News and Events – International Business and Chinese Enterprise

Come and meet us on IBCE Day – 21 January

ibce — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 05:00:08 +0000

International Business and Chinese Enterprise program is pleased to introduce to you the IBCE Day on 21 January 2017 (Saturday). It is a great opportunity for you to know more about the essence of our program, make friends with current students, and meet alumni for a gaze of their work after graduation. In short, it is a condensed experience of the gist of your future IBCE journey. Details are as follows:

Date:	21 January 2017 (Saturday)
Time:	9:00am – 1:00pm
Venue:	Rm 201, Yasumoto International Academic Park, CUHK
Target:	JUPAS and non-JUPAS applicants seeking 2017 entry, Transfer-in applicants
Activities:	Introduction of Program Features A Day at Work by Alumni (Career insights) Interview Skills Workshop Mock Case Studies Mix and Mingle with current students and alumni
Dress code:	Casual
Registration:	https://goo.gl/forms/Mq95mWTvHI1gHRUB2

We look forward to meeting you and sharing with you on how the program is going to unveil your full potential and lead you to future success!

Professional Business and Dining Etiquette Workshop for IBCE Students

ibce — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 15:53:51 +0000

The GBS/IBCE Professional Business and Dining Etiquette Workshop was held successfully on 18th November, 2016. All GLOBErs and IBCErs had the chance to have hands-on practice on table manners, as well as the opportunity to learn wine tasting, in order to get themselves prepared for future business networking events. It’s another warm and fruitful night!

“The workshop is indeed a great chance for us to equip ourselves with professionalism, and have an experience on what is happening in the business world. All that we have gained from the workshop is certainly benefiting us as we are having more networking events in the future business world.” — Savanna Cheung (Batch 8)

IBCE Students Attending Career Highlights Workshop on Financial industry

ibce — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 15:59:32 +0000

The first career highlights workshop for GBS/IBCE students was held on 10th November, 2016. GLOBErs and IBCErs are so fortunate to have the devoted alumni from the financial industry- Alan Yip (GBS/2013), Howard Yeung (GBS/2014), Selina Cheng (IBCE/2014), Eric Kwan (IBCE/2015) and Boris Ng (GBS/2014)- sparing time from their busy schedules to introduce the industry, their respective duties, and the essential qualities needed for their positions to the juniors.

The workshop covers not only investment banking and commercial banking, but also trading, brokering and investment house. It certainly provides current GLOBErs and IBCErs with much understanding on the industry, as well as valuable insights in selecting their career paths.

IBCE Students at CUHK Orientation Day 2016

ibce — Sat, 05 Nov 2016 16:17:15 +0000

The CUHK Orientation Day was held on 5th November, 2016. Our passionate IBCE students got the chance to talk to not only local students, but also those who travelled from overseas. IBCErs were keen to introduce the program and course content to prospective students, serving as professional ambassadors. We are sure that it has been a valuable day for everyone and we do hope to see more of the potential talents next year!

GBS and IBCE Students Develop Their Leadership Skills and Team Synergy in Qingyuan, China

ibce — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 05:00:32 +0000

By Jeno Seo

A group of 40 students from Global Business Programs – Global Business Studies (GBS) and International Business and Chinese Enterprise (IBCE) – learnt the beauty of team spirit and the importance of stepping out of one’s comfort zone through a two-day-and-one-night synergy workshop in Qingyuan in late October. Such experience has laid down a solid foundation for students to become a global business manager in the future.

Held in Qingyuan on October 29 and 30, this Leadership and Synergy Workshop was hoped to provide participating students an opportunity to develop crucial management soft skills, as well as to strengthen the team spirit among GBS and IBCE students. Although we had opportunities to sit in the hot springs and recharge our body and soul, the outdoor trainings were the actual highlights through which we learnt, felt and grew. The two-day schedule was a continuum of physically and mentally demanding tasks.

One of the activities required participating students to divide themselves into three groups, each having to bounce a tennis ball with a pan-sized Chinese drum. Its surface remained even only when the group members exerted an equal amount of force to the connected ropes. The task might sound like an easy one, but once somebody pulled the rope too strongly or pulled it at the wrong timing, the drum immediately became off-balanced and the ball flied towards random directions. After all, our group made a big success in seeking an effective solution, bouncing the ball more than 60 times within 100 seconds – an incredible outcome. As what Dr. John Lai, Program Director of Global Business Programs mentioned, “To achieve goals as a team, each of you has to go all out!” Without the bold decision-making, effective communication and mutual trust among the team, the conundrum would have remained unsolved.

The more exciting tasks that stimulated our nerves were awaiting us on the second day where we were engaged in high beam exercises. In one of the challenges, we had to climb up a vertical pole about 15 meters high. From the top of the pole, we were asked to jump and catch the bar that was hanging in the air. If we failed to catch the bar, we would fall and we could only depend on a single wire that the teammates were holding from the ground. Under such enormous psychological burden, we had to rely on our team and ourselves. In the end, some made it to catch the bar and some failed. But under the same crisis, we empathized and encouraged. We are bonded together with a stronger team spirit.

Participating in the Qingyuan workshop was indeed a fulfilling experience. I understand how to develop more effective leadership, teamwork and capability in which audacious decision-making and mutual respect among the team co-exist. We did not learn about it as we do in lectures, but we felt with our heart, mind and soul, which render our experience even more meaningful. For the year-one students like myself, the workshop was one of the first steppingstones towards becoming a successful global business manager in the future. In the coming three and a half year and beyond, our journey will continue.

IBCE Final Year Students Say Xin Chào (Hello) to Vietnam

ibce — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 05:00:56 +0000

The visit to McKinsey Hanoi allowed students to gain firsthand insights from the management on how to set up or expand a business in a developing country.

By Nicola Lok

What can one achieve when given 75 minutes? Well, a lot actually. Our International Business and Chinese Enterprise (IBCE) batch boarded the flight at 8:30 am on 5 October, and kick-started our 6-day graduation study trip in none other country than the exotic Vietnam! The trip has deepened our understanding of the developments in the merging Vietnam market, provided us with a personal narrative of what Vietnam is all about, and strengthened our IBCE bond!

As soon as we landed in Hanoi, we got ourselves ready for the first-ever corporate visit to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It was inspiring to hear Mr. Hoang Van Anh, Deputy Director General of the Membership and Training Department to share his view on the competitive advantages of Vietnam such as a dynamic young working population, its geographical proximity to China, and the continuous investment in education. I very much appreciated his critical analysis on the opportunities and challenges faced by Vietnam. He offered us valuable insights into the possibilities of major trade agreements/ partnerships such as TPP and One Belt, One Road and how they could impact Vietnam’s manufacturing industry and further develop its technology sector. Other firm visits to Kerry Express Vietnam, McKinsey & Company (Hanoi) have provided a bigger picture of how Vietnam is performing in different industries and most important, where it is headed in the future as an emerging market and a member of the ASEAN.

Cultural and intellectual exchanges took place not only at the corporate level, but also at the university level – that was made possible, thanks to our friends from VNU University of Economics and Business. Working in teams with business major students from our host university, we got a taste of what it was like working in multi-cultural setting and strengthened our belief in the value of diversity! Tasked with a tower-building project (made of straws!) together with a presentation on our masterpiece, our friends from Vietnam and we capitalized on our strengths – some were better at the engineering part of the tower, while others were more comfortable with public speaking, and engaging the audience. The result was amazing – we brainstormed and designed our team identity and cooperated seamlessly at conveying our message! Not only did we synergize with a mix of Vietnam and Chinese cultures to deliver a superior outcome, but we also got to embrace our differences in work styles and ways of communication.

And a study trip could not have been made more perfect with a series of sightseeing activities – to see Vietnam with one’s eyes and experience the hospitality of the locals! A visit to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, where holds the embalmed remains of Ho Chi Minh can show you a lot about the country’s history, including its close tie to Soviet Union in the past, and we were surprised to find out Ho Chi Minh’s connection to Hong Kong! Another highlight would be the visit to the Temple of Confucius, which is said to be the go-to place for graduates to pay respect and give thanks to their teachers. And we were reminded of how years have passed and now as final year IBCE students, we were grateful to witness and help each other grow and learn over the years. And how indebted we are to our professors’ efforts in nurturing us as future leaders.

While the trip finally came to an end, as with all things in life, we have created memories of a lifetime as IBCE Batch 5.

Global Business Programs Kick-off Gathering 2016

ibce — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 15:51:50 +0000

In order to help the IBCErs and GLOBErs to understand the culture of the program, as well as getting to know other seniors and alumni of the programs, the kick-off gathering takes place at the end of September every year. This year, the event was held on 23rd September in Cheng Yu Tung Building. The event began with students from IBCE batch 8 performing a dance for everyone, followed by guests and alumni sharing with us their business insights and also giving academic advice to the freshmen. IBCErs and GLOBErs were encouraged to strive for their dreams and to figure out their interests during their undergraduate study. As the event headed towards the end, students from GBS did the iconic Demonstration-of-Beat (DemBeat in short) performance to wrap up the night.

It was an unforgettable night for all the students. Apart from what were learnt from the experienced alumni, the special thing about the night was the friendship we cemented with our fellow peers. This marks as a glamorous start of the school year!

IBCE Program Orientation Trip to Guiyang, China

ibce — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 05:00:45 +0000

By Joseph Toomb

(Toomb is an incoming exchange student from the University of South Carolina)

This August, students from the International Business and Chinese Enterprise (IBCE) program traveled to Mainland China for the annual Orientation Trip. Every year, the students begin their three-year learning and experiential partnership by exploring a city in the Mainland and learning about both the commercial and cultural landscape of that region. This year featured Cohort 7: a group of 34 ambitious and diverse second-year undergraduate students from the University of South Carolina and CUHK. The destination was Guiyang, the economic and commercial hub of the Guizhou Province in Southwest China, identified by The Economist as “China’s #1 Emerging City” in 2015. Corporate visits were made to companies from four different highlighted industries in the city, providing the students access to executives and information on a foundational level.

Now in its eighth year, the IBCE program has developed into one of the top undergraduate business programs offered at each respective university. Students are able to collaborate with their counterparts from another part of the world, sharing their passions for Chinese enterprise and language learning, as well as building a lasting network for relationships. After an energized and full week of activities and travel, students were filled with a heightened understanding of Guiyang’s general commercial outlook and its unique culture.

The corporate visits throughout the week took on a gradually wider scope as they proceeded, beginning with a longstanding family-owned enterprise, Laoganma Food Co. Ltd. Recognized throughout China and all across the world for their iconic chili sauce brands, Laoganma was established 20 years ago by Ms. Tao Huabi, hence the name “Old Godmother.” From a small street food stall to a corporation producing approximately one million bottles of chili sauce every day, Ms. Tao’s recipe has lived on through her sons. IBCE students were able to listen to and speak with Mr. Tao, the current CEO and head of operations for the company, posing thoughts and questions about the organizational structure of a family-owned business, as well as the company’s future plans for marketing and expansion.

Next, IBCE took a look into not only one of China’s fastest-growing business sectors, but also one of the most influential technologies of the global stage: big data. Much of Guiyang’s booming economic growth can be attributed to the Chinese government’s heavy investment in big data technologies in the province. A mild climate and low costs for electricity make Guiyang a suitable place for installing infrastructure for information technology, leading to corporate giants such as Alibaba and Foxconn constructing facilities in the city. Students had the chance to tour the Guiyang big data campus- truly a city within a city- and meet with executives from the Global Big Data Exchange (GBDE), a company that offers a trading platform for large quantities of sharable information. Much of the discussion centered around self-regulation, government influence in the industry, and prospects for future implementation and collaboration on a global scale.

After uncovering information about the new and innovative big data industry, the cohort visited with the management team of Salvage Pharmaceutical. The pharmaceutical industry in China has undergone much change in the past decade, specifically by increasing government regulation and designing faster methods of research and development. Speaking with Salvage, China’s leader in diabetes drugs and the region’s single commercial distributor of minority village herbs, was an excellent way for IBCE to understand how the fields of science and business are related and interdependent.

The final destination of the trip was with Homnicen Group, a real estate conglomerate and one of China’s top 500 private enterprises. The meeting centralized around Homnicen’s current undertaking called Hua Guoyuan, the largest urban redevelopment project in China. The group is responsible for planning, designing, and constructing a megacity. The government hopes to buoy the huge influx of economic development in Guiyang with an all-encompassing complex of residential and commercial facilities. With 90 billion yuan in investment funding, 6,000 acres of land, and 22 million square meters of construction, the vision is impressive. As every project presents unique challenges, IBCE students had the opportunity to probe Homnicen executives with questions regarding social responsibility, as well as solicit suggestions for implementation.

Following these extensive meetings with industry executives was a step back from the corporate setting and a step forward into the local culture. Aside from the business visits, IBCE students also spent an afternoon with a local university: Guizhou University of Finance and Economics. Welcomed by Chinese students, the American and Hong Kong students were able to learn, have fun, and interact with other students of their age.

Guiyang is seen to be one of the most picturesque and green cities in all of China. So, after seeing the magnificent landscape of rolling hills within the confides of the bus, the group took a visit to a nearby forest park and hiked to check out the waterfalls. Their last 36 hours in Guiyang was spent at the local Miao village, one of the minority groups in Southwest China. It was a sensational way to end the trip, for the people there were nothing short of hospitality extending warm welcome to our visit.

Looking ahead, Batch 7 will shift its focus onto the current academic term, with intended plans to further develop the strong bonds formed on their Orientation Trip.

IBCE students Organize Harvard University’s Largest Conference in Asia Pacific for 500 Students from over 60 Countries

ibce — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 05:00:38 +0000

The HPAIR Asia Conference 2016 organizing committee members posed for a group photo.

[the second and third ones from the left in the front row]
Jasmine Jim, Deputy Executive Director & Director of Delegate Relations (IBCE / Year 4) and
Venus To, Deputy Executive Director & Director of Marketing and Communications (IBCE / Year 3);
[the third and fifth ones from the left in the second row]
Christopher Wong, Executive Director (IBCE alumnus, Class of 2013) and
Alvin Cheung, Co-Director of Corporate Relations (fresh graduate of IBCE)

Following a highly competitive world-class bidding process, an undergraduate student team from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) won the honor of hosting the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) 2016 Asia Conference in Hong Kong again, after 9 years.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, HPAIR Asia Conference is Harvard University’s largest annual student event in the Asia-Pacific region, bringing together over 500 delegates from the world’s foremost universities and leaders in various fields to discuss the most pressing global issues across a wide spectrum, from business and sustainability, to entrepreneurship, humanitarian affairs and diplomacy. Since 1991, this conference has been held in a different Asian city every year. This year, with the theme of ‘EMPOWER’, the HPAIR Asia Conference will be held in CUHK from 19 to 23 August, inviting over 90 speakers including renowned academics, business professionals, and political leaders.

Empowering Young Leaders to Shape Asia’s Future

HPAIR is a student-run organization of the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The HPAIR Asia Conference is a 5-day program which aims to provide a dynamic forum of exchange on international issues vital to Asia, foster long-term relationships among young leaders from around the globe, and connect talented delegates with some of today’s leaders in academia, business and government. Through plenary sessions, panels, keynotes, workshops, and case studies, the conferences provide valuable opportunities for discussion about the many challenges and trends across the international landscape, including political, social, economic, cultural, and business features.

The bidding process for the HPAIR Asia Conference hosting began a year ago. After submitting a nearly 200-page proposal to the HPAIR Executive Board, many rounds of video conference interviews were conducted. Amid intense competition from top-class student teams from Australia, India and Korea, to name but a few, representatives from CUHK outperformed them and won the bid on behalf of Hong Kong. The organizing committee comprises 39 undergraduate students from different academic departments at CUHK who aspire to connect young leaders from around the globe and empower each other to change the world. Moreover, the team has successfully secured and offered over 50 scholarships to HPAIR delegates, which is a tremendous and unprecedented achievement.

Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, said, “I’m so proud that our students have won the bid to host such a large-scale and prestigious international event here in CUHK. A global mindset is an essential quality for our young leaders. HPAIR is definitely a valuable event for raising students’ awareness and for broadening their horizons on issues in Asia and globally. I’m sure all participants in HPAIR will have influential exchanges and gain inspiration that will lead new thinking about life, careers and our world. This can only contribute to shaping a better future.”

Distinctive features about HPAIR 2016 Asia Conference

Some distinguished international speakers attending the event include Dr. Han Seung-soo (Former Prime Minister, Republic of Korea; Former President of the UN General Assembly), Ms. Tawakkol Karman (2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Yemeni journalist and politician), Mr. John Chen (Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BlackBerry Limited), Prof. Sir James Mirrlees (1996 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences), and Mr. Daniel Trust (LGBT advocate; Rwandan genocide survivor). Some local heavyweights include Prof. Joseph Sung (Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK), Mr. Antony Leung (Former Financial Secretary of Hong Kong SAR), Dr. Victor Fung (Chairman of Li & Fung Group), Ms. Poman Lo (CEO and Founder of Century Innovative Technology, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Regal Hotels Group), Prof. Frederick Ma (Chairman of MTR Corporation Limited) and Mr. Allen Ma (Former Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation).

Unlike conventional conferences, the HPAIR Asia Conference 2016 hosted by CUHK comprises various innovative sessions which make a real impact on both participants and society. These will include the Impact Challenge where delegates will form teams to tackle one of the biggest challenges in Asia through actualizing their ideas on current real cases provided by the conference partners including Huawei, Deloitte, Liberty Asia, and the Hong Kong Policy Research Institute; HPAIRx, a TED-style sharing session by participating students; the Career Fair which serves as a dynamic platform for corporate representatives and young talents to share their career aspirations. Delegates will also be introduced to the job market and entrepreneurship environment in Hong Kong. Throughout the 5-day program, a series of social tours and cultural activities will also be available for delegates from around the world to understand Hong Kong from a completely different perspective.

To echo the Conference’s theme ‘EMPOWER’, the CUHK student organizers introduce a 6-month Mentorship Programme. Sponsored by Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and partnering with Teach4HK, the programme connects local underprivileged secondary school students to HPAIR delegates possessing good mentoring qualities and a passion to serve.

Venus To (IBCE/Year 3) said, “Through the event, we hope to encourage the city’s dreamers to go out there and pass on the spirit of empowerment to not just the local community, but the entire region. It is not just about Hong Kong and mainland China, but about Asia and the world. And it’s about giving young people a platform to connect with one another.”

For more information on the conference, please visit: www.hpair.org.

For Chinese version, please click here.

Christopher Wong and Venus To have also written an article to share the reasons why they want to hold the HPAIR 2016 Asia Conference at CUHK. Please click here to read the article.

This article was first published in the CUHK website on 11 August, 2016. The HPAIR Conference 2016 was also well-received by the mass media:

Hong Kong Economic Times

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1tBOl7fxiUzSG9rZVJIYVB4THM/view?usp=sharing

CDNews

http://www.cdnews.com.tw/cdnews_site/docDetail.jsp?coluid=121&docid=103796426

Sina

http://news.sina.com.tw/article/20160811/18237457.html

Yahoo!

https://hk.news.yahoo.com/中大生合辦哈佛亞洲會議-221109809.html

Sing Tao Daily

http://std.stheadline.com/daily/news-content.php?id=1461090&target=2

China Review News Agency

http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1043/4/8/9/104348915.html?coluid=0&kindid=0&docid=104348915&mdate=0812110931

Complimentary advertisement:

HKUST Magazine

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1tBOl7fxiUzWVVVZkl0ZlIyeW8/view?usp=sharing

Forbes

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1tBOl7fxiUzNmpBRmtCM1U0Sk0/view?usp=sharing

International New York Times

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1tBOl7fxiUzQjVCZDlFRFpmdzQ

IBCE Alumni Share Their Success Stories with Hong Kong Media

ibce — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 05:00:44 +0000

(Left to right) Kate Tsoi (GBS, batch 9), Kendy Tse (IBCE, batch 5) and Winnie Lee (IBCE, batch 4) in the back row; Christopher Wong (IBCE, batch 1), Dr. John Lai, Wendy Leung (GBS, batch 3) and Arnold Chan (GBS, batch 3) in the front row

Both Global Business Studies (‎GBS) and International Business and Chinese Enterprise (‎IBCE) ‪‎undergraduate programs are perceived as the “A-list” programs and mostly sought after by high-caliber students. However, the public often has a wrong perception, thinking that students who pursue them are merely seeking a springboard for landing a high-paying job in investment banks after graduation.

To help secondary school students and their parents better understand GBS and IBCE and to inspire them for making good ‪‎JUPAS program choices, a press meeting was arranged in the afternoon of 22 June at the School with six GBS and IBCE alumni/students attended. The group included alumni Arnold Chan (GBS, batch 3), Christopher Wong (IBCE, batch 1), Wendy Leung (GBS, batch 3), and students Kate Tsoi (GBS, batch 9), Winnie Lee (IBCE, batch 4) and Kendy Tse (IBCE, batch 5).

Led by Dr. John Lai, Assistant Dean (Undergraduate Studies) and Director of Global Business Programs at CUHK Business School, the GBS/IBCE alumni and students shared with journalists from mainstream newspapers in Hong Kong including am730, Hong Kong Economic Times, Ming Pao Daily News, Sing Tao Daily News and Wen Wei Po regarding how the programs nurtured their global mindsets, inspired them to better serve the community by applying their gained business knowledge, and to tackle social problems with entrepreneurial approaches.

Five media stories have been generated to date with extremely positive and encouraging messages. The media stories have appeared in Hong Kong Economic Times‘ Topick online news portal, Hong Kong Economic Times, Ming Pao Daily News, Sing Tao Daily News and Wen Wei Po. The Sing Tao Daily News one has also been reprinted by popular internet portal Yahoo! Hong Kong and Sina Hong Kong.

The secondary school students who applied for the GBS and IBCE programs were asked situation handling questions such as “What business would you start on Mars?” during the admission interviews in early June. Christopher Wong shares with reporters that the question aims to examine students’ presentation skills when facing unplanned situation. He offered his support as one of the interviewers in the admission interviews for IBCE applicants. Dr. Lai also shares that during the admission interviews, he was deeply impressed by the applicants who showed strong commitment of social contribution. He says that the school’s undergraduate admission interviews not only focus on applicants’ academic performance but also their IQ, EQ and CQ (Courage Quotient). Dr. Lai advises GBS/IBCE applicants that it is unnecessary to memorize those ‘model’ answers by rote for the admission interviews, as he appreciates interviewees who have courage to innovate and can demonstrate their presentation skills and abilities in dealing with stress and challenges.

Kate Tsoi also shares her tips with secondary school students saying that the determinant of an eye-catching résumé is about the applicant’s depth of understanding of the activities that he/she has participated in. She suggested that applicants could proactively ask questions to give the interviewers an impression that they are well prepared for the interviews.

Many GBS alumni are committed to social contribution by applying their business knowledge to tackle social issues, such as Arnold Chan who is a role model with a strong passion in teaching underprivileged students. Graduated from the CUHK Business School in 2010, he worked at Goldman Sachs’ asset management division. Having worked at the investment bank for three years, Arnold quitted the high-paying job and founded a nonprofit organization called “Teach4HK” in 2013. Teach4HK is a nonprofit organization with a mission to enlist outstanding university students with diversified talents to serve in schools with underprivileged students through a one-year teaching fellowship program.

So far, six secondary schools and more than 2,000 students from grass-roots families have been benefited by Arnold’s NGO. Arnold shares that by studying business administration at universities, students can be trained how to tackle social problems with a practical mindset and the most efficient approaches. After having completed an MBA at Harvard Business School, Arnold has started working full-time at Teach4HK from early this year to manage the NGO. Teach4HK has so far raised more than HK$5 million from the government and private donation for the NGO’s operations.

Graduated from the IBCE program this year, Winnie Lee has started up her own business “Spread-IT.” Spread-IT is an online marketing promotion platform engaging university students to be “micro-influencers” for consumers brands to promote their products/services through Instagram. Winnie points out that companies are used to consume huge amount of budget to hire celebrities to represent their brands for advertising. However, consumers easily recognize that photos featuring the celebrities and consumer products are hard sell. Instead, consumers would be more receptive to products/services that his/her friends are using. Spread-IT has been working with famous brands such as H&M and McDonalds to promote their products with the online platform’s university student ‘Ambassadors.’

Wendy Leung joined a multinational consulting firm as a management consultant after having graduated from the GBS program. She worked there for three years before she founded her own food business “Waffleman” in 2014. Waffleman is specializing in Belgian waffles and drinks with its first store located at Stanley Plaza. Wendy came up this business idea when she first visited Belgium with GBS in 2009. She came back to Belgium and visited a number of waffle stores there and obtained the recipes and ingredients for baking waffle and finally opened her own store.

To read more about the media stories (in Chinese) by Hong Kong Economic Times, Ming Pao Daily News, Sing Tao Daily News and Wen Wei Po, please click on the images below.

Media: Hong Kong Economic Times, Hong Kong Economic Times‘ Topick, Ming Pao Daily News, Sing Tao Daily News, Wen Wei Po, Sina Hong Kong and Yahoo! Hong Kong

Section: Local News – Education

Date published: June 22 & 23, 2016

Re: Dr. John Lai, CUHK Business School alumni: Arnold Chan (GBS, batch 3), Christopher Wong (IBCE, batch 1), Wendy Leung (GBS, batch 3), and students Kate Tsoi (GBS, batch 9), Winnie Lee (IBCE, batch 4) and Kendy Tse (IBCE, batch 5)

Ming Pao Daily News

Hong Kong Economic Times

Sing Tao Daily News