CUHK-Tsinghua FMBA 20th Anniversary Celebration
On 11 January 2020, the 20th Anniversary of The Chinese University of Hong Kong-Tsinghua University MBA Programme in Finance (FMBA) was celebrated in style at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
Meet the Deans
The “Meet the Deans” alumni event, part of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)-Tsinghua University MBA Programme in Finance (FMBA) 20th Anniversary celebration event series, offered a chance for FMBA alumni to meet and exchange ideas with Prof. Bai Chong-en, Dean of Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management, and Prof. Lin Zhou, Dean of CUHK Business School, under the same roof. Prof. Sean Xu, Deputy Dean of the Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management, welcomed the audience with an opening address.
The “Meet the Deans” event offers lively, in-depth exchange among FMBA alumni and the deans of both schools
Prof. Lin Zhou discussed the origins and development of CUHK, an institution founded with three fundamental goals: promoting Chinese culture in colonial Hong Kong, bringing together the East and the West, and innovating for progress. True to this spirit, CUHK Business School’s BBA, MBA and EMBA programmes were all the first of their kind in the region, lighting the way for Asia’s business education. The FMBA Programme, jointly run by CUHK and Tsinghua University, was also one of the first educational collaborations between Hong Kong and the mainland. Not only has the programme nurtured an outstanding talent pool for the mainland’s financial sector, it has also become an important link between Hong Kong and China. Prof. Zhou hoped that the FMBA Programme would enable even more opportunities for the two schools to jointly contribute to the development of mainland China and Hong Kong.
Taking the stage next, Prof. Bai echoed the hope for deeper, broader cooperation between CUHK Business School and Tsinghua. He then presented his analysis of current opportunities and challenges facing China’s economic development. Prof. Bai believes that as a fast-growing economy, China enjoys a distinct latecomer advantage; and, fueled by advances in digital technology and education, China is poised to remain on top of global annual growth rankings. However, expanding priorities outside of economic growth are presenting new challenges and necessitating urgent improvements to China’s governance. The current innovation-driven growth is raising the standard for a sound financial system. And the adjustment pain caused by structural transformation is testing the nation’s will for continued structural reform. All of these must be addressed, while we navigate a complex, ever-changing external environment.
Held in Tsinghua University’s Weilun Building, in the same classroom dated back to 20 years ago, the “Meet the Deans” event attracts a full house of FMBA graduates
Following the deans’ remarks, President of FMBA Beijing Alumni Association Wang Guangyu (FMBA 2004) hosted a dialogue session for the deans and the attending alumni. Together, the two deans discoursed on a number of important issues, such as China’s high-quality development era and its impact on the business environment; income inequality in the mainland and Hong Kong from the view of welfare economics, the current development and challenges in China’s financial and capital markets, and the economic forecast for 2020. The two deans also answered questions about the current state of China’s property market and innovative environment, leaving attendees with a host of enlightening new insights.
20th Anniversary Celebration Carnival and Dinner
Following this event, the guests and alumni attended the 20th Anniversary celebration carnival and dinner.To begin, attendees were treated to a short video titled “Growth and Change”, a lively retelling of the programme’s 20 years of success. It was heart-warming to see how far FMBA alumni have come over the years and how they continue to thrive today.
After the video, Prof. Isabella Poon, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of CUHK, and Prof. Xie Weihe, Deputy Director of Tsinghua University Council and former Vice President of Tsinghua University, gave stirring speeches about achievements made in the FMBA Programme over the past two decades. They also expressed their commitment to deepening the collaboration in future.
In recognition of their accomplishments, outstanding individuals and groups were honoured with awards including the Outstanding Merit Award, Perseverance Award, Alumni Contribution Award and Class Cohesion Award, which were handed out by esteemed guests. Staff and teachers were commended by the Deans of CUHK Business School and Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management, who acknowledged that thanks to their hard work and dedication, the FMBA Programme will continue reaching new heights of excellence.
Afterwards, guests, teachers and student representatives joined hands for a hearty rendition of “You and Me, Strive with Passion and Faith” to kick off the Art and Culture Gala. What followed was a wonderful variety of impressive performances, all inspired by the “Growth and Change” theme, which wowed the audience. It was truly spectacular to see the highlights of the FMBA Programme’s history commemorated with high-spirited hymns, music, dance, Chinese opera, video and drama performances. There could be no better way to celebrate such an important milestone.
This article first appeared in CUHK Business School Alumni Portal, republished with permission from Alumni and Corporate Affairs Office, CUHK Business School.