Big data analytics: it’s a hot topic area that is in-demand. For employers, analytics skills are some of the hardest skills to recruit in MBA graduates, so having a focus in this high-tech career path could be your ticket to a lucrative position.
Tim Chan completed a degree in Computing Mathematics and, before his MBA, worked for six years at HSBC in various roles including as a business analytics manager. In 2011, he realized that just having those technical skills wasn’t enough to propel him to the career he wanted.
“I found that if I wanted to move up the business ladder, I better get business knowledge,” he says. “I was a really technical guy, but an MBA could help me know how to ensure work I’d done could actually help a business.”
Tim chose the MBA at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) for his graduate business degree, and since graduating in 2012, has gone on to become head of the business intelligence department at United Asia Finance and, most recently, the director of customer analytics at FWD Insurance, both in Hong Kong.
How did he manage it? “Hong Kong has a lot of opportunities in the space of data analytics and AI,” Tim says. “And the University of Hong Kong offers the best opportunities and network in Hong Kong.”
The importance of big data
The popularity of data analytics has grown in recent years, with employers increasingly favoring students with a background in the subject.
MBA programs have responded to this with a greater focus in technical skills. On the HKU MBA, students are required to take a core course in Business Data Analysis, and can choose to further their knowledge with electives in business intelligence and big data, and artificial intelligence for business leaders.
With over ten years’ experience in analytics, Tim knows the value of data for businesses. “I strongly believe that analyzing data and understanding customer behavior can help grow businesses,” he asserts.
But having the analytics skills, he says, can only get you so far. An MBA will give you the management skills necessary to actually apply big data analytics.
“I found that a lot of companies know they can use data, but they’re not quite sure how,” he explains.
“Now, I really know how the management team can make use of data analytics to fine-tune the business model and to improve strategy—these are the things I could not do before my MBA.”
International benefits
It wasn’t only Tim’s core business skills that were boosted during his time at HKU.
During the second-half of the 14-month MBA program, students at HKU can participate in an immersive three or four month placement at either London Business School in the UK or Columbia Business School in the US, giving MBAs the chance to expand their networks and experience business in another part of the world.
“I got the chance to work together with international classmates at LBS, something I didn’t have experience with before,” Tim recalls. “This really helped me learn how to work together with international colleagues later on in my career.”
While Hong Kong is the most popular destination for HKU MBA graduates—51% of the 2017 class landed a job there—the MBA class is not just Asia-centric. 97% of the 2018 class are international students, with 19 nationalities represented in just 59 students.
“I didn’t have a lot of international exposure from work before my MBA,” Tim admits. “Now, I can look at business not only from a Hong Kong perspective, but also internationally.”
Careers in data analytics
What advice does Tim have for MBA students considering a career in big data analytics? Ultimately, it’s about arming yourself with necessary skills to be an asset to a company, and this begins during your MBA.
“I strongly recommend students enroll in those technical courses during their MBA, like the modules in Business Data Analysis, Business Intelligence and Big Data, and AI for Business Leaders at HKU,” Tim says. “It’s also useful if an MBA student can equip themselves by doing online courses, to make sure they know how to make use of tools like Python.”
“Additionally, I would suggest that MBA students who want to join the field do a project like the MBA Capstone Project at HKU, to showcase that they’re able to deliver business value by making use of data analytics,” he adds.
On the Capstone Project, students work in groups to conduct a detailed analysis of a company throughout the MBA program, identifying the main challenges it faces and making recommendations on how to tackle those challenges with a final written report and presentation.
Ultimately, Tim says that he has his MBA experience to thank for the career growth he’s experienced since business school.
“Thanks to my MBA, I know how to connect data with business,” he says. “I have both the technical and the business knowledge, and I can be the one to connect those key elements.”
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) - MBA Programmes HKU Business School
Student
Verified
23/02/2023
On Campus
Academic
Very good academic, caes course amazing, ccs are all amazing, professors are excellent, the architecture and infrastructure is splendid, people here are awesome, made some really nice friends, and teachers support us
Hatim
Verified
6/02/2023
On Campus
Diversified culture
I highly recommend The University of Hong Kong to students all around the world because of their diversified culture, teaching standards, and the people which make the learning experience better every day.
Student
Verified
6/10/2017
A place where you best understand local and international cultures
With plenty of experiences available, HKU provides a plenty of experience for me to explore our own and other countries culture. She has excellent teaching and research staffs in the Department of Ecology and Biodiversity. Time allocate to students are considered sufficient and staffs are ready to reach anytime.
Besides academic, she has various subsidised programmes that allow students to explore. This credit should be given to GenEd (general education) Office to provide different interesting programmes. These ranged from guest speaker giving talks on China-Hong Kong relationship; Contemporary art in Asia; or holding mini forum on geopolitics. Most, if not all, of which are free of charge!
Student
Verified
1/10/2017
Life at HKU
Pursued the SHS degree at HKU, academic and clinical staff members were very devoted and passionate. The academic program is under constant reviews, staff members are open minded and willing to modify the program with regards to students' opinions. Career prospect is good. Uni life is fruitful, many different activities for students to choose. Great facilities supporting learning.
Student
Verified
29/09/2017
Student Life in HKU
As an Accounting and Finance year3 undergrad student in HKU, the university provides lots of opportunities for me to learn and explore my interests.
You could join a wide variety of activities, like being an committee member of societies and joining hall activities. As for me, I chose to join the winter exchange programme, be a committee member, and did volunteering servic and had latrine construction and volunteer teaching in Ghana, Africa. I also organized lots of activities for societies and had lots of meetings with company representatives. As for school work, it is okay normally but definitely u got a lot busier during November and April. You got a lot more free time compared to CUHK and HKUST. And of course, this is considered as the most ‘international’ uni in HK in a way that I could make friends coming from different countries.
Just wanna add, HKU has a good location for foodie as its near Central, Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui. For those who love night lifes dont miss this. I didnt speak of anything i dislike coz there isnt anything i dislike much, but if I do have to say, it is the hall life of many local students, such as having cheers at night and never sleeps that may disturb others.
Student
Verified
2/09/2020
Blended
Academics
I think it’s a great university that gives you a lot of opportunities in terms of academics as well as extracurricular activities. The education system is fairly westernized and the professors are good for the most part.
Student
Verified
3/11/2017
International, stratified and political
Adequate resources and very convenient campus with sufficient channels to expand your social and professional circle. Also politically active, and perhaps too biasedly so. Its law school is firmly established, with the longest history in Hong Kong. Practical and professional training, with a constant atmosphere of anxiety and competition that encourages a relatively focused and narrow vision of career outlook. Good range of extra curricular activities available.
Student
Verified
12/10/2017
Life in HKU
HKU provides students with lots of opportunities in multidisciplinary researches and experiences. This encourages students to widen their horizons and prepare for the future. The programme I attended organised both local and oversea field trips that allowed me to have the first hand experiences of relative aspects. It was very useful for my later career.
Student
Verified
6/10/2017
BSocSc
I am a graduate of the BSocSc programme several years ago. I appreciate that the programme provided a flexible choice of majors and minors. Even I was admitted into social sciences programme, I could explore various streams of studies in and out of the social sciences faculty, including global studies, human resources, politics, science and music. I did a double major in psychology and sociology. Among all learning experiences in lectures, tutorials, field trips…, I would say the internship experience was one of the most memorable part of my university life. The faculty offers a credit-bearing internship programme in which students can go to various NGOs to work on social issues, ranging from poverty, education to adjustment of ethnic minorities. Students can be placed locally or overseas, depending on placement quota, their personal preference and past experience. I went to a social service agency that serves adults who are intellectually challenged and have autism spectrum disorder. It was an eye-opening experience in observing how different professionals work together to provide training for those people and reflecting on how psychological knowledge could come into play. I was also able to gain some hands-on experience in leading an activity.
There are more and more internship opportunities for university students. It is just another way to gain practical experience apart from applying for interns in government agencies or business companies, especially in organisations that would not openly recruit interns but only work with tertiary institutions.
It should be noted that for some majors/courses, there are really a lot of people studying. When I was an undergraduate back then, we often expected a lecture with 100+ students and a tutorial with nearly 20 students. If you favour close student-teacher interaction in small classes, you may look into the enrolment of particular courses.
