MBA students at CUHK Business School are travelling the globe to learn how to develop business and give back to society at the same time
For any MBA student, there’s no greater method of learning than getting your hands dirty. At CUHK Business School, MBAs are getting out of the classroom and into the field to learn about global business first-hand.So far, this year’s cohort have visited the USA, Zambia, and Taiwan on the school’s study trips. Each of these trips has exposed students to a mix of business practices, economics, management and leadership practices, and cultural and social issues.
Students on the trips have to plan projects, pitch business ideas, and get to visit local enterprises and businesses as well as listen to lectures and seminars delivered by local faculty.
Each location is carefully-selected to expose students to a unique business environment and, with other destinations including Chile, China, Germany, Hong Kong, and Thailand, CUHK students complete their MBA having truly experienced business across the globe.
This year’s USA study trip took students to Silicon Valley to focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. With CUHK’s international reputation, students had access to top companies such as Google and the opportunity to gain insights into strategic technology trends from speaker sessions covering areas such as social networks, facial recognition, and data solutions to name a few.
One of the highlights of the trip was the 'Shark Tank' pitching session. Here, groups of students presented new business ideas to a judging panel in a 10-minute pitch. The panel then gave feedback and asked questions before deciding which idea they’d invest in and why.
A champion of corporate social responsibility, no CUHK Business School trip would be complete without understanding the human side of the tech industry and with talks from ?WhatIf! and Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS, they got insight into how innovators can accelerate life-saving and enhancing solutions around the world.
Social entrepreneurship and enterprises were also a key part of the MBA Africa study trip to Zambia. Here, students got to experience drilling a water point with manual techniques, which showed them the impacts of a sustainable water supply, sanitation, and water quality on public health.
Meeting with local entrepreneurs, they also got in depth experience of social sustainable enterprises through planning and preparing business models to improve health and sanitation in the village of Kalabo, in the Western Province of Zambia.
These experiences of the development of local communities and the impact of foreign investments, compiled with meeting local entrepreneurs in agriculture and industry, helped students understand the challenges and opportunities in emerging markets.
The positives of corporate social responsibility (CSR) were also championed at the Social Entrepreneurship Forum held during the six-day study trip to Taiwan, where topics such as creativity, technology, and entrepreneurship were covered in lectures by distinguished local professors.
At the heart of this trip was the ethos of creative and sustainable business solutions. Through company visits, students got to see first-hand that CSR practices not only garner good will, which can protect a company from negative events, but that corporates can do well by doing good.
On the trip, students were inspired by the B Corporation, a coalition aiming to create a new Asian economy where companies compete not only to be the best in the world, but the best for the world.
In all, these combined study trips serve to expose MBA students to diverse cultures and business environments to show them how businesses can succeed and benefit their communities at the same time. This blend of success and social conscience is a core part of the MBA curriculum at Hong Kong's CUHK Business School.
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.
