About 100 students attended the 21 April symposium on
China’s impact on
Hong Kong’s economy and job market. The event was presented by the
Asian Wall Street Journal, organized by the Hong Kong Chapter of the
Asia-Pacific Student Entrepreneurship Society (ASES) and supported by CityU's Faculty of Business. The was as a way to help students understand and prepare for their future careers. There was an informal atmosphere as guests chatted together, as well as with students outside the lecture theatre in the Academic Exchange Building. When the symposium began, the guests requested that the main lights be switched off so the students could be in the spotlight rather than themselves.
Mr Danny Gittings, Deputy Editorial Page Editor of the Asian Wall Street Journal, moderated the symposium. All the guests spoke optimistically on the implications of China’s growth on the economic fortunes of Hong Kong and what impact this may have on the employment opportunities available to graduates when they enter the workforce. “The growth of China means the growth of Hong Kong. We are related in many areas,” assured Dr K W Li, Associate Professor of the Economics and Finance Department. “Besides, the technological skills our students have mastered are more up to date. They are much better trained presentation and communication skills. Hong Kong students have the advantage of thinking globally, as well.”
However, the two business leaders reminded the audience that the challenges for Hong Kong students in real business world are still considerable. Mr Samuel Lo, Business Director of Education Industry from Sun Microsystems of California Limited, shared his experience in Shanghai with the students: “I have met one candidate for employment with my company in Shanghai. He is surprisingly knowledgeable about the products, service and even the competitors of our company. Therefore, I think it’s very important for Hong Kong students to position themselves well because their equivalents on the mainland are ready to compete with them at any moment.” He advised the student audience to trust themselves and do what they believe is right; and, once decided, to do everything possible to equip themselves with the right skills to achieve their chosen career goals.
Dr Lee Yui-bor, Executive Director and Group Director for Planning and Development, CLP Holdings Limited, gave students this advice: “Spend some time to identify what you are most interested in. A late start in a career is not a disadvantage. Once you have chosen the direction of your career, you need to have the passion to be willing to pay anything to gain the success in this field.”
Dr John Leung, Associate Professor from the Department of Marketing, thinks this kind of symposium is more fruitful than one-way teaching in class. “It’s a great opportunity for students to learn from the experts. As I myself frequently interact with CEOs from both Hong Kong and China,
it’s also nice for me to share my personal feelings and experiences with my students in this casual forum. I also consider it my responsibility to guide Hong Kong students towards an attitude of daring to change.”
Dr K W Li agreed: “This symposium is beneficial for students as they can get experience from CityU staff and visitors from Hong Kong industries. They can learn from the guests’ experiences and use them as a model. At the same time, because it’s organized by the ASES, the guests see how well our students can arrange events.”
