Alumni Stories

They are alumni of CUHK Business School’s Master’s Programmes. What do they see in CUHK Business School?

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School is a place where we help our students realise their potential and steer them in the right direction for success.

CUHK Business School offers a diverse portfolio of well recognised master’s programmes tailored to high achievers’ needs, providing them with an expertise in a wide range of study fields: accountancy, business analytics, finance, information and technology management, management, marketing and real estate. The experience of world-class teaching and hands-on learning has enriched them with the skills, knowledge and network to propel their career to the next level in the fast-changing business world.

Let’s discover what our alumni see in CUHK Business School.

Click here to view the video with Chinese subtitles.

Master of Accountancy (MAcc)

Irene Chen (MAcc 2019)
Consultant
KPMG Strategy and Performance Consulting

I see a diverse learning environment which enhanced my team collaboration skills and multidisciplinary knowledge.

Click here to view the video with Chinese subtitles.

Click here to read the full interview.

Why did you study for a postgraduate degree in accounting?
I wanted to be a simultaneous interpreter (SI) when I was studying for a bachelor of arts degree in Spanish. However, I gradually felt that the career prospect would be quite narrow. When I was on exchange at a Spanish university, I took some accounting and economics courses which enabled me to get a head start for a smoother transition from language to business. Accounting is often called the language of business. I do believe it can help me lay a solid foundation to advance my career in the business world.

What attracts you to do your master’s degree in Hong Kong? Why CUHK Business School?
I was born and raised in Guangzhou. Watching TV episodes from Hong Kong was part of my daily life. Hong Kong’s professional and international image has long been planted in my mind. I like getting along with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures and am eager to work in a multinational environment. Hong Kong is the best place to fulfill my dream.

Before applying for CUHK’s Master of Accountancy (MAcc) programme, I did some research and knew that the programme had garnered respect as a leading accounting programme and was accredited by all major professional accounting bodies. MAcc students are taught by internationally renowned faculty members and finance and accounting professionals. They all have strong portfolios, rich teaching experience and abundant industry experience.

What is the most unforgettable experience in your CUHK campus life?
MAcc had a rigorous curriculum that we needed to complete various group assignments. I had to work closely with my classmates. We often brainstormed and discussed cases at the University Library late at night. Sometimes we missed the last school bus and needed to walk to the MTR station together to catch the last train. These group assignments were precious experience as they helped sharpen my communication and teamwork skills.

How does CUHK Business School shape who you are? How did it make an impact on your future direction?
My current job as a consultant involves a lot of team collaborations. MAcc has prepared me well for this. It has inspired me to make every effort in developing effective team communication skills as this can boost productivity and work efficiency. From my MAcc studies, I’ve realised that staying hungry is essential to propel my career to the next level. It means willingness to acquire more new knowledge and constantly strive to do better.

Is there anyone (i.e. professors, classmates, alumni, etc.) who influenced you the most at CUHK?
My classmates influenced me the most at CUHK. They had diverse backgrounds and abilities. Around 70% of them majored in accounting, while some of them studied engineering at undergraduate level. We worked hand in hand to contribute knowledge from different disciplines to the group projects. For example, classmates with accounting expertise shared their insights on financial reports, and those with an engineering background focused on coding. As a graduate in arts and language, I was responsible for project presentation.

Despite having relatively stronger work experience and industry knowledge, they were humble and willing to help one another. They were hardworking and were inquisitive to acquire new knowledge. I was deeply influenced by their positive attitude and learned a lot from them.

What would be your advice to the freshmen?
I want to share a quote by Steve Jobs: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.”

I took an elective course entitled “Accounting Data Analytics and Business Intelligence”. It was a popular course that was picked by many of us. The course was intensive which prompted us to equip ourselves with mathematics and coding knowledge and techniques.

Last year, I encountered a client who requested for services related to data analytics which was actually out of the scope originally agreed. Fortunately, I took the course before and was able to apply the techniques to my work. This MAcc course has also inspired me to enjoy a deep dive into big data and transform data into insights for making impactful and effective business decisions. Be brave to acquire new knowledge. You may be able to apply it to your work at different points in time in your career journey ahead.

Please use one sentence to describe the value you see at CUHK Business School Master’s Programmes.
MAcc is the cornerstone for building a solid accountancy foundation and surrounding yourself with role models for your professional and personal lives.

MSc in Business Analytics (MScBA)

Hiep Vu (MScBA 2020)
Market Activity Trainee
Société Générale

I see progression in my career with the soft skills and technical knowledge acquired from the programme.

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Click here to read the full interview.

Why did you study for a postgraduate degree in business analytics?
My fascination with data analytics stems from an IT class I took while studying for the Bachelor’s degree in International Business at ESB Business School of Reutlingen University in Germany. That experience inspired me to explore more about data analytics, and I wanted to stay relevant to the age of AI, big data and machine learning. Data analytics enables me to filter out noise and focus my time and energy on important data points; it can augment my financial skills and give me a competitive edge in investment banking.

What attracts you to do your master’s degree in Hong Kong? Why CUHK Business School?
CUHK Business School is one of the partner schools of my undergraduate school and is one of the highest ranked university in the world. My professor in Germany described Hong Kong as having a ‘perfect balance of chaos and order’, a city whose ‘distinctive dynamic pushes people forward’. I thought it would be an excellent place to push myself out of my comfort zone.

I was intent on pursuing advanced studies in data analytics and decided to come to CUHK Business School as this could fulfil two dreams: to attend a top business analytics programme, and to live and work in a city I had long admired. Being awarded with a full scholarship from the School, I joined the advanced one-year MSc in Business Analytics programme.

What is the most unforgettable experience in your CUHK campus life?
The CUHK campus is huge and would love to enjoy my student life here. I had originally joined the university’s rowing team to enjoy the camaraderie. Due to the pandemic, I was not able to participate in any rowing competitions, but I did enjoy the selection process and pre-trainings.

Upon learning about the CUHK-LSEG Trading Competition, I quickly teamed up with an Italian student from the MSc in Finance programme to join the competition. It was a contest in which students competed to earn the largest percentage gains in simulated trading of securities listed in the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Although other teams did better than us in the first round, our team came ahead in the end and won the competition. As an award of the trading competition, we earned a sponsored trip to attend an insight week at the LSE headquarters after the pandemic.

What did you learn from MScBA that you think it has made an impact on your career?
The attitude of learning is not only about how to calculate something but also about what that formula represents, which is what I have learnt from my statistics class in the first semester. It lays the strong foundation for me to take on more complex data-mining techniques and machine learning models.

How does CUHK Business School shape who you are? How did it make an impact on your future direction?

CUHK Business School offered me a lot of opportunities and provided an optimal learning environment which had equipped me well for my future career.

My learning experience here was “intense”, “challenging” and “dynamic”. The first trimester involved learning about the basics and attending different activities, such as career fairs and talent recruitment events arranged by the School with some of the firms like Mckinsey, JP Morgan, etc. The second and third trimesters were about diving deep into challenging concepts, such as machine learning models and their applications.

With the skills and knowledge acquired, I decided to pursue a career in investment banking, as it allows him to work with people while sharpening his analytical skills. My career plan last year was to work in Hong Kong for at least one to two years to gain more international experiences. Thankfully, I successfully landed a Market Activity Trainee position at Société Générale working on market and risk analysis. I plan to learn as much as possible, identify areas where I can improve and contribute to the success of the bank.

Is there anyone (i.e. professors, classmates, alumni, etc.) who influenced you the most at CUHK?
I’d like to thank Dr. William Lau, Senior Lecturer of Department of Decision Sciences and Managerial Economics, for his classes on statistics which guided me to learn statistics from a fundamental level. This allows me to build a strong foundation for more advanced data analytics classes. Prof. Darwin Choi, Associate Professor of Department of Finance, also taught me portfolio analysis, helping me lay the foundation for career development in investment banking.

What would be your advice to the freshmen?
Embrace all the opportunities CUHK has offered (sport activities and social events). The more you put yourself out there to the world, the more luck you can get from such activities/events. You never know when luck will come knock on your door. That’s why the best thing you can do is to increase the amount of luck by getting out and doing more things.

Please use one sentence to describe the value you see at CUHK Business School Master’s Programmes.
The MScBA programme provides me with not only sufficient knowledge but also the right state of mind to kickstart my professional journey.

MSc in Finance (MScFIN)

Heather He (MScFIN 2017)
Analyst – Currency Management
Fidelity International

I see dedication to grooming future leaders through a rigorous curriculum and strong career support.

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Click here to read the full interview.

Why did you study for a postgraduate degree in finance?
I decided to pursue a career-oriented master’s degree because I wanted to gain skills and knowledge to foster my career development in the financial industry. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in economics, I realised that I wasn’t qualified for my desired job. This feeling was especially strong after completing an internship in an asset management company as I did not get any return offer. That was when I learned that a well recognised master’s degree would not only be an entry pass, but also equip myself with a solid qualification to propel my career to the next level.

What attracts you to do your master’s degree in Hong Kong? Why CUHK Business School?
Hong Kong is a diverse and well-developed capital market in the world. It can provide young professionals with ample opportunities. Undoubtedly, CUHK Business School offers a rich learning environment to me where I can sharpen my soft and hard skills. The MSc in Finance programme is really famous in the market for its rigorous, state-of-the-art, practical curriculum and comprehensive career support. It is the best place to prepare myself for a career in the banking and finance industry.

What is the most unforgettable experience in your CUHK campus life?
During the third term of my study in the MScFIN programme, multitasking was vital as I needed to deal with huge amount of assignments, group projects/presentations, while spending time on job hunting and internship. It just pushed me up to my potential limit and that was when I think I really got a good command of maximising efficiency within the shortest period of time.

What did you learn from MScFIN that you think it has made an impact on your career?
Do not just memorise and study the formal coursework, but try to make good use of them in a more practical way. It is more essential to form my own logic of thinking and how to apply what I learned in classes to the real world; to see the overall picture and address these problems. Because when we are busy in our daily work, it is very important to discover, resolve, or explain problems. We are far from well when we only “know” the real world issue, but have no idea of what the next steps are and how to deal with it.

How does CUHK Business School shape who you are? How did it make an impact on your future direction?
First, in terms of hard skills, the MScFIN programme offered a wide array of core and elective courses, providing intensive training to help me master empirical techniques and practical knowledge that were relevant to the real-world market such as credit analysis, sales and trading. I could experience real market operations at the School’s Finance Trading Laboratory and learn how to react to market fluctuations with guidance from professional traders at world-renowned financial organisations. Industry professionals were also invited to classes to share up-to-date insights beyond what we could learn from textbooks.

Second, the programme offered strong career counselling services and support to me. Professional career counsellor provided one-on-one mock interviews and feedback to sharpen our interview techniques. I learned how to present myself in a more logical and professional way.

CUHK MScFIN helped me lay a solid foundation for technical knowhow that allowed me to quickly understand, learn and solve problems. The programme also taught me the value of soft skills. I believe this is something I need to practise throughout my career.

Is there anyone (i.e. professors, classmates, alumni, etc.) who influenced you the most at CUHK?
Basically, everyone I met in MScFIN has taught me something, from the way of thinking and attitude, to leadership and teamwork. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Ada Lai, our career counsellor. At first I was not confident that I could land a job in Hong Kong. Facing the pressure of assignments and job hunting within a short period of time, I felt stressful and anxious. Ada encouraged me to embrace experiences that I was uncertain of. I received tremendous and patient help through bespoke improvement in resume writing and interviews. And it really turned out that I overcame some obstacles that I thought I could not, and be rewarded one day for stepping into the unknown.

What would be your advice to the freshmen?
Make good use of your time and seize every opportunity to learn more, talk more and present more. Be open-minded and curious so that you can discover what you’re interested in and what your potential could be. And don’t be afraid to explore something you don’t know, as it can spark your career.

Please use one sentence to describe the value you see at CUHK Business School Master’s Programmes.
Students are taught the importance of positive attitude, the value of grit and persistence in achieving goals. The School unlocks students’ potentials to achieve their aspirations.

MSc in Information and Technology Management (MScITM)

Alex Law (MScITM 2019)
Head of IT, Hong Kong
First Abu Dhabi Bank

I see career and personal advancement through the insight of my professors, as well as the fresh perspectives of classmates from different industries.

Nicolas Wong (MScITM 2020)
Solutions Consultant
Google

I see insights on industry challenges through the technical, practical and management courses from the programme.

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MSc in Management (MiM)

Bill Tung (MiM 2019)
Business Analyst Fragomen, Del Rey
Bernsen & Loewy LLP

I see my competitiveness after joining the MiM programme, with advanced and higly relevant courses, as well as the opportunity to network with alumni and students across different industries.

Jenny Feng (MiM 2019)
Analyst – Risk Advisory
Deloitte China – Hong Kong

I see solutions to real-world business challenges with hard and soft skills the MiM programme equipped me with.

Shern Koe (MiM 2019)
Management Trainee
Hang Seng Bank

I see sound business decisions by data-driven approaches, which I learnt from the programme.

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MSc in Marketing (MScMKT)

Regina Li (MScMKT 2018)
Marketing Officer
Valuable Capital

I see business growth through applying what I learnt from big-data marketing to my brand and campaigns.

Esther Jiang (MScMKT 2018)
Senior Officer, Training Department
Prudential

I see support from professionals in the same field through the connections I’ve made from joining the programme.

Flavia Wu (MScMKT 2019)
Product Officer, MyLink Division
China Mobile

I see insights from real business practices and innovative ideas, which is what companies value the most.

Click here to view the video with Chinese subtitles.

MSc in Real Estate (MScRE)

Terry Yan (MScRE 2020)
Project Management Trainee,
Southern China
Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited

The programme enhanced my understanding of the real estate practices worldwide through Hong Kong-based theories and examples.

Click here to view the video with Chinese subtitles.

Click here to read the full interview.

Why did you study for a postgraduate degree in Real Estate Industry?
I was born and raised in Chengdu, one of the fastest growing cities in China in the past two decades. I witnessed the development of real estate projects in my city and realised how those projects brought positive impacts to our daily lives. A delicately well-designed project refreshes a city’s outlook, fosters its economic growth and enriches its citizens’ lives. Real estate development is a process of creating space, where people live, meet and create various memories with different people. I was so impressed with this sense of purpose and is eager to develop my career in this area.

What attracts you to do your master’s degree in Hong Kong? Why CUHK Business School?
Now in mainland China, there is a prevalent real estate development concept – TOD (Transit Oriented Development). TOD emphasises good connection between real estate projects and public transportation hubs. Hong Kong has rich experience in property development, and TOD has been a mainstream in the city for more than two decades. One iconic example is the International Finance Centre (ifc) at Central. This project stands atop MTR Hong Kong Station, with Airport Express to Hong Kong International Airport. This mixed-use complex that accommodates a hotel, offices, apartments and shopping mall have a direct connection to public transport such as buses, MTR and ferries. The MScRE programme enhanced our understanding of the real estate development practices worldwide through Hong Kong-based theories and the most applicable examples.

What is the most unforgettable experience in your CUHK campus life?
In the class on Shopping Mall Development and Management, the programme arranged a guest lecture by a well-known retail design company to teach us about shopping mall design and planning. After I graduated and joined my current company, it just so happened that this design company was involved in our new project. I was surprised by the coincidence. Now I’m working closely with this consultant using the knowledge I learn from the programme and it is working smoothly. This indicated that the programme is teaching its students the most up-to-date and practical expertise that can be directly applied to solve problems in real business world.

How does CUHK Business School shape who you are? How did it make an impact on your future direction?
The programme not only offered the latest information of the real estate industry, but also helped me develop professional soft skills. It also nurtured my business mindset and equipped myself with a strong business acumen that could advance my career in the real estate industry.

Is there anyone (i.e. professors, classmates, alumni, etc.) who influenced you the most at CUHK?
Dr. Ervi Liusman, Lecturer of School of Hotel and Tourism Management, is a passionate lecturer good at stimulating her students’ learning interests with interactive teaching methods. For example, she used animations to explain theories and brought more fun to the classroom with quizzes and games. In addition, Dr. Liusman arranged site inspection with detailed guidance to allow us gain hands-on experience. The site inspection not only left us a deep impression of what we are learning but also formed the way of thinking when we are tackling issues in real life. We all enjoyed these interactive teaching methods which we could easily absorb knowledge and expertise in classes.

What would be your advice to the freshmen?
Don’t hesitate to immerse yourself in your interests. Stay curious and always inspired by the new and unknown with courage.

Please use one sentence to describe the value you see at CUHK Business School Master’s Programmes.
The MSc in Real Estate programme brings real-life business world to the classroom, helping students nurture professional knowledge and independent thinking skills.