MBA students at CUHK benefit from world-class teaching and the growth of private equity in Hong Kong
Perched on a mountaintop with views over the South China Sea, CUHK Business School is located just a short train ride from the bustling center of Hong Kong, one of the capitals of the financial world.Its AACSB-accredited MBA, the first in Asia, celebrates its fiftieth birthday this year. It’s just as well, as there’s never been a better time to be a finance-focused MBA student in Hong Kong.
“Around 40% of our MBAs go into careers in finance”, says CUHK's MBA recruitment director Lawrence Chan, at an event in London discussing China's private equity markets.
Known generally as the largest market for initial public offerings (IPOs) in the world, more companies go public in Hong Kong than anywhere else. Additionally, the Hong Kong government doesn’t suspend IPOs, as you often find in major Asian cities like Shanghai, and it has one of the highest concentrations of banks of any city in the world.
Moreover, due to restrictions on stock markets in major Chinese cities, giants such as PetroChina, China Mobile and HSBC aren’t registered on stock markets on the mainland, rather in Hong Kong.
“Our MBAs stand to benefit from one of the most intriguing boom markets in the world”, says Paul McGuinness, who teaches finance on the program. “Hong Kong is in the uniquely advantageous position of not being in a bubble despite having a stock market capitalization to GDP ratio of over 1200%.”
The figure for London, comparatively, sits at 150%, with a standard figure of 200% being the threshold for a boom.
“It’s also much easier for non-Chinese investors to invest in Hong Kong than in Shanghai, for example”, Paul continues. Having benefitted greatly from liberalisation, Hong Kong is truly bringing together the East and the West.
For CUHK MBAs, the power of Hong Kong’s equity markets inevitably spills over into other sectors in business, be it marketing or supply chain management. A stronger economy benefits all in terms of careers.
“We find that many of our MBAs are looking for work in Chinese financial institutions, whereas in the past more gravitated towards the West”, says Lawrence Chan. “This is partly down to increasing pay compared to those regions, but also because of the increasingly-globalized outlook many companies in Asia now have.”
However, finance isn’t the only route for CUHK graduates. “There’s increasing attention on a lot of the young tech companies coming out of Shenzhen”, says Paul.
And CUHK has established a campus to create opportunities for graduates, many of whom have left Hong Kong to work in Shenzhen.
“Hong Kong and Shenzhen are symbiotic, to an extent”, says Paul. There are many reasons why technology companies find it very difficult to grow in Hong Kong, whereas Shenzhen has a much better environment. What Hong Kong can do, however, is service these tech firms and help them to grow.
CUHK’s Hong Kong campus, however, is also home to a science park, which students are using to find work in high-tech firms.
Other destinations for CUHK MBAs include consulting (particularly in the tech sector), marketing and branding. Compliance, risk management and tech careers are also on the rise. Hong Kong’s job market is famously exacting, and it’s often joked that five years experience in Hong Kong could equate to seven years in the US.
At the school itself, 50 electives cover a wide range of material, including venture capitalism, entrepreneurship, private equity and China business.
More than anything though, it’s the ease of acquiring a visa to work and study in Hong Kong, along with the portability of skills students can expect to learn, that makes the CUHK MBA so attractive.
“Everyone’s interested in the China growth story”, says Lawrence. “Our deep China focus is unique among schools in Hong Kong, and the skills our MBAs learn can be taken all over the world.”
Student Reviews
One of a kind
I studied Bioinformatics at CUHK last year. It was the only Master's degree in Hong Kong in this field. This program developed my analytical skills and equipped me to be a Bioinformatician in a very practical way.
I enjoyed my year here and met classmates from different parts of the world. If you are thinking to enhance your profile, this degree program would be a good option.
general education courses, unique college system, large campus
The university facilitates multi-dimension and interdisciplinary learning. In social science faculty, we need to choose courses as our faculty package from other departments (architecture, psychology, sociology, etc.) to learn more than our major required courses. We are also required to finish general education courses, which aid our critical thinking and humanistic sensibilities. I do recommend the social science broad-based program, and the professors I met so far are all responsible and erudite.
LLM
The faculty of law is relatively new. You do not need to have a LLB to pursue a LLM, which is special. The taught programme is great for mature students who want to obtain legal knowledge.
CUHK has good teaching staff too.
Amazing Campus and Great Educational Environment
Not only is CUHK's main campus breathtaking, it provides for a good educational environment for students. The university is well-equipped with modern and up-to-date facilities to help students with their study. We have 8 libraries in total around the campus; one for media, one for architectural studies, the medical library and the law library. The Professors are always helpful and are happy to talk to students when needed.
Moreover, the college system within the university brings forth the uniqueness of CUHK. Each student belongs to a different college, and in that students are able to meet different peoples from different countries and students from different faculties.
I think CUHK provides for a well-rounded university life for all students.
exthrillating
One of the most down to earth places in HK. A great opportunity to learn and embody the local culture. Also had one the most beautiful campus in Hong Kong up on the hillside. Glad to have graduated here.
Innovative and Supportive
My university provided me with all the support I needed, and encouraged me to be up to date with all the new developments in the world. They also provided me with the incentive to excel at what I do, and they take much pride in my achievements. I have had a very rewarding university experience.
Small, New But Friendly Law School
To being with, I think the campus of CUHK is the best and the biggest in Hong Kong, with fresh air and trees everywhere.
I am an undergraduate Law student at CUHK and I think the teaching here is great, with very friendly and nice professors and the new Lee Shau Kee Building.
In terms of the courses offered by CUHK, as one of the largest universities in Hong Kong, CUHK is an all-rounded university, offering a wide range of courses to students. Students may take the introductory courses of discipline other than their own major, or even declare a minor.
For law electives, due to the small amount of intake, the variety of law electives are not that huge. However, the Faculty is offering some international programmes, which can be treated as law electives, but at the same time, provide us with an opportunity to travel and know more about the legal system of another country.
The career support from the Faculty of Law is also amazing. The Faculty will organise CV Sessions and talks on how to get an internship from law firms or mini-pupillage from barrister's chambers. Each student will also have a Distinguished Professional Mentor, which is a current legal profession, providing us with practical advices and updates of the legal field.
Finally, from my personal experience, I think the students in CUHK are friendly and genuine. As Law students, competition is inevitable for grades, GPAs, vacation schemes and training contract. However, I think the competition in CUHK Law School is a positive one, in a sense that help us grow together, instead of fighting with each other no matter what. That is the biggest reason why I am having a very good time here in CUHK Law School.
A place to explore your interests
As a law graduate from CUHK (both undergrad and post-grad), I realise that I had many opportunities to explore my areas of interests (legal and non-legal both). The faculty/university requires us to take a certain number of non-law electives, and offers a plethora of courses to choose from. Personally, I took 3 modules in Korean --I can't say it's made me highly proficient, but it's definitely given me a good foundation (I can walk into a Korean restaurant and confidently order food, at the very least). The fact that language courses are offered also provides students who are more financially constrained an opportunity to learn a language without having to shell out a premium for a decent language course. On top of that, we have a range of law electives as well. I know of classmates who have developed lasting interest in different areas of law because of the electives they took in school. The two electives that I would say have changed me is (i) mooting and (ii) family law. I think my experience in an international commercial arbitration moot competition has helped tremendously in formulating legal arguments and legal writing. On the other hand, taking a family law elective has made me very interested in the family law practice, especially in terms of child rights. For these experiences which I have gained, I'm grateful for the opportunities provided by the school.
One main issue most students I know have is with the way our GPA is calculated and the lack of transparency in terms of how the honours system works. As our GPA is marked on a curve. it's highly unrepresentative of what we have achieved as individuals. Given that our GPA is the only criteria that is looked at when we apply for the compulsory post-graduate law course (mandatory should we want to practise law and/or be trainees in Hong Kong), it will put our own students at a distinct disadvantage when we compete for limited spaces with students from schools where GPA is not on a bell curve.
Valuable time in CUHK
I like the learning environment and people at CUHK. Surrounded by hills and Tolo Harbour, CUHK provides a balance between nature and hustle. You can always escape from the busy study life and meet your friend around the big campus for different activities.
