Journey CEO 實戰手記 形象 小技巧 大影響 IQ company Visit: Cathay Pacific Airways October A Career in Investment Banking Career Journey Workshop Company Visit: Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Company Visit: 3M November The Importance of Image Management How to Avoid Common Interview Mistakes Upcoming Workshops Updated workshops schedule can be found at the School’s UG website (www.bm.ust.hk/ug). In-house MBTI® Facilitators The Myers-Briggs Type Indictor (MBTI) is a self reporting personality inventory, designed to help people understand their natural preferences, motivations, and potential areas for growth. This assessment has been widely adopted in many multinational corporations around the world to help promote an organization’s teamwork and communications. The School believes that the MBTI Assessment would be a beneficial exercise for business students. Six colleagues from the School’s Undergraduate Programs Office have gone through the MBTI® Accredited Training Program and have now become certified MBTI facilitators. Commencing from the Fall semester of 2008/09, the School will offer the MBTI Assessment service to all its undergraduates on a regular basis. Students can opt to receive a copy of the MBTI® Career Report showing how their MBTI type affects their career explorations. The report also discusses the benefits of choosing a job that is a good fit for their individual personality types. Coming Soon 16 U G N E W S A U G U S T 2 0 0 8 ACHIEVEMENTS Five awardees of the Sir Edward Youde Memorial (SEYM) Scholarships 2007-08 These are annual competitive scholarships open to post-secondary students in Hong Kong. In addition to interviews, the SEYM Council also considers applicants’ extracurricular activities, community services, language proficiency and their contributions to HK in the selection process. Despite the keen competition, five students, Florence Wai-Ying Hui (Finance, Year 2), Kai-Wing Lee (Global Business, Year 2), Yvonne Yan-Woon Lo (Global Business, Year 1), Chun-Wai Ng (Accounting, Year 2) and Ka-Man Yeung (Global Business, Year 2) successfully secured the scholarships. First runner-up in the Barclays Capital Technology Challenge A team of four final-year students, Pau-Yau Foo (Quantitative Finance), Kelvin Lai (Economics and Finance), Johnson Lai (Quantitative Finance) and Jacky Lai (Finance) beat more than 10 finalist teams and took home the first runner-up trophy in the Barclays Capital Technology Challenge. The International Final was held in Singapore. “This competition let us realize that to become a successful professional in the finance industry, we have to be versatile in the way we need to possess broad knowledge and skills including Finance, Economics, Mathematics and IT. We have also learned how to break through our limits by using our strengths.” Kelvin Lai First runner-up in the L’Oreal Brandstorm Case Competition Another group of three, Heidy Yuen-Ting Chan (Marketing, Year 2), Veronica Kit-Ming Fung (Marketing, Year 2) and Henry Chun-Hong Tsang (Finance, Year 3) also took the fi rst runner-up trophy in the National Finals (HK) of the L’Oreal Brandstorm Case Competition. “Brandstorm has given us the opportunity to harness the marketing theories that we have accumulated and to realize our vision for the future of a dermo-cosmetic brand. The execution of this huge project, from marketing research to product design and promotion, could not have materialized without the support from the school and the generous guidance from many of our professors who dedicated time and effort to us even out of office hours. This experience is truly far more rewarding than we could have imagined.” Heidy Chan

H K U S T B U S I N E S S S C H O O L 17 Recipient of the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Award 2008 Albert Alcantra Martienssen (Quantitative Finance, Year 2) was honored to receive the competitive and selective Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Award. To secure the award, Albert had to distinguish himself as a leader in the community or school. 'The Goldman Sachs Global Leadership Program provided an opportunity for me to embark on the lifelong journey of global leadership – through debates, seminars, and talks with accomplished Global Leaders. Through my involvement in this program, I had the opportunity to meet many extraordinary and diverse people and was thus able to gain a new perception of what constitutes Global Leadership.' Albert Martienssen Winners of the 2008 PricewaterhouseCoopers Scholarship Program Two first-year Global Business students, Carrie Ka- Yuk Ng and Sunny Tsz-Wai Yap, chosen among eight finalists from different local universities, were awarded the PricewaterhouseCoopers Scholarship for 2008. In addition to the scholarship award, Carrie, being the first prize winner, will be granted an overseas internship at PwC’s London office in the summer of 2009 while Sunny will be working at their Hong Kong office. Recipient of the Citi Global Young Fellowship Jiazhen Liu (Accounting, Year 2) has come up on top by being one of the honored winners of the Citi Global Young Fellowship Program 2008. The Fellowship is open to local universities’ business undergraduate and MBA students. Apart from the US$8,000 case award Jiazhen is also entitled to an internship engagement at Citi’s Corporate Banking division this summer.

U G N E W S A U G U S T 2 0 0 8 18 Ms Judy Leissner, CEO of Grace Family Vineyards shared her experiences from working in a Multinational Corporation and then changing to a Small Family Business. Alumni Gatherings To make the alumni gatherings more interesting and meaningful, the School has arranged a few guest speaker talks for its UG alumni this year. Ms Judy Leissner, CEO of Grace Vineyards, and Ms Lousia Wong, Chinese Medicine Practitioner, were kind enough to share their experience on Career Change with our alumni and students. In April, Prof Jerome Yen from the Finance Department gave a seminar on the impact of subprime mortgage to our alumni. Prof Yen spoke about the current credit crunch, subprime issues and volatility in the market. He also discussed the outlook for business and the economy in 2008. “Linking the theory to the actual world made this seminar very useful and the speaker gave his own views.” Jacky Leung (BBA in Accounting, 1996) “This seminar helped me understand how the subprime crisis affects Asian markets, especially China and Hong Kong.” Gary Lai (BBA in Information Systems, 1994) “The talk by Ms Louisa Wong enabled me to learn more about the secrets of joyful and effective communication, as well as the keys to success.” Erica Kwok (BBA in Economics, 2007) Ms Louisa Wong, a former famous news anchor gave an insightful talk on her change to a Chinese Medicine Practitioner. 1 9 H K U S T B U S I N E S S S C H O O L p Graduate Updates Nelxon Chow PricewaterhouseCoopers, Beijing BBA in Information Systems, 2001 After spending a few years in the consulting field in Hong Kong, I have decided to relocate to Beijing to get more China experience. I have been working for the advisory arm of PwC since 2005 and have been assisting clients on supply chain and M&A deal projects. Thanks to the rapidly growing economy and its integration with the rest of the world, China has been capturing a lot of worldwide attention. I have not only been witnessing the transformation of China, I have been part of it. I have seen how the market has opened up for foreign trade, how infrastructure has improved for the Olympics, and how people’s behavior has changed in a positive way. The rate of development is simply astonishing. Business is good and I can enjoy a better work-life balance in Beijing. Global mobility is no doubt an important element for this inter-connected world. Ten years ago, many people were reluctant to work in China. Nowadays, however, a lot of westerners are mastering Mandarin in order to get a chance to work in China. HKUST has prepared me with a global mindset to accept challenges and changes. I am glad that I made the right choice 3 years ago to work in the Mainland. To me, the reward is tremendous – every day you learn a lot from the people around you. Vincent Lee Shinsei Bank, Tokyo, Japan BSc in Quantitative Finance, 2007 I joined Shinsei Bank in Tokyo as an intern during my second year summer at HKUST. Like many other people, the idea of spending a summer in Japan while gaining work experience was very appealing. It was so appealing that I have chosen Shinsei to start my career. Being a restructured Japanese Bank with foreign major shareholders, Shinsei Bank is in a unique position that is more Japanese than international banks and at the same time more international than local Japanese banks. It is this special position that enables Shinsei to create a different work culture in which I see more personal development opportunities. For almost one year, I have been working in the Specialty Finance Division, focusing on providing acquisition financing support for M&A activities. As an analyst, my duties include building financial models to assess the credibility for financing projects, preparing presentations for senior management and clients, and structuring acquisition financing facilities. I enjoy working in the corporate finance sector, largely due to its ever-changing work nature. U G N E W S A U G U S T 2 0 0 8 2 0 p Lorraine Lui BlackRock, New York, USA BBA in Global Business, 2005 During my final year of study at HKUST, I interned part time at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, which was an invaluable opportunity to meet and work with professionals in the financial industry. I made up my mind upon graduation to start my career in New York, where some of the world's most prominent financial institutions are headquartered. Luckily, I was referred to BlackRock by a friend and subsequently joined the Account Management Group to manage international institutional client relationships. In the past three years, I have worked with clients based in the US, Europe and Asia. Having been able to live, work, and immerse myself in New York’s culture has been captivating to say the least. Being much closer to the markets has presented exciting market opportunities, and I am thrilled to be working on assignments relating to these opportunities. HKUST has prepared me well both in academic and extra curricular terms. Some of my most cherished moments happened in my exchange semester. Experiences like these have enabled me to venture out of and expand my comfort zone. Of all things, I constantly remind myself to keep an open mind to things and people. Sue Ann Mak SP Jain Centre of Management, Singapore BBA in Management of Organizations, 2007 “I love my job”. This is my sincere and consistent one line reply to most who ask about my current work. My undergraduate business management study in HKUST provided me with countless opportunities to do presentations, not forgetting the language courses and the public speaking contests that affirmed my love for speaking and communicating. By graduation, I was certain of where my passion lay and pledged to assume work in related areas. Today, I am employed at SP Jain Centre of Management, Singapore campus, as an Academic Manager in the area of Business Communications for their MBA program. Some of my exciting responsibilities include running a 2-credit Communication course, organizing ad hoc communication skills workshops, and liaising with outside experts to give guest talks. Since the first day of class I have found myself reusing fundamental knowledge and experiences from HKUST. HKUST has helped me find my passion, and now Singapore provides a platform to manifest that passion. My work is not a job, it’s a joy! 2 1 H K U S T B U S I N E S S S C H O O L David Ting Morgan Stanley, London, UK BBA in Global Business and Finance, 2006 I left Asia to pursue postgraduate studies at the London School of Economics after graduating from HKUST, and then decided to join Deutsche Bank (DB) advising European Telecoms clients on mergers and acquisitions in London. After 1.5 years at DB, I joined Morgan Stanley to continue developing my career in Investment Banking. To date I have advised a wide range of clients from government organizations, private equity companies, to European blue-chip companies on multiple merger situations. I hope to build up more international experience by working in more cities in the future, and possibly spend a gap year one day volunteering in a developing country. I really enjoy travelling and trying out new hobbies. I have been lucky enough to visit close to 40 countries, and can now ski reasonably well after several skiing trips to the Swiss and French Alps. I am now looking forward to planned trips to Scandinavia, Morocco and Peru later this year. I believe that my experience at HKUST has given me the skills and confidence to take risks to operate out of my comfort zone. Joanne Wong Gemalto, Shanghai BBA in Operations Management, 2002 It’s hard to believe that it’s been 6 years since I graduated. Currently I am working in a multinational firm, responsible for the Asia planning and logistics functions. After graduation in 2002, I joined Gemalto as a management trainee. Two years later, I had an opportunity to relocate to the head office in France that is responsible for worldwide chip management. The European culture is very different from Asia. Luckily my participation in HKUST’s exchange program made it easier for me to adapt to a different working style quickly. My year in France went by in a flash, and then I was back in HK for half a year. My company then promoted me at the Asia level to manage 5 plants, and thus my life in Shanghai began. Now, I travel nearly every week. Sometimes I even don’t know where I will be tomorrow. Although I’ve been with the company for six years, life is still very exciting. Unlimited opportunities in the company are waiting for me. U G N E W S A U G U S T 2 0 0 8 2 2 MAKE A CHOICE TO IMPACT THE FUTURE INVEST IN trUST An international experience is priceless and almost an essential component of today’s undergraduate education. At the HKUST Business School, students can participate in Asia’s most extensive student exchange program, with more than 100 partner schools worldwide. Yet many well-qualified students can’t afford to go! What is trUST? It is a financial support scheme initiated by a group of business students with full support from the Business School and its Dean. It aims to provide grants or loans for students with financial needs to go on exchange without putting additional burden on themselves and their families Some Facts and Figures Cost of one-semester exchange to the US ranges from HK$40,000 to HK$80,000, in addition to the tuition fee. Over 60% of HKUST students come from low to middle income families with a monthly household salary of less than HK$20,000. Nearly 40% of students had never traveled overseas while over 70% had not traveled outside Asia. DONATION FORM Please return the completed form to the Undergraduate Programs Office by mail or by fax to (852) 2358 1467. For enquiry, please call (852) 2358 7536 or email to trust@ust.hk Donation Details I would like to donate to the “trUST fund” in the amount of HK$100 HK$200 HK$500 Other Amount I wish to establish a named scholarship in the amount of HK$20,000 HK$25,000 HK$30,000 Other Amount I wish to remain anonymous in donor listings Donor’s Information Name in English: Name in Chinese: (Please provide name as shown on HKID card or Passport for issue of official receipt) Tel No (Daytime): E-mail: Mailing Address: Company Name: Title: Payment Method Cheque (Cheque No:) Payable to “The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology” or “HKUST”. Please attach the cheque to the donation form. Direct Transfer Please credit the donation to HKUST bank account 024-361-008071-688 (Hang Seng Bank) and send the pay-in slip along with the donation form. Credit Card Visa Master Cardholder’s Name: Card No: Expiry Date (MM/YY): Signature: Date: “In you, we trUST” We believe that YOU, as a business leader, can spot a worthy investment when you see one. Thanks for Your Generous Support! H K U S T B U S I N E S S S C H O O L 2 3