Feb 2018 Celebrating the Joy of Graduation Feature - Graduation Season Rising to the Challenge Towards Sustainability 2017 FBE GRADUATION CEREMONY The Faculty of Business and Economics Session of the HKU 198th Congregation sustainability-driven investments, following took place at the Grand Hall of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre the government’s commitment to promote green financing. on November 1, 2017. More than 3700 graduates from the Class of 2017, with their families and friends, attended the Graduation Ceremony, together with over 60 She emphasised that “green is good”—both Procession Members, including the Presiding Officer, Provost and Deputy Vice- for the environment and for business – and called on the graduating class to recognise Chancellor Professor Paul Tam, and the Guest of Honour, Ms. Helen Wong. the opportunities that are coming their way, with China’s transition into a more sustain- able economy and Hong Kong’s commit- ment to becoming a green financial center. Moreover, she urged them to “be no strang- er to sustainability,” and to be flexible and open-minded as they take on multi-faceted roles that will require them to develop solu- tions while looking at different factors in science, technology, government and finance. Business leaders, consultants, insurers, asset managers, institutional investors, and bank- ers alike will have to understand the disci- plines of one another, and more, to deliver s. Wong, proud HKU alumnus and cur- out the need for today’s young business graduates to high-impact work as they help realise the rently Group General Manager and Chief become part of the increasing global response against growing roster of environmental projects in M Executive of HSBC Group and HSBC these life-damaging threats. She cited the country-spe- the region. Greater China respectively, opened her speech cific sustainability commitments driven by the 2015 with observations on the diversification and trans- Paris Agreement, and how this unified effort to lim- In closing, Ms. Wong reminded the new grad- formations she has encountered between the time it global average temperature rise will require infra- uates of the university’s proud tradition of she graduated in 1983 and the present. Among the structure investments over the next 15 years. She also “rising to the occasion,” referring to the ur- transformations that will significantly impact the noted the emergence of new business models such gency of addressing climate change, in which future of the graduating class, she shared, is climate as e-vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines, and hi-tech their talents are going to be most useful. She change. She called on “tomorrow’s corporate waste management systems, among others, in support rallied them to rise to this “epic task” and leaders, investors, and bankers” to harness their of a lower-carbon economy, especially in China where “historic opportunity” of serving the society, talents in developing solutions towards addressing greenhouse gas emissions have been most prevalent and creating a renewed global economy for this very urgent worldwide problem. since 2007. generations to come. Sharing the economic and productivity losses Ms. Wong pointed out that financing these sustainable caused by climate change, in the form of severe projects offer a timely opportunity for Hong Kong, as weather events and pollution, Ms. Wong pointed a longtime international financial center, to facilitate 02 03 Graduate Sharing My HKU journey has officially “It’s no use going back to yesterday come to an end. Looking because I was a different person back at the four years of my then.” (A quote from Alice’s university life, I see regrets and Adventures in Wonderland by disappointments, but those pale Lewis Carroll) Perhaps this compared to the tremendous joy perfectly describes my feeling upon and excitement I experienced graduation from HKU. along the way. ime flies, mind changes. The two-year MBA will definitely remember all the tireless nights journey, which is extraordinary and filled working at Chi Wah/Library/KKL, the frustra- T with excitement, has been completed. I tion of trying to solve econometrics prob- Undoubtedly, the diversified class portfolio, lems, the joy of attending society welfare events, unique class structure, well-designed networking and many other little moments during the last four functions and social events have offered me years. Hopefully some day in the future when I look excellent opportunities to build a rapport with classmates from multiple disciplines and broaden Mr. Bernie Chan at the photos again, I can still remember all these Ms. Carol Hui wonderful moments as vividly as I do today. my horizons. BEcon&Fin, 2017 MBA, 2017 “HKU is a journey, not a destination” - this is the Thanks to the continued support from the Faculty tagline on the tote bag we got on the very first day and the MBA Office, I trust that all the experience, at HKU. It has been a wonderful journey and thanks learnings, and friendship acquired from the Pro- to everyone I met during my university years - you gramme will further enlighten my mind and life in all are the people with whom I have built great the years ahead. Precious memories are the key memories together. Let’s stay in touch as we march not to the past but to the future. on to a new stage of life! It is only with the support and Every time when I walk pass guidance of our professors and the KKL lecture halls, I always mentors that we are able to maximise feel like I am still a student. To our learning and never be satisfied me, graduating from HKU has with the status quo. provided me with a good start to a promising career. e also owe thanks to all those, both within and outside the Faculty, whose assistance W have contributed to our success. People ow that I am in the workplace, I can truly who helped handle various forms and documents, re- appreciate the value of the courses I took minded us of different deadlines, answered our count- at HKU over the past four years. At ev- less and trivial enquiries, they have been crucial in the N ery networking event where I met my old friends smooth progress of our degrees. For that, we sincerely from HKU, we would always reminisce about the express our deepest gratitude. good old times in the Faculty of Business and Eco- nomics. Under the leadership of Dean Hongbin Big hugs also undoubtedly go to our families and Cai, I am certain that FBE will continue to set new friends, who have all the way been standing by us when standards of excellence. Miss Stephanie Cheng we were happy, sad, tired, nervous, excited or stressed. Mr. Stephen Tsang BBA(IBGM), 2017 Families and friends, you share every episode of our BBA(Acc&Fin), 2017 success. It is only with your love and support that we Graduate Representative can go through and move onto our next chapter of life. We hope to make you proud. We hope we already did and we will strive to become an even better person for your and for ourselves. 04 05 Feature - Graduation Season The IMBA Graduation Reception was held at the Re- naissance Harbour View Hotel after the Faculty Con- IMBA gregation Session. The cocktail reception was special- ly hosted for graduates, their family members, and Graduation faculty members, who came together to celebrate the students’ fruitful experiences and accomplishments Alumni Reception 2017 during their memorable university years. ore than 170 IMBA graduates were each Dean Hongbin Cai delivered a congratulatory note to Welcome conferred an IMBA degree at the Faculty IMBA graduates and led a toast to the exciting new Congregation Session held for all Class of chapter in their lives. Dean Cai and Associate Deans M from Faculty of Business and Economics and Fudan 2017 students graduating from both undergradu- Party ate and postgraduate programmes in the Faculty of University School of Management also used the oc- Business and Economics. casion to present awards to three Outstanding IMBA Teachers and 20 outstanding graduates. The Alumni Welcome Party for the Class of 2017 successfully took place at Rayson Huang Theatre, HKU on June 2, 2017. Over 170 alumni-to-be participated in the joyous occasion, where they were joined by alumni from different years who returned to thank their professors, classmates Events and friends. Information Day n her sharing, Miss Tiffany Chan, BBA, Class of 2017, looked back on her university life and reflected that “the change in our identity has also brought about a change in the way we relate to HKU, with a new focus on our 2017 for I responsibility to contribute to its competitiveness as a world-class institution.” She also cited Sir Isaac New- ton’s well-known saying, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants,” in expressing gratitude for HKU and inspiring the next graduating class: “Our heartfelt thanks go to HKU for her stewardship, support, Undergraduate and guidance. We have been standing on the shoulders of this giant for quite some time, we shall start to gather our strengths and make the giant bigger and stronger.” Admissions n November 4, 2017, the Faculty of Business and Economics hosted more than 20 sessions of ad- their parents with important O mission and programme talks at the 2017 HKU information about admission Information Day, an event that attracted thousands of requirements and proce- visitors. The sessions provided prospective students and dures, interview arrange- ments, features of different academic programmes and university life at the Faculty in general. The Faculty displayed pro- gramme information at an exhibition and distributed ad- mission brochures to visitors.