2 March 2015
In conjunction with the 10th anniversary celebration of Global Business Studies (GBS) Program and the 5th anniversary of the International Business and Chinese Enterprise (IBCE) Program, the Global Business Forum 2015 cum Spring Dinner was held on 1 March in Regal Kowloon Hotel.
With the theme of "Innovation in Turbulent Times," the Forum was attended by over 130 guests, including keynote speaker John C Tsang, GBM, JP, Financial Secretary of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR; Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Prof. Kalok Chan, Dean of CUHK Business School, as well as prominent industry leaders, current GBS and IBCE students, alumni, faculty members and prospective students.
Mr. Tsang advised CUHK students in his keynote speech to be prepared for whatever life offers: "You must all be thinking at this stage of life about your future careers and the dreams that you will follow. No matter what you intend to do, be well prepared. Be prepared to commit your whole self. Be prepared for the unexpected. And most of all, be prepared for failure."
"Having a successful business and doing what you love is not going to be an easy endeavor, but the mere process of moving forward and struggling toward your own little utopia will be rewarding and satisfying. The ultimate condition for success is that you must be well prepared," added Mr. Tsang.
Commenting on the event’s theme, Dr. John Lai, Director of Global Business Programs, said: "The global marketplace is getting more competitive where innovation has become a buzzword and is reshaping the world of work. Innovation has been recognized as a way to perpetuate organizational profitability and growth in a complex and unpredictable environment. In preparing our students as global employees, it is imperative to equip them to be champions of innovation through acquiring the ability to solve problems and deal with a wide spectrum of unstructured issues that require complex or novel solutions."
Other distinguishes speakers included senior executives from banking, consulting and other leading businesses: Mrs. Christine Ip, Managing Director and CEO Hong Kong of United Overseas Bank Limited, shared on “Innovation – what has it got to do with your career?”; Mr. David Lee, Partner and Managing Director of The Boston Consulting Group, shared on “Be innovative – you need that in this fast changing world”; Mr. George Hongchoy, Executive Director and CEO of The Link Management Limited, shared on “The Link REIT’s Innovation in Turbulent Times”; Mr. Harry O’Neill, Managing Partner, Head of Financial Services Practice, APAC & Middle East, and Head of CEO & Board Practice, Hong Kong of Heidrick & Struggles, shared on “How Financial Services Companies Stay Competitive amid Turbulence”. With such a wide array of speakers offering many different perspectives on what innovation actually is, attendants were inspired on how it can be used to excel personally and professionally.
We were very honored to have Dr. Richard Vuylsteke, President of The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, to be the Keynote Speaker of the Spring Dinner and share on “Under-rated Creativity”. The subsequent sessions were full of joy and laughter. On top of the palatable meals, there were also music, drama, and dance performances given by local Year 1 GBS and IBCE students, as well as exchange students from Copenhagen Business School (CBS), The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and University of South Carolina (USC). Not only do GBS students work hard, but they play hard too. Exhibiting the energy and enthusiasm that defines them, everyone was having great fun and the spirit was high.
The full speech by the Financial Secretary is available at the HKSAR Government website here.
Over 130 guests, including keynote speaker John C Tsang, GBM, JP, Financial Secretary of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR; Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President, CUHK; Prof. Kalok Chan, Dean of CUHK Business School, as well as prominent industry leaders, current GLOBE and IBCE students, alumni, faculty members and prospective students, posed for a group photo at the Global Business Forum 2015.
The Honourable John C Tsang, GBM, JP, Financial Secretary, The Government of the Hong Kong SAR
The Honourable John C Tsang, GBM, JP, Financial Secretary, The Government of the Hong Kong SAR
(From left to right) Prof. Michael Murphree, University of South Carolina; David Lee, Partner and Managing Director, The Boston Consulting Group; Prof. Kalok Chan, Dean of CUHK Business School; Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President, CUHK; John C Tsang, GBM, JP, Financial Secretary of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR; Dr. Richard R. Vuylsteke, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong; George Kwok Lung Hongchoy, Executive Director and CEO, The Link Management Limited; Christine Ip, Managing Director and CEO Hong Kong, United Overseas Bank Limited; Ole StrØmgren, Copenhagen Business School; and Dr. John Lai, Director of Global Business Programs at CUHK Business School
(Mid) Mr. Harry O’Neill, Managing Partner, Head of Financial Services Practice, APAC & Middle East, and Head of CEO & Board Practice, Hong Kong of Heidrick & Struggles
Student performance at Spring Dinner
