Welcome to this special edition of CONNECT, CUHK Business School’s magazine. This year is the 50th anniversary of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and it’s my pleasure to introduce this commemorative issue, which outlines the key moments in our history—moments that have helped to shape and define CUHK Business School.

I am proud of the School’s history, which is known for many pioneering successes such as being the first school in Hong Kong to offer BBA, MBA and EMBA programs. The university’s founding Vice Chancellor and President Prof. Choh-Ming Li, a professor of business administration from the University of California, Berkeley, set the direction of “East Meets West” from day one. Later on, Dean Kin Chok Mun played a pivotal role in the 1980s and 1990s to help set up business education in universities in China. The School’s unique role as a pioneer of business education continues with CUHK as the first university in Hong Kong to open a new campus in Shenzhen, China. Planning and preparation is well under way for this campus, which will be offering a range of business programs starting in September 2014.

I would like to thank and acknowledge the dedicated and ground-breaking endeavors of staff and students from CUHK Business School, both past and present. Their work has been carried out with tears, joy and deep affection for the School and it is these efforts that have underpinned the School’s many achievements. The same dedication lives on today and I have every confidence that over the next 50 years, CUHK Business School will continue to bring further defining innovations to business education in Hong Kong and beyond.

Prof. T.J. Wong

Dean’s Message

Profile: The Chinese University of Hong Kong

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was established in 1963 after the amalgamation of existing colleges which date back to 1949

The Vice Chancellor & President is Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung

CUHK has eight faculties (Arts, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Science, Social Science) and 62 academic departments

CUHK is ranked 40th in the QS World University Rankings 2012 and four of its academic staff have been awarded Nobel Laureates

CUHK is based on a collegiate system of nine colleges

CUHK has 23,000 students, 3,000 of whom are from outside Hong Kong

Profile: CUHK Business School (The Faculty of Business Administration)

The Dean is Prof. T.J. Wong

The Business School is comprised of two schools (Accountancy, Hotel & Tourism Management) and four departments (Finance, Decision Sciences & Managerial Economics, Management, Marketing)

It has over 4,500 students (full-time/part-time)

Over 500 undergraduate and postgraduate business students embark on an international exchange during regular term time annually

CUHK Business School is the first business school in Hong Kong to offer MBA and Executive MBA programs

The MBA program is ranked 27th in the world in 2013, and the EMBA program was ranked 17th in the world in 2012, by the Financial Times

The School runs dual MBA degree programs with HEC in France; Rotterdam School of Management in the Netherlands; and the University of Texas at Austin in the United States. It also runs joint programs with Cambridge Judge Business School in the United Kingdom and MIT Sloan School of Management in the United States; as well as masters teaching partnerships with Tsinghua University and Shanghai National Accounting Institute in China

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BLAZING THE TRAIL for Business Education in Hong Kong

The history of The Chinese University of Hong Kong is deeply intertwined with the establishment of Hong Kong’s very first formal tertiary education program in business administration. This can mainly be attributed to the fact that Prof. Choh-Ming Li, the founding Vice Chancellor and President of CUHK, came from a business education background. He was a professor of business administration at the University of California, Berkeley in the United States before joining CUHK.

In the 1960s, it was said that among all business administration professors in the leading business schools in the United States, only two were of Chinese origin and one was Prof. Choh-Ming Li. The other one was Prof. David Li, who was teaching at the University of Washington, Seattle at the time. He joined CUHK as the second director to manage its MBA program.

At that time, industries in Hong Kong were just starting to take off on a meaningful scale, and local managers with a business

administration degree were almost unheard of, let alone university business professors. Thus, the appointment of Prof. Choh-Ming Li blazed the trail of business education in Hong Kong and established the nurturing ground for professional managers to equip them with a systematic education in all areas of modern business administration.

When Prof. Choh-Ming Li came on board, he set the tone for the future direction of the university. With his background in Berkeley, a world-class research university in the United States, a major goal was for CUHK to attain an international standard. Another key goal was to focus on China and the Chinese culture for research and teaching.

As such, a strong emphasis on both globalization and quality research with a Chinese character emerged as the main themes for CUHK, and subsequently, for what would later become the Business School.

Prof. Choh-Ming Li (right) was the first President and Vice-Chancellorof The Chinese University of Hong Kong

The CUHK Business School has been a pioneer of business education in Hong Kong since the 1960s. A journey back in time reveals the academic and cultural heritage behind the School’s success.

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Prof. Choh-Ming Li (second from the left) sharing enthusiastically with students

January 2002: Asia Inc. ranks CUHK No. 1 in Asia-Pacific for MBA

Encompassing a Global Vision

Since day one, CUHK has strived to become a comprehensive research university with a global vision. Its mission has been to combine tradition with modernity, and to bring together the East and the West. With this vision as a guiding principle, the Business School has developed into one of the leading business schools in the world.

The Business School’s origin dates back to the establishment in 1963 of the university itself, with each of the three founding colleges having either a faculty or department that taught business subjects. In 1966, the Lingnan Institute of Business Administration was established, launching the first ever two-year MBA program in Hong Kong.

In 1970, Prof. John Espy, a doctorate graduate from Harvard Business School, joined the Lingnan Institute as Deputy Director and under the leadership of Prof. H. Sutu, the then MBA Director, successfully introduced a part-time three-year MBA program in 1977, which immediately became highly popular. Prof. Espy pioneered the use of case studies in MBA courses in Hong Kong and contributed to the continuous improvement of the CUHK MBA program until 1988.

Over the years, the School has internationalized its curriculum through a range of teaching partnerships and its MBA and EMBA programs work with leading universities in Europe, North America, South America and Mainland China.

At the undergraduate level, the School offers Bachelor of Business Administration programs, which specialize in international business such as Global Business Studies (GBS), International Business and Chinese Enterprise (IBCE) and the Asian Business Studies (ABS) modules. The School has also been sending its students overseas in exchange programs so they can form a global perspective through first-hand experience. Currently, more than 500 undergraduate and postgraduate business students participate in formal exchange programs throughout the regular academic year.

In 1999, the Business School became one of the first two business schools in Asia to be accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International and in 2000, it established the first Beta Gamma Sigma chapter in Hong Kong—and the first chapter outside North America.

While the Business School has been mindful of attaining an international standard in teaching and research from the day the university was founded, it realized that to attract the best students—not just locally but internationally—it was necessary to achieve high rankings on a global scale. In 2002, Asia Inc. ranked CUHK No. 1 in Asia-Pacific for MBA. The MBA and EMBA programs were ranked Top 27 and 17 by the Financial Times in 2013 and 2012, respectively. When it comes to research with a Chinese character, the Business School continues to publish world-class research in A-grade journals and as such, continues to fulfill its mission of bridging China and the West.

Along with the expansion of its programs, the Business School has also continually upgraded its infrastructure over the years. Key expansions include:• the establishment of the MBA Town Center in 1983;

• the launch of the first teaching hotel in Hong Kong, Hyatt Regency Shatin, alongside a new teaching building in 2008;

• the move from Leung Kau Kui Building to the new Cheng Yu Tung Building, a state-of-the-art facility;

• the opening of the Finance Trading Lab equipped with Bloomberg and Reuters terminals; and

• the opening of the Shenzhen Executive Center in 2011 to offer the EMBA program to Chinese students.

Coming up, CUHK will be opening its Shenzhen Campus and enrollment of business undergraduates is expected to start in 2014. The 1-million sq. m. campus in Longgang District will eventually house a total of 11,000 students. The establishment of this campus is another pioneering project toward the bridging of China and the West.

Top Research with a Chinese Character

Prof. Kam-Hon Lee, currently Emeritus Professor of Marketing at the CUHK Business School, who has previously served as the Dean, Director of MBA Programs, as well as Director of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, shares his perspective after having served as a student, teacher, researcher and leader of the Business School for almost 50 years.

“Even up to now, if you review the research and publications from CUHK, we are unique in the whole world,” says Prof. Lee. “First, you can see that we are one of the business schools that have attained international-level recognition. Then, among our publications, a significant portion carries a Chinese character. There are many business schools in the world that publish regularly in leading business journals. But very few would focus on China and the Chinese culture. So practically, an overwhelming majority of publications do not carry a Chinese character. On the other hand, many business schools in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan do research along this line, but they do not get published as frequently as we do. So this is the unique position of our research scholarship.”

Fast forward to the present day, the launch in June 2013 of the “China Business Knowledge” (CBK@CUHK) portal is proof that the School has closely followed its heritage and taken it one step further—to bring the depth and breadth of its academic and practical knowledge about China business to the global academic and business communities and lay people alike.

Fueling the Demand for TalentsFrom the 1960s to 1990s, Hong Kong rapidly rose to become one of Asia’s Four Dragons along with Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea. The demand for well-educated business professionals was insatiable. It was during this period that the CUHK Business School saw rapid development as a pioneering and ground-breaking academic institution (see Timeline on pages 7-9).

A few key milestones include:• the launch of Hong Kong’s first MBA program in 1966, with an

initial class of six students;

• the establishment of a university-wide Faculty of Business Administration in 1974 (through the merging of the original Faculties of Commerce and Department of Economics and Business Administration); and

• the launch of the PhD program in 1985, the first Integrated BBA program in Hong Kong in 1986 and the first Executive MBA program in Hong Kong in 1993.

Ceremony for the laying of the foundation of the first teaching hotel in Hong Kong

The first Director of the Executive MBA Program was Prof. Kin Chok Mun (1st row, 7th from the left) with the first EMBA class at Tsinghua University

Supporting Business Education

Development in ChinaCUHK Business School has been a cornerstone for the development of business education in Mainland China. Although the degree system at universities was abolished during the Cultural Revolution, it was re-introduced in 1980. The “Open Door Policy” demanded formal business education for the young generation, but educators with the proper knowledge were sorely lacking.

During the 1980s many of the leading Chinese universities wanted to establish business schools and one of the strategies to do this was to send their engineering professors abroad to pick up business education knowledge. These professors could only speak Chinese and Russian so there was only one choice at the time and that was CUHK. They could not go to Singapore and Taiwan due to political and language reasons, whereas The University of Hong Kong taught only in English and did not have a comprehensive business education program since business was considered by the British colonists to be part of vocational training rather than higher education.

So from 1980 to 1995, the Business School received up to 30 academics from Mainland China each year. Prof. Kam-Hon Lee, who served as the MBA Director from 1987 to 1993, recalls: “They would sit in our classes and return to China to become department chairs and deans. That was the beginning of business education in China.”

At that time, Prof. Kin Chok Mun, who would later on become Dean of the School, played an instrumental role in helping the university to re-establish its ties with universities and ministries in the Mainland. As early as in 1978, he organized the first training courses in Hong Kong for executives from the Mainland. In the 1980s and 1990s, he traveled extensively in the Mainland to help universities set up programs in marketing and international business, as well as business administration.

It was through this knowledge exchange that our Business School has established a closely knit network with China’s leading business schools. “It might not be an overstatement to say that all the business schools in China have directly or indirectly benefited from the affiliation with our Business School,” says Prof. Lee.

Graduates Become Movers and ShakersDue to the School's historically strong ties with China, many of its alumni continue to be dedicated supporters of the economic development of China.

At the beginning of the Open Door Policy, only a limited number of Hong Kongers ventured into China. Nonetheless, many CUHK alumni boldly forged ahead to become business pioneers in this “virgin territory”— a unique feature of the School. Consequently, quite a number of executives in multinational corporations in charge of the China market today are CUHK Business School graduates.

Among all tertiary education institutes that offer business education in Hong Kong, our Business School has the largest alumni body—at about 26,000, partly due to the early establishment of its MBA program. Many alumni have become movers and shakers not only in the different commercial sectors, but also in the political arena. In addition, a number of them are playing a significant leadership role in shaping the business education in various universities in Hong Kong including The University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Baptist University and Lingnan University. “We made the contribution at the right time,” says Prof. Lee. “The 50th anniversary in a way is a celebration. You can see that our dreams have come true to a great extent.”

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1960s1963 The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is established. At that time,

New Asia College and United College each had a Faculty of Commerce, while Chung Chi College had a Department of Economics and Business Administration under the Faculty of Arts.

(From left to right) Dr. Mu Ch’ien, Former Head of New Asia College; Prof. Choh-Ming Li, Founding Vice Chancellor of CUHK; Dr. Chi-Tung Yung, Former Head of Chung Chi College and Mr. Tung-Choy Cheng, Former Head of United College

University's inauguration congregation at the Hong Kong City Hall

1966 CUHK is granted funds by the Trustees of the Lingnan University (currently Lingnan Foundation) in New York to establish “The Lingnan Institute of Business Administration” and launches the first two-year MBA program in Hong Kong.

The Lingnan Institute of Business Adminstration is established

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1990 The Asia-Pacific Institute of Business (APIB) is established to provide training programs, research and consultancy services for the business sector.

Seminar on cultural diversity sponsored by Asia-Pacific Institute of Business and MTR

1991 Leung Kau Kui Building is completed and until 2010, has been the home of the Faculty.

Opening of Leung Kau Kui Building in 1991

1993-94 The Department of Accountancy is renamed the School of Accountancy.

1993 The first Executive MBA (EMBA) program in Hong Kong is launched.

1998 The School of Hotel and Tourism Management is established and has its first intake of 50 students in 1999. The BSc Program of Quantitative Finance is also launched.

1990s

1980s

1970s

1981-82 The Division of Business Administration is established in the Graduate School, and in April 1982, this is merged into the Faculty of Business Administration under the name “MBA Division, Faculty of Business Administration.”

1983 The MBA Town Center is set up in Tsim Sha Tsui East, with an extension completed in 1996. In 2002, it is moved to the Bank of America Tower in Admiralty.

Town Center for the three-year MBA program opens in 1983

1985 The PhD program is launched, and in 1986, the first Integrated BBA (IBBA) program in Hong Kong is established.

1974 A new university-wide Faculty of Business Administration is established to replace the original Faculties of Commerce and Department of Economics and Business Administration. The new faculty consists of three departments: Accounting & Finance; General Business Management and Personnel Management; Marketing and International Business.

1977 Generous donations from renowned entrepreneurs and tycoons, including Mr. King-Hey Fung and Dr. Yu-Tung Cheng, enable CUHK to launch the first three-year part-time MBA program in Hong Kong.

(From left) Mr. King-Hey Fung, Dr. Yu-Tung Cheng and Prof. Choh-Ming Li

2000 The Faculty launches the MBA program in Finance with Tsinghua University.

2002 The BBA Program in Insurance, Financial & Actuarial Analysis, the OneMBA program (later renamed Global EMBA program) and the MBA program in Health Care are launched.

The first batch of OneMBA students, class of 2004, at the Latin America Global Residency in Monterrey, Mexico

2002 The Executive Master of Professional Accountancy (EMPAcc) program is launched in partnership with Shanghai National Accounting Institute.

2004 The Faculty launches an Executive MBA (China) program with Xian Jiaotong University.

2005 The Global Business Studies (GBS) program is launched.

2005-06 A Dual MBA Degree with the HEC Paris is introduced.

2006-07 A Dual MBA Degree with the University of Texas at Austin and a Joint MBA/JD with the School of Law is launched.

2007 CUHK MBA students host the first student-led Corporate Social Responsibility Conference in the region.

2007-08 The first Joint MBA/MSc in Finance is launched.

2008-09 The region’s first Entrepreneurship Concentration in the MBA program is introduced.

2008 The first teaching hotel in Hong Kong with a new teaching building is established.

Grand opening in 2011 of teaching hotel with state-of-the-art food and wine laboratories

2009 A new undergraduate program, BSc in Quantitative Finance and Risk, is launched.

2009-10 A joint two-year program with MIT Sloan is introduced, giving students a CUHK MBA and an MIT MSc in Management Studies.

2010s2000s2010 The Faculty is housed in the new Cheng Yu Tung

Building. The Finance Trading Lab is launched.

Opening of Finance Trading Lab at Cheng Yu Tung Building in 2010

2010-11 A Dual MBA program with RSM Erasmus is launched and a new undergraduate program, International Business and Chinese Enterprise (IBCE), is launched.

2011 The EMBA (Chinese) program is offered in both Shenzhen and Hong Kong and the Shenzhen Executive Center is opened.

2011 The Faculty of Business Administration, The Chinese University of Hong Kong is rebranded as CUHK Business School with a new brand platform and logo.

The launch of the new brand identity at Cheng Yu Tung Building in 2011

2012 The Center for Business Innovation and Globalization (Center BiG), based in the CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, is opened.

2013 The School launches its new website on China business called China Business Knowledge@CUHK (CBK@CUHK).

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PROF. LEE, KAM-HON

Dean of the Business School from 1993 to 1999Director of MBA Program from 1987 to 1993Director of School of Hotel and Tourism Management from 2001 to 2012Emeritus Professor of Marketing

I came to study business at CUHK in 1963, the year the university was established. I have never left CUHK since 1963. I studied for my undergraduate degree from 1963 to 1967, and for my MBA from 1967 to 1969. I served as a faculty member from 1969 to 2012. (I studied for my Ph.D. at Northwestern University from 1972 to 1975. Yet, during this period, I was still a CUHK faculty member on leave.) I continue my affiliation with CUHK after retirement as Emeritus Professor of Marketing. Whenever I reflect on what I have gone through at CUHK, I can count many blessings. Many times, even hardship is a blessing in disguise. Dreams come true one after another. There

A Snapshot

RECOLLECTIONS –Academic and Administrative Staff

are so many brilliant and exemplary colleagues and students. This is a community of scholars any person would treasure. This is my intellectual home.

1. Prof. Lee teaching business negotiation (2009)2. Souvenir presentation to Prof. Lee by CUHK Council Chairman

Dr. Vincent H.C. Cheng during the 2013 dinner for Honorary Fellows

3. Prof. Lee and his family together with Prof. and Mrs. William F. O’Dell. Prof. O’Dell taught Prof. Lee marketing research in the CUHK MBA program

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PROF. CHAN, ANDREW CHI-FAI

PROF. MUN, KIN CHOK Dean of the Business School from 1981 to 1984 and from 1987 to 1993

Director of the Executive MBA Program from 1992 to 2002

Emeritus Professor of Marketing and Honorary Fellow of The Chinese University of Hong Kong

In 1972, the Faculty of Business Administration held an informal meeting at a restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui. The discussion began at noon covering issues on structural changes, curriculum revision and the future development of the BA Faculty. The meeting didn't end till much later that night at around 10pm and this was by far the longest Faculty meeting I ever had. Everyone, however, showed much enthusiasm during the discussion. We all took care of the lunch and dinner expenses ourselves and not one person fell asleep. This remains a very fond memory of mine during my time at CUHK.

1. Business executives from the Mainland attending an international marketing course in 1985

2. Prof. Mun presenting at a management education conference (1994)

Director, Executive MBA ProgramHead, Shaw College

I joined CUHK in 1973 as an undergraduate student. While studying toward a PhD at CUHK from 1985 to 1992, I was one of the very few to be both teaching and studying at the same time. During my career at CUHK Business School, I have held numerous academic and administrative roles, including Director of MBA Program, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and currently, Director of EMBA Program. I love the teaching and learning environment at CUHK as it has all the best ingredients for success, such as excellent students, administrators, teachers, tutors and alumni. It is my passion to act as a connector/facilitator for students’ success. This is what keeps me at this university for all these years.

As Director of EMBA Program since 2003, I am very proud of the many developments of the program. One of the most

poignant changes I’ve witnessed, is how the program has helped to mould the mindsets of our students—from local to regional, from regional to global and the merging of Eastern and Western business cultures. I am proud that we empower our EMBA students to better meet the needs of international markets.

During all my years at CUHK, I have a lot of precious memories. Recently, while on a study trip to the Netherlands, I received a phone call on my way to an ING meeting. The caller asked me to arrive earlier since a VIP wanted to meet me. I was most intrigued by this unexpected request—who was this VIP and why did he want to meet me? As soon as I saw him, I recognized him. It was James Poon, one of my past undergraduate students. James, who is the Managing Director of ING in China/Hong Kong, happened to be in the Netherlands the exact same day. It was a beautiful chance encounter and James explained how as a teacher I had inspired him by listening to him whole-heartedly whenever the opportunity arose. We talked and we hugged.

1. Meeting with one of Prof. Chan's past undergraduate students, Mr. James

Poon, in the Netherlands (2013) 2. World Cup Fever at the University

Mall (2010)

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PROF. GUILLOT, DIDIER Associate Professor of Practice in Management

Director, OneMBA Global Executive MBA Program

My first four years of teaching here can be best described by these two words: discovery and enjoyment. “Discovery,” because the unique culture of this university has naturally required me to remain curious. Organizational behavior is my field. I know it takes time and open-mindedness for an individual to fit into a new organizational environment. “Enjoyment,” because I have been able to meet some dedicated colleagues and students.

My fondest memories come from the cross-cultural groups I always encourage to form in my courses. I recall the initial apprehension of some students when they came in touch with classmates of different cultural backgrounds, the gradual warming and opening up to new experiences, and the sense of bonding after a few months of collaboration. That is what education is about — discovering oneself and the others. I am happy to work for an institution that strives to make that happen.

1. Prof. Guillot (second from left) with MBA students and Prof. Hugh Thomas (center)

2. Prof. Guillot visiting the Buddhist Po Ching Home for the Aged Women during a Business School volunteer day

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Supervisory Executive Officer of the MBA Programs, 1966 to 2006

I joined the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1966. At that time, the MBA Program was just established and it was the very first one in Hong Kong, with a founding class of only six students. As the only staff member of the program, I was responsible for helping the Director in every aspect of the operation—from recruitment of students, assignment of courses, setting of timetables, liaison with other units of CUHK and administrative duties.

During my time at CUHK, I witnessed the establishment of other business postgraduate programs in the faculty, as well as growing competition from other tertiary education institutions in Hong Kong. These were the greatest changes that I saw.

On a personal level, I was very satisfied with the rapport I built with the students. Each MBA student had to submit either a thesis or business research report and to make appointment with the Director through me. In the process I got to know them very well. They used to meet deadlines without me reminding them.

At the 35th anniversary gala dinner of the MBA program, I was asked to say a few words on stage. I was happy to have this opportunity to thank the directors, both past and present, and my colleagues, for their dedication and strong team spirit, without which I would not have been able to work so happily for so long in one organization.

My last day at the program was very memorable. I and all my colleagues took a group photo and they gave me a wonderful farewell party at the office. Besides a big cake, they also presented me a framed photo with photographs taken over all those years and the words "Dear Nora, Congratulations on your retirement! You have made a wonderful contribution to CUMBA for 39 years! We'll always miss you!”

Mrs. Lau with Prof. Andrew Chan at the CUMBA 45th anniversary gala dinner in 2012

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PROF. YU, JULIE HUNG-HSUA

PROF. YUEN, ANDREW CHI-LOK Assistant Dean, Co-director, Integrated BBA ProgramSenior Lecturer

During the days when I was a student at the CUHK Business School many years ago, I met lots of great professors (some of them are my colleagues now!) who offered big helping hands when I was in need, enlightened me when I was lost, and cared about me when I was sad. They became my role models of how to be a good teacher. Sometimes I would wonder why those good teachers could maintain such “irrational” persistence to be a “giver.” However, having been a teacher during the past four years, I’ve noticed that teaching can be very rewarding. In particular, I find my job very meaningful when students find

Associate Professor, Department of MarketingFounding Director, OneMBA Global EMBA Program

My past 25 years at CUHK have been an incredible journey, and I am grateful for various memorable events as a result of engaging with enthusiastic students. I embrace change and thrive in a dynamic environment by maintaining an optimistic view of uncertainties.

As a global citizen, I am delighted that our university has chosen to emphasize internationalization. On many occasions, we have been the first mover and launched several programs that have demonstrated visionary leadership in business education. My most challenging, but ultimately most rewarding, experience at CUHK was working with a

motivated team of champions at four other universities to lay the foundation for OneMBA. This truly global program allowed entrepreneurial executives to interact with like-minded seekers of knowledge, share their experience and apply business models to understand how both developed and developing economies operate, cooperate and compete.

I’m deeply grateful for all the learning opportunities that have emerged during our business faculty’s expansion. I am a firm believer that you attract what you’re ready for, so I continue to live in the moment and look toward the future, which represents an infinite succession of “presents.”

their directions and gain support for achieving their goals after chatting with me for hours. It is really encouraging that my care and affection for my beloved students is reciprocated when I’m tired, stressed and disappointed.

1. Prof. Yuen with Hanson Chan, President of the 29th Cabinet of the Society of Business Administration, at its inauguration ceremony2. Prof. Yuen with the champions of the Academic Cup 2012

1. OneMBA students on graduation day 2. Prof. Yu with her husband, Holger Gossmann

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PROF. YOUNG, DANQING

PROF. WANG, CONGAsscociate Professor, Department of Finance

Age is not a problem? Although most people think that it is wonderful to be young, a youthful appearance can in some cases be a bit of a disadvantage. I got to know this when I first started teaching the course of Corporate Finance to our EMPAcc students, who had a median age of over 40. I could see the doubt on students’ faces when I walked into the classroom. “Well, I wish I had gray hair.” That was how I started my self-introduction. Fortunately, I got very positive feedback from the students by the end of the course. One student even

Associate ProfessorDirector, Executive Master of Professional Accountancy Program

I joined the School of Accountancy in 1998. Time flies, many things have changed since then. Looking back at the past 15 years, there were so many fond moments in my life at CUHK, and most of them were related to the time I have spent with my colleagues. The several thousand lunches we ate together were an important source of information and inspiration that expanded my horizon. The time we spent in school retreats revealed to me who was a truly good-drinker and who was just bragging. The time we spent on overseas conference trips turned colleagues into close friends. Such friendships have helped me rise above the stress in my job and in my life. I expect to share more precious time with them in the future.

1. Prof. Young with friends and local drivers during a recent trip to Kenya2. Prof. Young with a 95-year-old man in Masai, Kenya

wrote me a thank-you note. “I feel lucky to be in your class. I was helping a corporate client to issue some convertible bonds and the case on convertible bonds that we discussed in the course helped me save millions for my client,” she wrote.

1. Prof. Wang (left in the first row) with MBA students2. Prof. Wang giving a lecture to EMPAcc students

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MIT SloanSchool of Management

The Business School thanks its educational partners on

the 50th anniversary of The Chinese University of Hong Kong

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From a university in the middle of nowhere to one that has made its mark in the world, frequently occupying high positions in global university rankings, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and its Business School in particular have certainly made remarkable achievements in the past 50 years. But for us the alumni, it still is and will always be that warm and charming little heaven which opens our mind to the outside world, fuels our dreams of youth and preserves the romance of our good old days. I still remember hearing the horn of an approaching train and rushing down from the hill to catch it. That was before the high-speed electric trains replaced the diesel trains in the early 1980s. I am proud to be an alumnus of CUHK. My organization frequently helps the Business School to run lectures and alumni events. I hope we can continue to contribute in making the CUHK experience a fulfilling and memorable one for the younger generation.

Albert Ng Chairman, China and Managing Partner, Greater China, EYBBA (First Class Honors), Class of 1981MBA, Class of 1988

MEMORIES – Alumni

We are the EMBA class with experience in both the East Ocean Center in Tsim Sha Tsui and the Bank of America Tower in Admiralty. We believe we were the only group of students who continued our class when all the schools in Hong Kong were closed due to the SARS attack. It was April 4, 2003. We were having our investment class and studying how Tsingtao Brewery became the very first company to list H-share on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. We decided to have a private, improvised party, enjoying beer, pizza and snacks—without wearing masks, with proper clearance from the MBA Town Center management of course—on this Children's Day on a CUHK premise. That was probably a very late Children's Day for all of us in that age group, but what a wonderful and playful experience in life!

Rocky Lok Chief Financial Officer, KFCMember of the award-winning King’s Harmonica QuintetClass Representative, EMBA, Class of 2003President, MBA Alumni Association, 2005-2010

Winnie Yeung

My days at CUHK were always fruitful and memorable. I spent 5.5 years in total for my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees there. It was a privilege to be a business student at CUHK, one of the most competitive business schools in the world. I had the honor to represent our university to take part in various international business case competitions, such as IBC at the University of Texas at Austin; MICC at UCLA; TUBC at Thammasat University in Thailand and more.

The intensive training, sleepless nights, rigorous discussions and brainstorming sessions, and the teammates with whom I laughed and cried, became the best memories in my life. Thanks to CUHK, not only did I make good friends and widen my horizon, the business sense and organization and presentation techniques I obtained from these competitions have had a long-lasting impact on my career.

CUHK, happy birthday and I love you!

Immediate Past President, JCI Hong Kong JayceettesBusiness Development Manager, Health Co.BBA, Class of 2006; LLM, Class of 2010

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Armed with an MBA degree from CUHK in 1974, I began a 19-year tenure with the Bank of America, assuming a variety of senior management roles in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Manila, Beijing and New York and covering every aspect of the banking industry. This year I celebrate my 20th anniversary with the AIA Group. As its Group Chief Investment Officer, my main responsibility is to manage and grow AIA’s US$100 billion+ portfolio of investments across 16 markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

Over the years, I have been able to assume leadership roles across a broad range of disciplines because of a can-do attitude toward problem solving, strategic and critical thinking skills and the ability to manage people from different backgrounds and cultures—skills that the excellent business leadership program at CUHK has helped to develop. The enduring impact on me—and others who have gone through the doors of CUHK—is strong, ethical leadership and a passionate commitment toward the betterment of society.

Group Chief Investment Officer, AIA Group MBA, CUHK Lingnan Institute of Business Administration, Class of 1974

When I was studying for my three-year MBA part-time program at CUHK in the early 1980s, I usually had to rush to class after work two evenings a week. I vividly remember eating McDonald’s burgers in class. In those days, Prof. John Espy was the first one to introduce case studies in MBA classes, which were both interactive and inspiring. The program offered at CUHK afforded me the opportunity to be well-positioned for the next level of my career. It also helped me achieve my ambition.

CUMBA’s strong alumni network enhanced my exposure to knowledge and connected me with people. Though I graduated all those years ago, I am still in close touch with some of my classmates and alumni members, both to talk business and to catch up with one another. Indeed, the network at CUHK is an asset that I treasure.

Michael Wong Director & Group Principal Advisor, Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.Three-Year MBA Part-time Program, Class of 1984

Chief Executive, EP Venture HK Ltd.First-ever rider to represent Hong Kong in the Paralympics Equestrian CompetitionMBA, Class of 2004

If it wasn’t for my disability of cerebral pulsy, I may not have been driven to overcome the obstacles and obtain a higher education at CUHK. People often ask me, “How did you get the idea to be an entrepreneur?” The fact is, I did not know I was going to become one. When I was studying at CUHK for my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees of Business Administration, I was not especially ambitious. But my education and encounters there taught me to look beyond life’s limitations. I learned that success is all about your mentality, belief and confidence. Also, when a strong desire keeps popping up, I would visualize the outcome with joy. Going for CUMBA was definitely one such desire. I was particularly excited to be inducted as the Beta Gamma Sigma Honoree from the CUHK Chapter in 2012. This reminds me of the common thread between being an entrepreneur and an elite sportsman. It is about transcending and striving to excel. I believe I was planted with such a DNA when studying at the CUHK Business School.

Nelson Yip

John Chu

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Raymond SoI graduated 32 years ago and my relationship with the Business School was rekindled with the founding of the Business School Shanghai Alumni Association. We set up the association in April 2011 with the enthusiastic support of 20 alumni students. Within two years, our membership has grown to 80. We organize a dinner event every month, attracting 60 to 100 participants, including alumni members and Hong Kong and local Chinese business executives. It has become an excellent platform for fellow alumni students to enhance their professional and social life in Shanghai.

Everyone considers this an extraordinary story for an association that has no funding, no full-time staff and brand new. I was so impressed when 10 out of the 20 founding members volunteered to form the first executive committee, contributing time, resources and expertise. There is only one reason for our success: We are all proud to be a loyal member of the CUHK Business School!

Chair of the Shanghai Chapter of CUHK Alumni AssociationTwo-Year MBA, Class of 1981

Ricky WongI am delighted to be part of this special edition of CONNECT. My heartiest congratulations on the 50th anniversary of The Chinese University of Hong Kong! My university life started at an orientation camp, where we sang the song “Descendants of the Dragon” over 1,000 times. This marked the beginning of my journey of understanding myself, the community and our homeland, and I had five great years thereafter. Back in the old days, we had to take the old-fashioned trains to the campus. It was quite inconvenient and it took a long time to commute. So we often stayed in other classmates’ dormitories—with lots of “exciting” time under the patrol of the hostel wardens! I used to be one of the committee members of the Students’ Union. We skipped examinations, stayed up on countless nights for meetings at Benjamin Franklin Center. The most memorable experience was when we fought to defend the traditional three-year normative curriculum with thousands of lecturers and students gathered at the University Mall in the main campus. These are the precious moments that inspire my devotion and love toward this university and Hong Kong.

Chairman, City Telecom (HK) Ltd.BSc in Electronics, Class of 1985

Chang, Cheng Chiou President, Taoyuan Metro Corp. APEMBA, Class of 2009

I am very happy to have had the opportunity to take the Asia Pacific Executive Master of Business Administration (APEMBA) program. It is jointly offered by The Chinese University of Hong Kong and National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan to train senior managers in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mainland China. I feel that I have benefited a great deal, thanks to the highly knowledgeable professors, who were generous in sharing what they know, helping to broaden my horizon and enriching my life experience.

During the two years of study, I and my 24 classmates encouraged and helped one another. The most unforgettable memory is how we gathered at our little group headquarters and discussed business cases every day, forgetting about time and everything else. Even though we have graduated for many years, our friendship is still going strong. It is something I cherish. I will do my very best in the future to honor both universities.

CONNECT 19

PhD in Finance, Year 2

I was tremendously impressed by the magnificent

campus and the academic atmosphere at CUHK. The

beautiful path from my apartment leading to Cheng

Yu Tung Building provides me with a grand vista of the

Tolo Harbour and the smell of nature. I feel particularly

indebted to the department’s willingness to invest

in the PhD program, not only by offering sufficient

facilities, but also by inviting world-class finance scholars

to give us insightful lectures and creating chances for

us to cooperate with them. I find research fascinating as

nothing matters more than the imperishable beauty of

thinking in pursuit of the truth.

MOMENTS – Current Students

WAI, Chun Yin Mickey

BBA-Hotel and Tourism Management, Class of 2013The most exciting moment during my studies in hotel and tourism management was when I received the call that I was selected as an exchange student to Cornell University. The happiest time was when I worked as an intern at Cathay Pacific Airways and The Peninsula Hotel. I was most nervous when presenting to 10 VPs, COOs and GMs of the hotel school advisory board. It was most satisfying when I completed an academic research on social-media marketing. And the “wow” moment was when I volunteered in the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific and met 1,000+ top hospitality executives.

Master of Science Program in Marketing, Year 2

Senior Wholesale Manager, Crocs Hong Kong Ltd.

For a man, 50 is a sign of maturity, experience

and intelligence. As Confucius said: “At 50, I

knew the decrees of Heaven.” For a university,

50 is still a youthful age, full of vitality. Being

mature in its experience yet vibrant and

energetic in its outlook, CUHK is on its way to

becoming an unrivaled university in Asia or

even in the world in the next 50 years.

Let’s “Win, Celebrate and Improve!!”

Being the Director of Event Marketing of the 7th Annual CUHK MBA Corporate Social Responsibilities Conference, I was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with future world business leaders from different cultures. The process of organizing the CSR Conference for nine months has given me indelible memories. A fruitful outcome was accompanied by uncountable hours of meetings, late night discussions, arguments as well as laughters. I grew together with my classmates, teammates and friends at CUHK. Thank You. Happy 50th birthday!

MBA, Class of 2014

HOR, Phooi Sin

CHEN, Tao

CHENG, Pui Sai Pezzy

CONNECT20

I completed my Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees at CUHK

and I further pursued an MPhil here. I have been encouraged to

conduct research on a variety of interesting consumption phenomena

and I have also received training to develop a teaching career,

which I now consider my lifelong career. During my PhD studies,

I received valuable learning opportunities, such as attending the

world-renowned AMA Sheth Foundation Doctoral Consortium and

interacting with top scholars in the discipline. I am grateful for all these

wonderful experiences, brought to me by CUHK. On the occasion of

its golden jubilee, I wish that all incoming freshmen will enjoy the

exciting opportunities here and excel in this world-class university.

CHU, Maggie PhD in Marketing, Year 4

MA, Xiao Michelle

Master of Accountancy (Full Time), Year 1I really appreciate my student life at CUHK—especially the

beautiful campus and the precious opportunities it provides. The “campus talk” series from last September to November was the most impressive. I rushed to LSK Building almost every afternoon right after my classes. I think LSK may be my most

familiar building on campus! I learned a lot from those campus talks. Companies promoted their values to us, through which I got closer to the real business world. To know what we need is important, but what is also important to know is what

others need.

BSc - Quantitative Finance & Risk Management Science Program, Year 4Happy birthday to both CUHK and the Quantitative Finance Program for their respective 50th and 15th anniversary! I am very glad to be involved in this milestone celebration, sharing the joy with over 26,000 alumni across the globe and witnessing its continual endeavor to nurture business leaders. Endless support from the faculty, alumni and the career office has given me an all-round education, prestigious internship opportunities, and life-long memories during my exchange. CUHK is where opportunities abound and people are always willing to help. I am proud of being part of the family and send my best wishes for its future success.

CHOU, Hiu Lam Fiona

Senior Web Developer, The Walt Disney Company

It’s my pleasure to share with you my student life at CUHK.

The MSc ITM course does not only provide us with academic

knowledge, but also the insights, inspiration and creativity of the

modern business world. As a part-time student, the opportunity

of studying and working with classmates from different ages and

backgrounds is precious to me. I would like to express my thanks

to all the staff and classmates in the course, and to the university

for providing support to us.

PhD in Hotel and Tourism Management, Year 2

In 2000, I visited CUHK for the first time. At that time, there was no free travel from the Mainland to Hong Kong. However, I got a special permission because my mother was a PhD student here. Staying at CUHK was the most memorable experience in my life. For example, I got a chance to visit Scandinavian countries, the United States, Singapore and South Korea. I was deeply impressed by the amazing atmosphere at CUHK. As an 11-year-old girl, standing in front of the Pavilion of Harmony, I told myself: “I will be a CUHK student in the future.” Was this a serious decision? Nobody knows, but the fact is that in 2011, I became a PhD student here. Life seems to have gone full circle.

HOU, Yuansi Jessica

CHAN, Kung Shing Ervin

Master of Science Program

in Information & Technology

Management (Part Time), Year 1

CONNECT 21

QIAO, Ji Ying

LI, Flied

Executive Master of Professional AccountancyProgram (EMPAcc), 2010 Intake

Board Member, Director Strategy & Operation Dept., Midea GroupI feel proud to have been a student of such a remarkable institution as The Chinese University of Hong Kong. An international school with inspiring vision and an energetic atmosphere, CUHK impressed me not only because of its environment for academic excellence, but also because of its free-thinking and humanistic spirit, which can be felt throughout the campus. I congratulate CUHK Business Schoolon its monumental 50th anniversary, and wish it all the bestin the future!

LO, Sung Wing MarcusPostgraduate Diploma in Professional Accountancy (PDPA), Year 1

I wish to express my warmest congratulations to CUHK for its 50th

anniversary. Taking this opportunity, I would also like to extend

my admiration for all its achievements during the past decades.

The university has brought remarkable changes to our society and

has absolutely more than realized its mission. It has been my great

pleasure to be a graduate of CUHK, one of the top universities in

Asia as well as in the world. I wish CUHK every success in the future

in continuing its excellence and look forward to celebrating an even

more successful 60th birthday!

MBA in Finance (Beijing), 2012 IntakeExecutive Director, Vertex Venture Holdings Ltd.

I have been enrolled in the MBA Program in Finance (FMBA) jointly run by Tsinghua University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong since 2012. Being equipped with experience in research and development, as well as sales and marketing in the healthcare industry, I am seeking to become a professional investor. FMBA is a great program in which you can study the basics of economics, discuss your viewpoints with classmates and professors, and understand the world from the financial perspective. CUHK scholars gave us substantial global vision and connections in the past year through their profound backgrounds and insights. I am honored to extend my best wishes to CUHK for her 50th anniversary.

MBA in Finance (Shenzhen), 2012 IntakeVice General Manager, Pingan-UOB Fund Management Company Ltd.Thirteen years into the collaboration between CUHK

Business School and Tsinghua University on the MBA Program in Finance, a group of enthusiastic finance professionals have received the opportunities to strengthen their career paths with a global vision through an outstanding platform and multidimensional knowledge of the industry. However, this is just the start of intellectual exchanges between two top-tier universities in the world, as well as between two important economic systems that are facing new challenges. On this very special occasion of the 50th anniversary of CUHK, may we pass along our best wishes to our school.

CHEUNG, Tino

LAM, Heidi

BBA - Insurance, Financial and

Actuarial Analysis (IFAA)

Year 3 to Year 4 in 2013-2014

University is a lot more than lectures and exams. It is a place

full of freedom and opportunities. With the guidance of

professors and program staff, not only have I acquired the

knowledge to excel in actuarial exams, but also gotten

the opportunities to get hands-on work experience and

to see the world. I studied abroad twice and met a lot

of people with different stories. My half-year internship

at HSBC has given me useful and practical experience.

The flexibility of the program allows me to take other

interesting courses and even minor in Spanish. I would

not be able to experience so much without CUHK.

Thank you and congratulations!

Master of Science Program

in Information & Technology

Management (Part Time), Year 1