HK youths see light in mainland MBA studies
Student admissions surge on hopes of developing careers across the border
For Hong Kong youths looking for greener pastures on the mainland, particularly those without any work experience there, they regard the Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs offered by top mainland universities as the springboard for their future careers.
Chui Lei-sze enrolled for the International MBA program at Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management two years ago after she opted for new career opportunities on the mainland.
For Chui, her decision was a hard one as she had to give up a prospective post with the Hong Kong branch of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co — one of the largest US banking institutions.
Before she threw in the towel, Chui was vice-president of J.P. Morgan Chase’s private banking unit.
But she was absolutely sure what was up her sleeve. “Our company had opened up the division for mainland business in the private banking sector, and I thought the potential in this financial field in the mainland market would be huge, as mainland people do not have many options or vehicles for investment and wealth management, compared with Hong Kong people and foreigners,” said Chui, who had been with J.P. Morgan Chase for eight years.
She was also fully thoughtful in choosing Tsinghua’s MBA program. “An MBA program would equip me with the necessary and up-to-date knowledge and information on the macro economy and the mainland’s financial market,” Chui said. Also, she could use the opportunity to improve her proficiency in Putonghua, which she takes seriously as she believes the language would play an important role in developing her career on the mainland.
According to Xun Duoduo, senior manager of global collaboration and admissions for Tsinghua’s MBA program, there has been a growing trend among Hong Kong residents seeking jobs on the mainland, as reflected in the number of Hong Kong students admitted.
“Five years ago, the number of Hong Kong students admit- ted to the program was less than five annually but, in recent years, the number has gone up to more than eight,” said Xun.
Tsinghua’s International MBA program is offered to students either full-time or parttime for two years and three years, respectively. The number of students enrolled per year is between 100 and 120, including half from the mainland and the rest from across the globe.
“Students will be able to quickly cultivate knowledge of mainland enterprises, thoroughly understand related policies and industry regulations implemented here, as some of the professors giving lectures are participants in policy-making,” said Xun.
Sam Zhang, another Hong Kong student who is in the second semester of the International MBA program of Guanghua School of Management at Peking University, said he had chosen it as it’s one of the mainland’s top MBA programs. He has already decided to work in Beijing in future.
Zhang said he intends to work in the electronics-technology and, to prepare for that, he would try to win internships at technology companies before starting his own business or joining an enterprise in the industry.
The Career Development Center (CDC) at Guanghua School would arrange lectures by senior business leaders from various industries regularly, or invite its alumni to share and exchange ideas on their working experience and up-to-date information about the industry they’re in.
Moreover, the CDC would strive to help MBA students secure internships at leading companies on the mainland, Zhang said.
Although Chui said she would ultimately return to Hong Kong as her family members still live in the SAR, she’s convinced that having worked for a few years on the mainland would give her an edge in developing her career in Hong Kong’s financial sector.
“It has always been my dream to return to the mainland for education to deepen my understanding of the pulse of economic growth and industry development here,” said Wang Xi, who is a mainland resident having spent four years at the Chinese University of Hong Kong before she graduated with a bachelor’s degree.
Af ter working at Fubon Bank (Hong Kong) Ltd for four years after graduation, Wang returned to the mainland and is also currently enrolled in Tsinghua’s International MBA program.
She said, in contrast with Hong Kong, where the financial industry is booming, various industries on the mainland do have huge potential for growth. She reckoned that opportunities and tolerance of the job market on the mainland are superior to those in Hong Kong, and there will be a growing number of Hong Kong youngsters who would consider working across the border.
“Another advantage of the MBA program is that students could probably learn more from their classmates than the program itself, as all the students admitted belong to the elite from various fields,” explained Xun.
senior manager of global collaboration and admissions for Tsinghua’s MBA program