CUBA

Undergraduate Office (UGO) Monthly Announcement – March Issue

Achievements of Students

CUBA Students Win Hong Kong Social Enterprise Challenge

Two Year 3 Integrated BBA students Cheng Ying Kai Jack and Kwong Hei Man Bianca became one of two champions in the Hong Kong Social Enterprise Challenge (HKSEC) 2008. The team, led by Cheng Ying Kai Jack, proposed the collection of food waste from food processing centers of local restaurants and lunch box and airline meal suppliers, and converting it into organic fertilizers and cultivation feed. The process utilizes Taiwan's CNT Biodynamic Agriculture Technology. Among the beneficiaries of the organic fertilizers and cultivation feed are local organic farms, greenroofs and plantation companies, universities, and parks and pig farmers.

Jack Cheng (2^nd right) and Bianca Kwong (3^rd right)

The other HKSEC 2008 champion was Professional Accountancy Year 4 student Wong Chiu Kin Ken, who formed a team with several other CUHK students.

Our heartiest congratulations to them!

Global Business Studies Students Win Championships in Three Different Local / International Case Competitions

Global Business Studies (GBS) students claimed championship titles in three different local / international case competitions. A press briefing was held on 11 March 2009, Wednesday, to share the good news. The GBS students also revealed the key ideas to their winning proposals and praised the competition for the unparalleled learning experience they gained. They were also enthusiastic about the opportunity to enhance their competitive edge in the case competitions as well as in their job-hunts.

The press release, including the key ideas of their winning proposals, is available at http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/cpr/pressrelease/090311c.htm (Chinese version) and
http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/cpr/pressrelease/090311e.htm (English version).

II.

Recent Activities:

Experiential Learning Activities

Heart to Heart Talk Series

(a)

Topic	: The Day After - How the Hong Kong Banking System is Affected by the Global Financial Crisis
Speaker	: Mr Stanley Wong (黃遠輝先生), JP, Director, Deputy General Manager and Alternate Chief Executive Officer, ICBC (Asia)
Date	: 19 March 2009, Thursday
Time	: 7:15pm – 8:15pm
Venue	: Lecture Theater, SCS Town Centre, 1/F, Bank of America Tower, Central

This Heart to Heart Talk is jointly organized by the Undergraduate Office and the Asia-Pacific Institute of Business (APIB) of the Faculty of Business Administration. Around 30 undergraduate students were selected to participate in the talk. Mr Stanley Wong explained the global financial crisis and shared his valuable views on the future of global financial industry.

CUBA students present a gift (CU BBA Management Book) to Mr Stanley Wong (3rd left). Prof. Leslie Young is on 3^rd right.

(b)

Topic	: 天地變，世界變
Speaker	: Mr Lam Chiu Ying, JP, Director of Hong Kong Observatory
Date	: 27 February 2009, Friday
Time	: 6:45 – 8:00pm
Venue	: C3, T C Cheng Building, United College, CUHK

Mr Lam Chiu Ying spoke about the serious impacts on the environment with regards to climate change, the rise in temperature due to carbon dioxide emission as well as industrial and commercial developments. He suggested that the audience adopt a simple lifestyle and collaborate to save the environment.

Prof. Andrew C.F. Chan (left) and Mr Lam Chiu Ying (right)

Guest Lectures of Class of ACY 3251 "Securities Regulation"

Date	: 10 and 17 March 2009, Tuesdays
Time	: 11:00am – 1:00pm
Venue	: LG204, Wen Lan Tang, Shaw College

School of Accountancy Professor CK Low organized two guest lectures for the students of his ACY 3251 "Securities Regulation" class. Faculty members and interested business students were also invited to attend the guest lectures. Mr Mark Steward, Executive Director of Enforcement of the Securities and Futures Commission, and Mr Paul Chow, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, were the guest speakers on 10 March and 17 March respectively.

Prof. CK Low (middle), Mr Mark Steward (2nd right) and CUBA students

Prof. CK Low (3^rd left), Mr Paul Chow (3^rd right), Prof. T.J. Wong, Dean of Faculty of Business Administration (2^nd right), Prof. Raymond So, BBA-JD Programme Director (2^nd left) and BBA-JD students

Lunch Meeting with Elite Business Leaders

(a)

Lunch Meeting with Managing Director and General Manager of The Commercial Press (H.K.) Ltd.

Date	: 10 March 2009, Tuesday
Venue	: JW Marriott Hotel

Rex Lee, Integrated BBA Year 3 student, joined Professor Andrew C.F. Chan in meeting Dr Steven Luk, Managing Director and General Manager of The Commercial Press (H.K.) Ltd. on 10 March.

From right: Dr Steven Luk, Prof. Chan and Rex Lee

(b)

Lunch Meeting with Managing Director, Accenture Company Limited

Date	: 12 March 2009, Thursday
Venue	: JW Marriott Hotel

Annie Yam and Jack Cheng joined Professor Andrew C.F. Chan and Mr Alex Lau (BBA alumnus 1976), Managing Director of Accenture Company Limited, a leading consultancy corporation, for a lunch meeting. The two Integrated BBA Year 3 students had a fruitful conversation with Professor Chan and Mr Lau. Annie wished to share her reflections on the meeting, while Jack chose to share the insights gained from Professor Chan and Mr Lau.

Annie said, "After receiving an invitation from the Undergraduate Office a week before, I started to wonder what a lunch with the Managing Director of a leading consulting firm would be like. Would Jack and I be scared stiff from the formality of the meeting?

Mr Lau's warm greeting easily broke the ice, and we began our delightful lunch. In fact, the conversation was more satisfying than the lunch at the prestigious Man Ho Chinese Restaurant. He shared with us his views on various issues, such as the core competence of Hong Kong people as well as their lack of vision. As a final year student who is about to turn a new page, this inspired me to set my sights further, because one person's vision can not only turn around a company's fate, but can also change the future of the society. His experience of dancing while earning his MBA at UCLA demonstrated the need for an all-round executive. Mr Lau's final remarks on the importance of health, friends (i.e. social support) and ultimately happiness also shed some light on the path to a fruitful career and life.

I was very grateful to have attended this lunch gathering, because I gained exposure that is genuinely important to an enriching business education for future business leaders. Thank you Professor Chan and the Undergraduate Office for allowing me such an invaluable opportunity!"

First insight: "The two most crucial skills are leadership and judgment. This is because even though you may not possess the expertise, strong leadership makes you appear confident and charismatic; and good judgment helps you spot the brightest talent." – by Mr Alex Lau.

Second insight: "Don't ask yourself why you are unappreciated or shortlisted. Determine how you can impress others with your talents and achievements." – by Professor Andrew Chan.

First row, from left: Prof. Chan, Mr Alex Lau; Second row, from left: Jack Cheng, Annie Yam

(c)

Lunch Meeting with Legal Practitioners

Date	: 19 February 2009, Thursday
Venue	: Admiralty

Hanson Chan, BBA-JD Year 1, joined Professor Andrew C.F. Chan in meeting Mr Joseph W.N. Cheung, Consultant, F. Zimmern & Co. Solicitors & Notaries, Mr Chung Wai Hung and Mr Martin Ko. Hanson wishes to share his reflections:

"Harmony – this is what I conclude is essential, after listening to all the lawyers' and Professor Andrew Chan's opinions. The various guests at the table all came from backgrounds in both legal and business fields.

When asked which field they preferred, they were at a consensus that harmony, or in other words proportionality, is necessary to succeed. This means that business and law are bound tightly to one another and that lacking knowledge in either area may hinder your development. In this day and age, one should not pigeonhole their education to a particular field, but should be simultaneously observing issues in other disciplines.

As a BBA-JD student, I understood their advice. Through the combination of legal and business administration skills, many obstacles can be eliminated, if not alleviated. One can, in turn, achieve success more easily. This is the power of studying business and law."

Participation in RTHK Radio Programme "New Thinking in Management"

(a)

Topic: 情與全球企業管理

Ryan Wong, Integrated BBA Year 2 student, attended the recording radio programme "New Thinking in Management", hosted by Professor Andrew C.F. Chan on 3 March 2009. The guest speaker was Mr Ben Poon, the Managing Director of the Asia-Pacific region for Cookson Electronics – Enthone. The episode is available at
http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/radio1/NovaManagement/20090308.html.

Ryan wishes to share his feelings with us:
"It was my greatest honour to be an audience of the radio programme, and the experience was truly rewarding. Before the recording, I was already inspired by learning new ideas, as Mr Poon shared his global views with me and gave lots of useful advice on how to succeed.

The topic was the relationship between human factors and management. In the United States, being legally right is most important, while in Europe, being rational is what matters. However, in Asia, most Asian place human factors first. This applies well in the context of management. In the programme, Mr Poon and Professor Chan shared how focusing on human factors contributed to the success of Toyota, as opposed to General Electric's scientific management style. They also discussed how conflicts can be resolved and how businesses can grow and succeed by caring for humans. Listening to their thoughts and views, I felt that I had really broadened my horizons.

Apart from mere analyses of businesses, the topic also covered how everyone in Hong Kong can equip and strengthen themselves to become more human-focused without losing their logical and rational faculties. Possessing the ability to judge and make decisions, while considering both human factors and rational reasoning, can not only help us successfully manage a business, but can guide us in succeeding in life.

All in all, the sharing was really insightful and inspiring. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Undergraduate Office for giving me this invaluable opportunity, and Professor Chan and Mr Poon for their valuable sharing."

From left: Prof. Chan; Ryan Wong; Mr Ben Poon; Ms Melissa P.Y. Cheung, Host, RTHK

(b)

Topic: 社會企業責任策略 (Strategies for Corporate Social Responsibility)

Date	: 16 March 2009, Monday

Lo Yuk Wa Carson, Professional Accountancy Year 3 student, attended the recording radio programme "New Thinking in Management" hosted by Professor Andrew C.F. Chan. The guest speaker of the episode was Mr Moses Mo-Chi Cheng (鄭慕智太平紳士), GBS, OBE, JP, Notary Public, China Appointed Attesting Officer, P.C. Woo & Co. Solicitors & Notaries, Agents for Trademarks & Patents. The episode is available at
http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/radio1/NovaManagement/20090322.html.

Carson talks about what it was like to attend the recent RTHK programme:
"It was such a wonderful experience to meet with Mr Cheng. At first, I was afraid we wouldn’t have much to talk about. However, he was so friendly that we were able to speak at length on a number of topics. Moses shared about his university life as well as his experience of being the non-executive director in various listed companies. This meeting not only enhanced my knowledge of corporate social responsibility, but also provided me a model of what a charming person should be like."

Finance Cafe (for BBA-JD Students)

Date	: 3 March 2009, Tuesday
Venue	: Room 129, Leung Kau Kui Building, CUHK

Mr Billy Chan, Assistant Vice President, structured finance team of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), was invited to be the guest speaker for a regular meeting of Finance Cafe especially for BBA-JD students. He shared with the students his experience as a young banker in project finance and his desire to study corporate law after working in the banking sector for 5 years.

Mr Billy Chan (2^nd left, first row), Prof. Raymond So (3^rd left, first row) and BBA-JD Year 1 students

Interviewing Skills Workshops

(I)

"Making an Impressive Interview – Walk Away With an Offer" on 5 March 2009, Thursday

(II)

"Making an Impressive Interview – Walk Away Like a Professional" on 7 March 2009, Saturday

Number of CUBA students participated in the workshops: around 70

The first workshop, delivered by Dr Philip Lok and Mr Gary Cheung (consultant of Hong Kong Productivity Council), focused on the concepts and framework of presenting oneself during a tough interview. The workshop commenced with a short lecture, followed by a role-play by participating students and ended with a summary of helpful techniques.

The second workshop, delivered by Dr Philip Lok and Ms Cindy Tam (Tam has substantial management experience with educational institutions and NGOs both in Hong Kong and Canada), taught students how to handle different kinds of questions during an interview and how to respond in a professional manner.

Citibank University Banking Course Presentation Day

Date	: 21 March 2009, Saturday
Time	: 9:30am – 4:00pm

Mr Chan Ho Fung, Professional Consultant of Department of Marketing, kindly served as one of the judges for the Citibank University Banking Course Presentation Day. The Banking Course aims to nurture talented individuals who are pursuing careers in banking and finance industries. Current Citibank employees came to campus to pass on the knowledge and wisdom they gained in the banking environment. Participating students were requested to deliver a final presentation. The judges would evaluate the presentations and assess the students’ performance. We express our appreciation to Mr Chan for his valuable time and effort in serving as a judge.

Mr Chan Ho Fung

Professor Larry Lang Foundation Scholarship

Date	: 12 March 2009, Thursday
Venue	: University Guesthouse

Ten students were awarded the Professor Larry Lang Foundation Scholarship in recognition of the students’ outstanding academic achievements in finance-related disciplines. We take this opportunity to express our gratitude to Professor Lang for his generosity.

Prof. Larry Lang (middle) and the scholarship recipients.

Appended below is a list of Professor Larry Lang Foundation Scholarship recipients:
- Ma Hiu Fung, Integrated BBA Year 2
- Chan Kwing Lam, Insurance, Financial and Actuarial Year 2
- Wong Siu Ling, Insurance, Financial and Actuarial Year 2
- Hu Sang, Insurance, Financial and Actuarial Year 3
- Chan Shu Wing, Quantitative Finance Year 2
- Chan Yun Fat, Quantitative Finance Year 2
- Sun Jing Wei, Quantitative Finance Year 3
- Wang Chaoqun, Quantitative Finance Year 2
- Wang Yan, Quantitative Finance Year 2
- Wong Sze Kei, Quantitative Finance Year 2

Talking to CEOs (organized by EMBA Programme of CUHK)

Integrated BBA student Pang Kin Chung attended the CEO Talk hosted by the EMBA Programme of CUHK. The speaker was Ms Deborah Wan, CEO of New Life Psychiatric rehabilitation Association. Below is Pang Kin Chung's reflection on the talk:

"As a business student with a minor in Sociology, I was able to gain insight from CEO Deborah Wan and learned to understand the conflicts among social classes as well as social groups. Solving conflicts among groups and debunking their original ideology requires patience, determination and excellent communication skills. Her explanation that we should view society and common practices in functional, conflicting and symbolic perspectives was illuminating.

It's important to reflect on the core competence of contemporary business education. Ms Wan's example of caring for social minorities completely matches Dr Peter F. Drucker's statement: 'management is a humanity subject.' As Ms Wan has successfully demonstrated, caring for people and working to understand their wants and needs can lead to the ultimate success of the organization,. Hopefully, business education will be on the right track as it was a century ago when Havard University established the first MBA."

From left: Prof. Chan, Ms Deborah Wan and Pang Kin Chung

10.

Undergraduate Mentorship Programme

Date	: 20 February 2009, Friday

Four Integrated BBA students in the Undergraduate Mentorship Programme visited Standard Chartered Bank’s (SCB) Dealing Room. Kevin Tsang, Chris Leung, Roy Kwok, and Javis Kwan were led by their mentor Mr Patrick Wu and would like to express their appreciation for all those who made the company visit possible.

"Thanks to CUBA and Patrick for organizing such a valuable company visit. I now understand the work of a trader and how fascinating a trader's life can be!"- Javis Kwan

"I was really grateful for this opportunity, and especially for our mentor Patrick for making the arrangements. In the Dealing Room, I was able to observe the process the trader takes in making a deal. We were given an amazing experience, from which we could learn more than what's in our finance courses. By observing real transactions and speaking with other traders, we had first-hand exposure to the operation of the financial market." - Chris Leung

"For a student, it was a priceless opportunity to be granted access to the Dealing Room. Through this visit, I have gained a better understanding of the nature of a trader's job. I was really impressed by the Dealing Room and know that organizing the visit was not an easy task, since the public is generally prohibited access to the Dealing Room. I want to express my sincere gratitude to our mentor Patrick for organizing the visit." - Kevin Tsang

"Through Patrick's effort and organization, I was given the precious opportunity to visit the Dealing Room, which usually prohibits visitors. Patrick shared lots regarding his work experience and gave me personal advice on my career development based on his three years with SCB. As he also used to be an undergraduate in CUBA and then made it as a successful trader with SCB, his advice is invaluable. Patrick reminded me to differentiate myself and helped me identify a strategy to better equip myself. Speaking to a final year student about to graduate during the financial tsunami, he told me that the prospects I’m seeking and the plans I make are crucial elements to success." - Roy Kwok

(B)

Admission and Promotion

Campus Visits by Secondary Schools

Matriculation students of three schools visited the Faculty in March 2009. UGO and other schools/departments arranged admission talks to them and introduced the Faculty to the students.

Date	Secondary School	Faculty Speaker
2 March	Queen's College	- Ms Melina Iu, (for Integrated BBA Programme) - Dr Shirley Kan (for Professional Accountancy Programme) - Ms Yammy Lai (for Global Business Studies) - Professor Andrew Ng (for Insurance, Financial and Actuarial Analysis Programme) - Professor Raymond So (for BBA-JD Programme and Quantitative Finance Programme) - Student Representative (for Hotel and Tourism Management Programme)
20 March	Pentecostal School	- Ms Melina Iu, Administrative Director (Undergraduate Programmes)
20 March	Utahloy International School Guangzhou	- Mr Chan Ho Fung, Professional Consultant, Department of Marketing

Ms Melina Iu introduces different business undergraduate programmes to the students.

Mr Chan Ho Fung introduces the Faculty to students of Utahloy International School Guangzhou.

(C)

Information Session on BUF (Mainland) Students

Celebration Luncheon organized by Regeneration Society

Date	:25 March 2009, Wednesday
Time	:4:30 - 6:00pm
Venue	:LT4, Teaching Complex at Western Campus (TCW)

The aim of the information session was to assist Year 1 Mainland business students admitted in 2008-09 to have a better understanding of the contents and requirements of different business undergraduate programmes, thus enabling them to make an informed choice when declaring major programmes at the end of this semester. We would like to express our thanks to the following faculty members who participated in this event:
- Professor Chow Ying Foon, Associate Professor, Department of Finance (for Quantitative Finance Programme)
- Professor Lee Kam Hon, Director, School of Hotel and Tourism Management
- Professor Raymond So, Associate Professor, Department of Finance (for Quantitative Finance Programme)
- Professor Marian Tong, Associate Professor, School of Accountancy
- Professor Jason Yeh, Associate Professor, Department of Finance (for Insurance, Financial and Actuarial Analysis Programme)
- Mr Chan Chi Ho, Executive Officer, UGO
- Ms Sharon Li, Learning Enhancement Officer, Office of Student Affairs

Prof. Lee Kam Hon, Director, School of Hotel and Tourism Management

(D)

UGO Member's Participation Social Services / Forum

Public Seminar "Golf and Communications"

Date	: 25 February 2009, Wednesday
Time	: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Venue	: Lecture Theatre, Hong Kong Central Library, Causeway Bay

Professor Andrew C.F. Chan, Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies), was invited to be the guest host of a seminar entitled "Golf and Communications". Advisory Board Member of Undergraduate Studies in Business Dr William Ho was invited to be the guest speaker. Dr Ho and Professor Chan shed light on how golf is working its way into the social life of citizens, and how it plays an increasing role in networking and establishing interpersonal ties. An Integrated BBA Year 3 student, Mui Wai Sum, attended the seminar.

Dr William Ho (2^nd right); Prof. Andrew C.F. Chan (1^stright); Mui Wai Sum (1^st left)

Public Forum entitled "新世紀　新挑戰－向社區出發"

Date	: 26 March 2009, Thursday
Start time	: 9:30am

Professor Andrew C.F. Chan, Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies), was invited by the Social Welfare Department of the Hong Kong Government to speak at a public forum entitled "新世紀　新挑戰－向社區出發". The other speaker was Mr Dick Lee, GBS, Former Commissioner of Police and current Advisory Board Member of Undergraduate Studies in Business. Tse Hak Tik (Integrated BBA Year 4) and Lai Kam Hei (Integrated BBA Year 3) participated. The students gained valuable insights from the two guest speakers and understood more about the challenges encountered by the community.

Prof. Andrew C.F. Chan (4^th right); Mr Dick Lee (5^th right); Tse Hak Tik (1^st right); Lai Kam Hei (1^st left)

CUHK 45^th Anniversary Lecture Series Arranged by the University（香港中文大學45周年校慶公開講座系列）

Speaker	: Professor Andrew C.F. Chan, Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies), CUHK Faculty of Business Administration
Date	: 25 February 2009, Wednesday
Time	: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Venue	: Lecture Theatre, Hong Kong Central Library, Causeway Bay

From right: Alvin Wong, Ryan Wong, Prof. Chan

Alvin Wong (Quantitative Finance Year 2 student) and Ryan Wong (Integrated BBA Year 2 student) wished to share what they learned:
Alvin said, "It's an honorable opportunity to listen to Professor Chan's lecture. His vision, beliefs, persistence, and experience, in combination with his concise but pointed explanation, leading a change in a corporation or making an adjustment in life is no longer a hardship.

Vision is the fundamental building block of change. It might be, a corporate culture that no one has considered, or an idea that no one has conceived. Without a clear vision, it's difficult to direct a change, and even more difficult implement it.

According to Professor Chan, the methodology for coming up with a vision is simple. He says to always be considerate to others, and more importantly, prioritize them. They could be your professors, mentors, friends, mother, father, siblings or even acquaintances. Not only does understanding their needs help you develop a vision, but you can also easily identify when, where and how you can offer a hand. I find this applicable to quite a number of issues, particularly relationship building.

Such a positive lesson is surely worth learning. Thank you, Professor Chan, for generously sharing your time."

Ryan said, "Transforming a business is never easy. It involves changes from the top management to front line staff members. Professor Chan analysed how successful CEOs lead changes. First, he presented John Kotter's (Harvard Business School) six principles of making changes in organizations: the Right Vision, Culture Building, Buy-in / Communication, Team Building, See, Feel & Change, and Wave after Wave. He then showed us interviews of successful CEOs of large corporations such as Hopewell, Maxim's, HSBC, Li & Fung and analyzed what they did to lead and manage changes in their firms effectively. Furthermore, Professor Chan also discussed what makes these companies so successful both locally and globally.

The principles here can easily be applied to various other scenarios. For instance, if you are one of the committee members of a student society, you should also develop a good vision and build a culture among the group. With effective communication and by making adjustments through seeing, feeling and changing throughout the entire process, I believe that every event can be a success. The most vital piece of information I took away from the talk is to take a client oriented approach in all situations. By fulfilling the wants of your stakeholders well, you can achieve excellent results in most circumstances."

II.

Upcoming Events:

(A)

Experiential Learning Activities

Sharing Session by Elite Leader (co-organized by the Undergraduate Office of Faculty of Business Administration and Shaw College)

Date	: 2 April 2009, Thursday
Time	: 6:30 – 7:30pm
Speaker	: Mrs Margaret Leung (梁高美懿女士), Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Designate of Hang Seng Bank
Topic	: Turning Challenges into Opportunities