Meet HKU Business School’s MBA Class Of 2021

Students doing cyberport group work

AN INTERVIEW WITH SACHIN TIPNIS

What are the latest developments at the HKU MBA? How has the school addressed COVID-19? Why is the school’s small class sizes and case-based learning methodology so critical in enriching the student learning experience? In November, P&Q posed these questions to Sachin Tipnis, the senior executive director at the University of Hong Kong’s MBA program. Here are his written thoughts on the state of the school.

P&Q: What are the most exciting new developments at your program?

Sachin Tipnis

Tipnis: “One of the most interesting additions to our program this year is the China Immersion Program focusing on the Greater Bay Area (GBA). The development of the GBA is accorded the status of key strategic planning in China’s development blueprint, having great significance in the country’s implementation of innovation-driven development and commitment to reform and opening-up. The area is already an economic powerhouse, with a population of 70 million and a GDP of around 10 trillion RMB. This creates tremendous opportunities for our students and hence we have launched a series of well-planned and structured activities to enhance knowledge about GBA amongst our community through interactive forums, conferences, fireside chats, engagement with industry, leadership talks, alumni panel discussions, live consulting projects and actual visit to GBA (once travel restrictions are lifted). This will provide our students with a deep understanding about GBA, which will have great impact on the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in GBA.

We have also recently introduced “Knowledge Exchange” platform for our students and alumni community for them to share their insights on different topics and industry. This is a good platform for them to showcase their knowledge about a particular topic, which then can be shared with potential employers. We also promote this platform in our social media channels which can provide our students a larger canvas and reach.”

P&Q: What is the two most unique or differentiating features of your full-time program? How do they enrich the MBA experience?

Tipnis: “1. Regional perspective in the heart of Asia

As the Asian economy continues to grow, it is vital that business leaders from the region are exposed to cutting-edge business education that is tailor-made for achieving success in the dynamic Asian arena. The HKU MBA adopts an experiential-learning approach, with a strong focus on China and Asia. Students learn how to apply business principles and models to real-world business problems in Asia region. All courses are taught by using context-rich business scenarios and cases based on actual experiences at well-known Asian and global companies. This strong regional perspective is one of our differentiating factors as our students have very strong knowledge, exposure and understanding about one of the most critical and important regions in the world.

University of Hong Kong Main Campus

2. The London & New York Connection: An expanded global vision

Our exchange partnerships with two world-renowned business schools, London Business School and Columbia Business School, provide our students with unparalleled educational and networking opportunities. Students benefit from the international experience and state-of-the-art knowledge of three of the world’s major business centres: Hong Kong, London and New York. Instead of having multiple exchange partners, wherein students need to compete and only few spots are available for top schools, we adopt a model wherein our students are guaranteed to do exchange at these two top ranked schools. They can choose the track at the time of the admissions which then make their MBA journey very interesting as HKU provides strong Asia focus, and later through this exchange they are able to have global vision and exposure.

Our partnership with Fudan University in Shanghai further increases learning by giving students an in-depth understanding of doing business in the world’s biggest marketplace, and those who want to specialize in China business can opt for this option.”

P&Q: How has COVID-19 impacted your business school?

Tipnis: “COVID-19 has not had major impact, as situation in Hong Kong is very stable and we never experienced a complete lockdown. Our admissions across MBA (both full-time and part-time) and specialized Master programmes went very smoothly and we were able to admit quality full cohorts for all our programmes. As the travel restrictions were in place, we had to delay the start of the programmes by around a month to facilitate 14 days quarantine for our large number of international students. Nearly the full MBA class is now physically present in Hong Kong and we are able to conduct face-to-face classes and activities.”

Towncentre Commons Area

P&Q: How does your location in Hong Kong enhance students’ learning and employment opportunities in Hong Kong and China in general – and the Asia-Pacific region in particular?

Tipnis: “We are in the heart of a city created by entrepreneurs and raised to global pre-eminence on deep business foundations. This confers an immense advantage on our students. Hong Kong is not only a capital of business, it is a great financial hub, a status it supports by being the most open business environment in Asia and one of the freest in trade and money in the world, with a low and simple tax regime. Its competitiveness, high by all the global rankings, is breathtaking and its infrastructure, which beats all other cities worldwide, makes it irresistible as a location. An Asian nexus and forever a portal to China, Hong Kong is a draw at all levels. Overseas and mainland companies are locating there in greater numbers. It is fertile ground for startups, both local and from around the world. As a city, Hong Kong works and gets the job done. It is an ideal setting for internationalism, attracting people of many skills from far-and-wide.”

P&Q: The university boasts 220,000 alumni. How does the business school leverage this resource in its MBA programming and career services?

Tipnis: “Our extensive network helps us to bring in our alumns as mentor, coaches, career advisors, conduct leadership talks, workshops and even as angel investors for new start up ideas and incubation programmes. The resources are tremendous, which is a major benefit for our student community. Nearly in every organization, both private and public one can find a HKU alumnus.

Towncentre Meeting Room

P&Q: One of your differentiators is your case-based learning approach that relies heavily on HKU faculty cases that focus on Asia. How does this approach give your students in the global marketplace?

Tipnis: “Asia is now the centre of business as it is the biggest marketplace and also has very diverse portfolio of economies. For sure, our cases focus on Asia, but the world business is interconnected and one cannot cover any region without the overall context of what’s happening in the global market place. A fair part of the cases cover global and international arena. When our students go to London or New York, they are further able to develop their global mindset and competencies. As such our programme is well balanced with their 8-9 months in Hong Kong providing them solid understanding about Asia and then 3-4 months in London or New York giving them the global context.”

P&Q: How does your small class size enrich the MBA learning experience? Why do you employ a one-year format?

Tipnis: “The programme’s relatively small class size, along with the diversity of profiles among class members, allows for extensive interaction and collaboration. Small class size means we can offer personalized career services. We are able to provide tailor made career advice and guidance to our students, and work on a one-to-one basis in terms enhancing their professional and personal skills and connecting them with the relevant corporate and recruitment partners.

We have adopted a one year format to match the Asian market place, which is fast-paced, intensive and agile. We want our students to embrace this culture and prepare them well for this vibrant market.”

MBAs SPEAK ON WHY THEY CAME TO HKU

The small class size has also nurtured a sense of “closeness and camaraderie” in the Class of 2021, adds Kenneth Jee. “Since day one of orientation, the cohort has been joined at the hip and everyone knows each other’s life journey and previous experiences…It has allowed all of us to invariably get a chance to work on a class project or group presentation with every single member of the cohort at some point during the first three months of business school.”

Cyberport Outdoors

Not just the HKU MBA cohort. As Tipnis noted, students can also participate in tracks where they can attend classes on three different continents, further expanding their understanding of global perspectives and dynamics. That made a big impression on Sandhya Narayanan during the admissions process.

“The icing on the cake was the partnership of HKU with London Business School and Columbia Business Schools that could allow us to explore the best of both worlds – The East and the West! Unlike exchange programs, this unique partnership allows us to choose from a set of diverse electives offered at LBS/CBS.”

Kenneth Jee, however, is more excited about staying closer to home and taking advantage of the China Immersion Program. “With the Asia-Pacific region being at the center of many international business ventures, the program’s focus on China’s vibrant and evolving business environment is particularly relevant. By participating in regular company visits and business field trips to China, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of international business while learning more about the necessary cultural dynamics and sensitivities needed to succeed in business in the region.”

That’s not all the Class of 2021 learned. For Molly Scott, the demands of business school have built up her confidence – and exposed her to connections she had never before considered. “During my first months of business school, my brain responded like an elastic band, constantly being pulled into different directions. There was economics, analytics, accounting, and financing tugging at different parts of my brain. Now, I am seeing how these all relate to each other – and to business.”

MBA Student Hometown Undergrad Alma Mater Last Employer
Dr. Sangeeta Bhuyan New Delhi, India Chaudhry Charan Singh University School of Dentistry, HKU
Laura Hawxhurst Sparta, NJ, USA James Madison University CVS Health
Aline Herth Zwingenberg, Germany San Jose State University 1&1 IONOS
Kenneth Jee New York City, NY USA New York City, USA Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield
Muhammed Manko Abuja, Nigeria Usmanu Danfodiyo University Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria
Sandhya Narayanan Chennai, India The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India HashHackCode
Samuli Pyy Helsinki, Finland University of Turku WDL
Molly Scott Toronto, Canada Dalhousie University Neat
Hubert Streitler AU, Switzerland Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne Bloomberg

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