Conferences / Forum / Workshops

2018 JCF Special Issue Conference

Organized by School of Accounting and Finance at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and co-organized by Xiamen University, the Journal of Corporate Finance (JCF) Special Issue Conference was held on 17-18 December 2018 with the theme “The Role of Institutional Investors in Corporate and Entrepreneurial Finance”. Insightful presentations and fruitful discussions were conducted in various panel sessions on the following sub-themes: Institutional Investors, M&A, and Capital Structure; Institutional Investors, Bonds, and Loans; Institutional Investors and Corporate Governance; Institutional Investors and Entrepreneurial Finance; Institutional Investors and Relationships; and Institutional Investors, Behavior, Disclosure, and Regulation. Prof. Mark Grinblatt at UCLA Anderson School of Management delivered the keynote speech on “State Pricing, Effectively Complete Markets, and Corporate Finance”.

2018 JCF Special Issue Conference  

Knowledge Transfer Forum

Hosted by School of Accounting and Finance, Knowledge Transfer Forum was held on 13-14 December 2018 at PolyU. The event provided a platform for stimulating knowledge transfer between star professors from US business schools and top-notch business executives in Greater China. Star professors including Prof. Mark Grinblatt at UCLA Anderson School of Management, Prof. Shiva Rajgopal at Columbia Business School, and Prof. Karthik Ramanna at the

University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government delivered speeches on “Efficient and Inefficient Pricing of Stocks in Markets around the World”, “Looking Under the Hood: Fundamental Analysis Done Right”, and “Economic Nationalism in the US: Causes and Implications for the US-China Trade War” respectively. They shared with the audience insights based on their unique research and consulting experience which could be applied to Chinese companies.

Distinguished researchers of the School also shared with the audience their eye-opening, impactful research. The Forum covered nine innovative and interdisciplinary research projects. The presentations combined accounting and finance with societal concerns such as climate change, corporate social responsibility, cyber security, psychology and alternative investment strategies.

Top management teams from China Everbright Limited, Ernst & Young and Golden Concord Holdings Limited were invited for private consultation with star professors to formulate their strategies. The Forum attracted 150 on-site participants and reached 100,000 real-time audience via live streaming.

Prof. Mark Grinblatt (third from left), Prof. Shiva Rajgopal (fourth fromleft) and Prof. Karthik Ramanna (first from left)

Participants of private consultation sessions

AI & Investments Conference

The Centre for Wealth Management at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) and the Centre for Economic Sustainability & Entrepreneurial Finance (CESEF), School of Accounting and Finance at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University jointly hosted the AI & Investments Conference on 2 November 2018 at Four Seasons Hotel, Shenzhen, Mainland China. The Conference gathered over 300 industry and education professionals, government officials, and entrepreneurs in fast-growing and tech industries, as well as in the finance sectors, who want to understand the latest development in AI in the areas of finance and business. The Conference covered important topics including Fintech, AI in investments, and the role of private equity for tech start-ups.

AI & Investments Conference

PolyU-AIS Research Workshop

Co-organized by School of Accounting and Finance and Department of Management and Marketing, the AIS Research Workshop attracted researchers who are interested in having a deeper understanding of the application of information systems in finance and accounting research. The Workshop focused on Smart Service including but not limited to E-commerce, Business Intelligence, FinTech, etc. Prof. Kenneth Hsing Cheng at University of Florida delivered the keynote speech on “What is Hot in Information Systems? Smart Service, Smart Business and Smart Research”, The Workshop was held on 27 July 2018 at PolyU.

2018 MIT Asia Conference in Accounting

Organized by MIT Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and co-organized by School of Accounting and Finance, Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF), and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the 2018 MIT Asia Conference in Accounting was held on 23-24 July 2018 at Hotel ICON, Hong Kong. The goal of the annual conference this year was to develop rigorous and relevant research in the field of accounting. Through thoughtful and constructive workshops and interactions in the Conference, researchers in Asia were encouraged to employ the highest standards of academic diligence in addressing topical challenges faced by managers, investors, regulators,

and/or market intermediaries such as auditors and analysts. The keynote address, entitled “Research to Inform Policy Making: The Next Generation”, was delivered by Prof. Mary E. Barth at Stanford University. A Doctoral Consortium was hosted by PolyU on 22 July 2018.

Prof. Kenneth Hsing Cheng

Prof. Mary E. Barth

2018 Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance (JAAF) Conference

Co-hosted by Institute of Business Research and Education (IBRE) at Korea University Business School and School of Accounting and Finance at PolyU, the 2018 Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance (JAAF) Conference was held on 25-27 June 2018 in Jeju Island, Korea. The Conference invited innovative research papers for plenary and concurrent sessions on auditing, earnings management, financial reporting, innovation, disclosures, finance and accounting standards.

2018 FMA Asia/Pacific Conference

2018 FMA Asia/Pacific Conference brought together academicians and practitioners with interests in financial decision-making and provided a forum for presenting new research and discussing current issues about financial management and related topics. Prof. David J. Denis, Roger S. Ahlbrandt, Sr. Chair and Professor of Business Administration at University of Pittsburgh, delivered the keynote speech on “Intangible Investment and the Changing Face of Public Corporations”. The Conference was held on 16-18 May 2018 at PolyU.

2018 Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance (JAAF)Conference

 

Prof. David J. Denis

2018 International Conference in Accounting, Finance, Economics and Law

Co-organized with National Dong Hwa University Department of Finance, 2018 International Conference in Accounting, Finance, Economics and Law (ICAFEL) was held on 23-24 April 2018 in Tamsui, Taipei, Taiwan. Faculty members of the School and invited scholars presented their ideas and proposals for research project development.

Sustainability Conference: Governance and Financial Health of NGOs

Organized by CESEF of School of Accounting and Finance, the Sustainability Conference: Governance and Financial Health of NGOs invited over 100 NGO professionals and stakeholders who are interested in better understanding the latest development in governance and financial health of NGOs. Challenging issues were presented and discussed in various panels covering Governance and Financial Health of NGOs and Challenges of NGOs (International vs Local Practices). The Conference was held on 9 February 2018 at PolyU.

2018 International Conference in Accounting, Finance, Economicsand Law

Sustainability Conference: Governance and Financial Healthof NGOs

Public Lectures by renowned scholars

The School hosted a public lecture entitled “Stock Return Anomalies: Academia Impacting Industry” delivered by Prof. R. David McLean on 7 November 2018. Prof. McLean is Associate Professor of Finance and Anderson Faculty Fellow at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. His research focuses on capital market imperfections and their ramifications for both asset prices and corporate finance. In the lecture, Prof. McLean described some stock return predictors and discussed competing theories of

why this predictability exists. He also talked about how this area of academic research had impacted the asset management industry.

Prof. Linda Ann Myers was invited by the School to deliver a public lecture entitled “Do Financial Statement Misstatements Facilitate Corporate Acquisitions?” on 18 September 2018. Prof. Myers is Haslam Chair of Business and Distinguished Professor of Accounting at Haslam College of Business at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Prof. Myers and her team provide evidence suggesting that managers use income-increasing financial statement misstatements to facilitate acquisitions. Specifically, they find that firms which overstate earnings are more likely to make stock-based acquisitions, but not cash-based acquisitions, after the start of the misstatement. In addition, stock-based acquisitions follow misstatements that can be classified as irregularities but not misstatements that are classified as errors. Stock price reactions to restatement announcements are more negative, by 550 basis points on average, when stock-based acquisitions were made during the misstatement period, and these acquisitions are significantly more likely to result in goodwill impairments than are stock-based acquisitions made during non-misstatement periods. Collectively, these results suggest that managers exploit earnings overstatements to facilitate acquisitions that are largely value-destroying.

Prof. R. David McLean

Prof. Linda Ann Myers

Prof. Harald Hau was invited by the School to deliver a public lecture on “FinTech Credit, Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurial Growth” on 28 June 2018. Prof. Hau is Professor of Economics and Finance at the Geneva School of Economics and Management (GSEM) at the University of Geneva, Managing Director of the Geneva Finance Research Institute (GFRI), and Senior Chair at the Swiss Finance Institute (SFI). Prof. Hau and his team use a discontinuity in the credit decision algorithm to document that a firm’s credit approval and first-time online credit use boost firm development in terms of sales and transaction growth. These findings reveal the scope of China’s credit market frictions and the benefits of new credit technologies in improving credit markets.

On 23 January 2018, the School organized a public lecture entitled “Qualitative Information and Stock-Price Anomalies” delivered by Prof. Eli Bartov, Professor of Accounting and KPMG Faculty Fellow at New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business. Prof. Bartov’s research focuses on executive compensation, executive stock options, earnings management, earnings expectation management, and various aspects of equity valuation and trading strategies.

Research Grants

The School has been awarded grants from General Research Fund (GRF) for 12 projects with a total amount of HK$5,414,554 and from Early Career Scheme (ECS) for 1 project with an amount of HK$511,239 by the Research Grants Council (RGC) for 2018/19.

Prof. Harald Hau

Prof. Eli Bartov

Staff Awards/Achievements

Faculty Awards 2017/18

Prof. Jeffrey Ng (fourth from left in front row) and Dr Gang Hu (first from left in front row) at the Faculty Awards Presentation Ceremony

Staff members of the School received Faculty Awards for Outstanding Performance/ Achievement 2017/2018 for their remarkable performance in teaching, research and services. Prof. Jeffrey Ng received the Faculty Award for Research and Scholarly Activities. Dr Jimmy Jin received the Faculty Award for Services. Dr Gang Hu received the Faculty Prize for Teaching.

Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries (HKICS) Teaching Awards 2017/18 Prof. Jeffrey Ng and Mr Percy Wong received the HKICS Teaching Awards for 2017/18. To promote quality education to students, HKICS and the School jointly grant teaching awards to academic staff members in recognition of their outstanding teaching performance in subjects relevant to HKICS’s International Qualifying Scheme (IQS). The main selection criteria include quality of teaching, impact on student learning, contribution to development or management, and educational leadership. IQS of HKICS covers Strategic and Operations Management, Hong Kong Corporate Law, Hong Kong Financial Accounting, Hong Kong Taxation, Corporate Governance, Corporate Administration, Corporate Secretaryship and Corporate Financial Management.

Prof. Jeffrey Ng Mr Percy Wong

Nominated Case Award of the 2017 Global Contest for the Best China-Focused Cases

Under the leadership of Dr Gang Hu, together with the help of Dr Winslet TY Chan at Department of Management and Marketing and our PhD student Ms Diana Huang Jingjing, a Capstone student team won a Nominated Case Award in the 2017 Global Contest for the Best China-Focused Cases. The team was made up of 3 undergraduate students, including Miss Angel Wu Anqi, Mr Richardo Sun Mengwei and Miss Chiara Liu Chenhan, who were co-authors of the winning case entitled “Wolf Warrior 2: The Marketing and Stock Market Stories” among the top 8 cases out of 232 submissions and won a cash prize of RMB50,000.

To promote global research on China-specific management issues, the Steering Committee of the Shanghai MBA Case Development and Sharing Platform launched the 2017 Global Contest for the Best China-Focused Cases.

Staff publications in top-tier journals

Since December 2017, 11 papers authored by faculty members of the School have been published/accepted for publication in A* or University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) listed journals, including Contemporary Accounting Research, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Journal of Financial Economics, Management Science, Production and Operations Management and The Accounting Review.

Period Faculty member Title of paper Journal Dec 2017 Dr Yangyang Chen “Credit Default Swaps and

Corporate Innovation”, co-authored with Xin Chang, Yangyang Chen, Qian Wang, Kuo Zhang, and Wenrui Zhang

Journal of Financial Economics (forthcoming)

Dec 2017 Dr Qianqian Du “Cultural Proximity and the Processing of Financial Information”, co-authored with Frank Yu and Xiaoyun Yu

Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Volume 52, Issue 6, December 2017, pp. 2703-2726

Dec 2017 Dr Feng Tian “Do Clients’ Enterprise Systems Affect Audit Quality and Efficiency?”, co-authored with M. Pincus, P. Wellmeyer, and S.X. Xu

Contemporary Accounting Research, Volume 34, Issue 4, Winter 2017, pp.1975-2021

Jan 2018 Dr Yong Zhang “Insider Trading Restrictions and Insiders’ Supply of Information: Evidence from Earnings Smoothing”, co-authored with Ivy Zhang

Contemporary Accounting Research, Volume 35, Issue 2, June 2018, pp. 898-929

Feb 2018 Dr Liangliang Jiang

“Competition and Bank Liquidity Creation”, co-authored with Ross Levine and Chen Lin

Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis (forthcoming)

Mar 2018 Dr Walid Saffar “State Ownership and Debt Choice: Evidence from Privatization”, co-authored with Narjess Boubakri

Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis (forthcoming)

Jun 2018 Dr Jimmy Jin “Optimal Distribution Strategy for Enterprise Software: Retail, SaaS, or Dual Channel?”, co-authored with Shengli Li and Hsing Kenneth Cheng

Production and Operations Management (forthcoming)

Jul 2018 Dr Dichu Bao “Do Managers Disclose or Withhold Bad News? Evidence from Short Interest”, co-authored with Yongtae Kim, Mujtaba Mian, and Nancy Su

The Accounting Review (forthcoming)

Sep 2018 Dr Jing Xie “Preference for Dividends and Return Comovement”, co-authored with Allaudeen Hameed

Journal of Financial Economics (forthcoming)

Oct 2018 Prof. CS Agnes Cheng

“The Real Effect of Auditing on Promoting Exports: Evidence from Private Firms in the Emerging Markets”, coauthored with Weihang Sun, Kangtao Ye and Ning Zhang

Management Science (forthcoming)

Oct 2018 Dr Jungmin Kim “Do Family Firms Invest More Than Nonfamily Firms in Employee-Friendly Policies”, co-authored with Jun-Koo Kang

Management Science (forthcoming)

Dr Zhang Peng’s NBER working paper cited by The Washington Post

Dr Zhang Peng, Assistant Professor at the School, has a co-authored working paper for National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) entitled “Temperature and High-Stakes Cognitive Performance: Evidence from the National College Entrance Examination in China”. The co-authors are Prof. Joshua S. Graff Zivin at University of California, Dr Yingquan Song at Peking University and Dr Qu Tang at Jinan University. The paper was cited by Mr Christopher Ingraham, a reporter for The Washington Post, in his article “Heat makes you dumb, in four charts” posted on 17 July 2018. The article discussed the effect of air temperature on cognitive performance in the United States and China.

Dr Charles Lam’s paper published in Habitat International

The paper of Dr Charles Lam, Adjunct Professor at the School, entitled “How does investor sentiment predict the future real estate returns of residential property in Hong Kong?” was published in the May 2018 Issue (Vol 75) of Habitat International. The paper is co-authored with Eddie Chi-Man Hui, Professor at Department of Building and Real Estate. The study offers important implications for the government and policy makers to consider timely measures trying to cool down the property market whenever the investor sentiment is persistently high for some periods so as to avoid significant price corrections in the future.

Welcome new members of the School

Mr Jack Poon Dr Lolita Edralin Dr Justin Law

We are glad to welcome three new colleagues joining the School. Mr Jack Poon joined the School as Professor of Practice (Fintech, Entrepreneurial Finance) and Dr Lolita Edralin as Professor of Practice (Accounting). Dr Jusin Law joined the School as Teaching Fellow.

Visits to CPA firms

To strengthen relationships with the industry and alumni, the School has initiated visits to CPA firms since 2017. This year, three visits were arranged in August and November to Ernst & Young, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and KPMG. During the visits, faculty members shared with alumni recent research outputs and achievements of the School. Dr Feng Tian presented his new research on “Data Analytics Technologies and Auditing” during the Ernst & Young visit. For the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu visit, Prof. Haitian Lu talked about the topic “Data Driven Businesses”. Dr Jingran Zhao presented the application of facial recognition technology in her current research during the KPMG visit.

Ernst & Young Visit on 23 August 2018

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu on 24 August 2018

KPMG Visit on 23 November 2018

Annual School Retreat

AF Retreat 2018

The School held its annual departmental staff retreat on 28-29 August 2018 on PolyU Campus this year. During the retreat, faculty members presented and discussed their GRF proposals, and had fruitful discussions on teaching-related issues, e.g. supervision of Capstone Projects, development of MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), interactive classroom, etc. The annual retreat has been an important event of the School to provide a platform for faculty members to exchange ideas on research, learning, teaching and future developments of the School.

Sports Carnival 2018

Sports Carnival

To support the work-life balance initiative, the athletic team of School of Accounting and Finance/Faculty of Business joined the Sports Carnival organized by PolyU Staff Club on 9 December 2018 at Joint Sports Centre, Kowloon Tong. Our colleagues participated in various competitions and their families enjoyed family fun games. Our women’s relay team won a gold medal in the 4x100m relay while our men’s relay team won a gold medal in the 4x100m relay and a silver medal in the 4x400m relay. Individually, Mr Wilson Kwok won a gold medal in the 400m race and a silver medal in the 100m race. Dr Byoung Kang won a shot put bronze medal.

Work-life Balance Activities

Activities were organized to encourage work-life balance and facilitate communication among colleagues. A pain management workshop entitled “Pain Pain, Go Away!” was conducted on 15 November 2018. Dr Mimi Tse, Assistant Professor at School of Nursing was invited to share with our colleagues how to prevent or deal with pains without medication. She also led colleagues to perform some light exercises to prevent and ease pain in the neck, back and knees.

A hiking expedition from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping was organized on 16 December 2018 gathering more than 20 colleagues, PhD students and special guests for a healthy and energetic weekend. A School Christmas party was organized on 19 December 2018 celebrating the festival with all members of the School.

Hiking Expedition on 16 December 2018

Pain Management Workshop on 15 November 2018

School Christmas Party on 19 December 2018

Student Events

AF TechLab

AF TechLab Opening Ceremony

The School launched the AF Technology Laboratory (AF TechLab) aiming to provide diversified and fruitful learning experience for our premium students and to equip them with adequate knowledge for the FinTech industry. Recruitment is highly selective, targeting the brightest and the most hard-working students who are interested and capable to learn, adapt, and contribute to the fast evolving industry. 24 students have been admitted from 150 applicants.

AF TechLab will provide opportunities and resources for students to develop Fin-Tech oriented skills and prepare them for the future jobs. Training, internsips, opportunities to work on real tech related projects with faculties and industries, workshops with speakers from industry and potential employment opportunities will be offered to the students.

Opening ceremony of AF TechLab was held on 14 September 2018. “R” and “Python” programming courses as well as talks from invited guest speakers have been conducted for students.

Executives on Campus (EoC) Week

The School continued to organize the Executives on Campus (EoC) Week. On 4 and 5 October 2018, industry executives and experts were invited to deliver six lectures on various topics related to the industries as well as hot issues such as Fintech and Data Analytics. The event aimed to help students increase their awareness of current industry trends, knowledge and practices so as to hopefully enhance their interest in classroom learning and their ability to find jobs when they graduate.

Professional Membership Programme (PMP) Orientation Dinner

PMP Orientation Dinner The School hosted the PMP Orientation Dinner on 12 April 2018 to welcome 29 mentors and 43 mentees joining the programme this year. Mr Wilfred Yiu, Deputy CEO of Beijing Gao Hua Securities Company Limited, also our Adjunct Professor, delivered the keynote speech. Dr Sunny Sun, Associate Head (Student Service/Industry Relation), welcomed all mentors and mentees for joining the PMP and expressed special appreciation to mentors serving the programme for more than 10 years. Established for 17 years, PMP is a coaching and counseling programme organized by School of Accounting and Finance for accounting and finance undergraduate students who will proceed to their final year of study in the coming academic year. It is designed to embrace the building up of a mentor-protégé relationship between students and individual working professionals and industry leaders. Its goal is to enhance the future professional and career development of students under the guidance and advice of their mentors.

AF Academy Activities

AF Academy started off this year’s activities with a Welcoming Ceremony held on 18 September 2018 to receive 29 new members. Various exciting events and workshops were organized to members to help them gain deeper industry insights and boost their employment readiness. Two sharing sessions were conducted. Four outstanding alumni, Ms Jessica Gan from Jefferies HK Limited, Mr Max Liang from AMTD Global, Mr Harriet Liu from Credit Suisse and Ms Doris Luo from Bloomberg, were invited to share their work experience

and industry insights on 28 September 2018. Four alumni, Ms Aza Jiang from Ernst & Young, Mr Jeffrey Jiang (former vice president of AF Academy 2017/2018) from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ms Julia Xu from PricewaterhouseCoopers and Mr Tom Zhang (former vice president of AF Academy 2015/2016) from KPMG, were invited to the Big Four Sharing Event held on 24 November 2018. A CV Workshop was held on 12 October 2018 with PolyU Career and Placements Services (CAPs). In addition, two talks entitled “Stepping into the World of Investment Banking” and “An Overview of Credit Rating Industry” were organized for AF Academy Finance Series on 23 October 2018 and 30 October 2018, respectively.

AF Academy is an exclusive and highly selective programme designed to groom our top students to become top-of-the-list graduate candidates. The programme comprises a series of workshops conducted by professional trainers to improve the students’ employment readiness skills. Through the AF Academy, students will be able to participate in and organize business or academic-related events, giving students ample opportunities to develop their own industry networks. The Academy’s goal is to provide our capable and committed students with the skills essential to impress potential employers with their suitability for internships and post-graduation employment positions.

Financial Series - An Overviewof Credit Rating Industry

Big Four Sharing Event

Outstanding Academic Achievement Award 2018

Outstanding Academic Achievement Award Presentation Ceremony 2018

The Outstanding Academic Achievement Award Presentation Ceremony 2018 was held on 20 November 2018 at Chiang Cheng Studio Theatre, PolyU. This year, 43 undergraduate and postgraduate students received the award. The Outstanding Academic Achievement Award was established by the School to reward the top-performing students of both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and to motivate all students to aim for excellence in their studies. Top students in each year of study were presented with an award to recognize their academic performance.

Recruitment Talks

Each year, the School invites representatives from corporations in the accounting and finance industries to deliver a series of recruitment talks for our students, in which they will have a great opportunity to know more about their future working environment and the accounting and finance professions. This year, the School is honoured to have invited BDO Limited, Conpak CPA Ltd, Crowe (HK) CPA Limited, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ernst & Young, Haitong International Securities Group, KPMG, Moore Stephens Hong Kong, PKF Hong Kong, PricewaterhouseCoopers, RSM Hong Kong Ltd and ShineWing (HK) CPA Limited to hold recruitment talks for our students, who stand to benefit greatly by the valuable advice from professional practitioners in their career development.

PKF Hong Kong (9 March 2018) ShineWing (HK) CPA Limited (6 April 2018)

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (3 September 2018) Ernst & Young (4 September 2018) 

KPMG (5 September 2018)

PricewaterhouseCoopers (7 September 2018)

BDO Limited (13 September 2018) RSM Hong Kong Ltd (19 September 2018) Conpak CPA Ltd (1 November 2018) Moore Stephens Hong Kong (6 November 2018) Crowe (HK) CPA Limited (7 November 2018) Haitong International Securities Group

(21 November 2018)

WIE Pre-Internship Training Course on Auditing and China Tax 2018

Mr Kenneth Chan

Mr Raymond Poon

The WIE Pre-Internship Training Course on Auditing and China Tax 2018 was held on 24 November 2018 and 3 December 2018. The course covered the basic concepts of auditing and knowledge on China tax. This year, Mr Kenneth Chan, Audit Partner from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, and Mr Raymond Poon, Partner of Assurance - Financial Services Practice from PricewaterhouseCoopers, and his team were invited to share their valuable experience in internship and job preparation with our students.

Industry Interest Group Talks

In order to let our students know more about their future career prospects in various disciplines, the School organizes the “Industry Interest Groups” covering the following business areas: Assurance, Accounting, Financial Management, Consulting, Taxation, Investment, Banking and Financial Services. This year, eight talks were organized.

Name of Speaker Topic Date Mr Andy Chan, a senior executive of a leading French fashion, fragrance and beauty products multinational company

Career of an accounting and finance executive in a multinational corporation (MNC)

24 January 2018

Mr Wilson Poon, Director, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Career in an investment bank 2 March 2018

Mr Kenny Lui, Director, Deloitte Financial Advisory

Career in financial advisory for corporates

15 March 2018

Mr Philip Shu, Managing Director, BNP Paribas

What do global banks do? How to prepare yourself for meeting opportunities in banking, for instance wealth management? How to navigate your career in global banks with Greater Bay Area and Belt/Road Initiatives?

21 September 2018

Mr Wong Cham Fatt, Head of Finance, GP Industries Limited

Career path and role of an accountant/a financial controller in a multinational company

19 October 2018

Mr Edwin Hui, the leader of KPMG Data & Analytics solution team in Hong Kong

Emerging technologies and their impact to business

26 October 2018

Dr Agatha Wong-Fraser, CEO of BPSA Ltd and the Asia Pacific President of Xsortal Limited

How does AI impact the accountancy profession and business finance?

16 November 2018

Ms Elaine Zhang, Founding Partner and CEO of Elysian Executive Solution

Career in Hong Kong’s financial industry: Banking, Investment Banking Division and Asset Management

23 November 2018

Dr Agatha Wong-Fraser Mr Edwin Hui Mr Wong Cham Fatt Mr Wilson Poon Mr Philip Shu Mr Kenny Lui

Professional Development Lectures

Experienced industrial experts and our faculty members were invited to deliver Professional Development Lectures for our Master of Corporate Finance (MCF) and Master of Finance (MoF) students.

Name of Speaker Topic Date Mr Andrew Fung, Chief Financial Officer, Henderson Land Development Company Limited; Mr Victor Lee, a partner of a boutique fund house—SM Investment Advisors

Currency Analysis and Fund Management

1 March 2018

Dr Michael Wu, Chief Executive Officer, China Chengtong Asset Management (HK) Company Limited

SOE Reform—Opportunities for Investors

9 April 2018

Prof. Louis Cheng, Professor of Finance

AI Investments and Unicorns in Mainland China

9 April 2018

Dr Allen Ng, Senior Teaching Fellow CFA curriculum 26 October 2018 Mr Jack Poon, Professor of Practice (Fintech, Entrepreneurial Finance)

Fintech in Investment Management

26 October 2018

Mr Victor Lee Mr Andrew Fung

Dr Michael Wu Prof. Louis Cheng

Mr Jack Poon Dr Allen Ng

Ten Thousand People Scheme – Shanghai Study Tour

Ten Thousand People Scheme – Shanghai Study Tour

Supported by the ‘Ten Thousand People Scheme’, a group of 31 students of the School this year went on a tour to Shanghai for the period 15 to 26 May 2018. The trip was hosted by Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE), a top-tier university in the Chinese Mainland and also a long-term partner of the School. During the two-week exchange, students participated in activities including academic seminars, company visits, gathering with local students and experiencing local culture. Students gave positive feedback and considered the exchange experience comprehensive, informative, wonderful, fascinating and meaningful.

AF Seminar - AI on the career path of Accounting and Finance in

Hong Kong

Seminar on AI on the career path of Accounting and Finance in Hong Kong

A seminar on “AI on the career path of Accounting and Finance in Hong Kong” was held on 3 February 2018 for Secondary 4 and 5 students. The seminar began with presentations of speakers from accounting and finance professional bodies on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the career path of Accounting and Finance in Hong Kong, followed by a sharing session of alumni on their study experience in programmes offered by the School. The seminar was well attended with encouraging feedback.

Student Awards

Second Prize of EY Young Tax Professional of the Year - Hong Kong Competition

Mr Chan Chun Hei (third from left)

Mr Chan Chun Hei, a Master of Professional Accounting student, was awarded the second prize in the local competition of EY’s Young Tax Professional of the Year 2018. The final competition was held on 1 March 2018. He received a cash prize of HK$6,000 and a 6-week paid internship or conditional offer of employment with EY’s Tax Department in Hong Kong.

EY’s Young Tax Professional of the Year is an international competition designed to identify young talents with an interest in tax and help them enhance their professional skills and develop their careers. The competition gives participants the opportunity to share their experience with people from a range of backgrounds and cultures.

CFA Institute Research Challenge 2017-18 - First Runner-up in

Hong Kong Local Final

(From left) Mr Minjie Jiang, Miss Jiadai Pang, Mr Yao Wu and Miss Xi Yue

A team of four students, Mr Minjie Jiang, Miss Jiadai Pang, Mr Yao Wu and Miss Xi Yue, participated in CFA Institute Research Challenge 2017-18 and won the first runner-up prize in the local competition.

The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual, global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis. Students work in teams to research and analyze a publicly traded company and then write a research report on their assigned company with a buy, sell, or hold recommendation.

Cross-Straits, Hong Kong and Macao Accounting and Business Case Competition 2018 - Merit Award for 2 Teams

(Front row from left) Miss Wang Shuhan, Miss Chen Shuyu, Miss Gu Yinglin, Miss Cui Xinyue (Back row from left) Miss Chau Tsz Wai, Miss Yung Hoi Sze, Miss Au Ka Wing, Miss Cheung Kam Shan, Miss Tse Ki Ki

Two teams of students participated in the Cross-Straits, Hong Kong and Macao Accounting and Business Case Competition 2018 on 9 June 2018 and both received the Certificate of Merit. Members of one team included Miss Wang Shuhan, Miss Chen Shuyu, Miss Gu Yinglin, and Miss Cui Xinyue, and those of another team included Miss Chau Tsz Wai, Miss Yung Hoi Sze, Miss Au Ka Wing, Miss Cheung Kam Shan, and Miss Tse Ki Ki.

Organized by China Commercial Accounting Institute (CCAI) and China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC) Commercial Chamber of Commerce, the competition aims to provide a platform for participants to improve their financial and accounting professional abilities as well as demonstrate their planning skills and creativity.

Third runner-up of TIHK Tax Debate Competition 2018

(From left) Mr Choi Chun Ming, Mr Lee Cheung Hing and Mr Au Ling Kei

A team of four students of the School, including Mr Choi Chun Ming, Mr Lee Cheung Hing, Mr Au Ling Kei and Mr Chan Tsz Chiu, won the third runner-up prize in the TIHK Tax Debate Competition 2018 held on 26-17 May 2018. This annual competition, hosted by The Taxation Institute of Hong Kong (TIHK), aims to promote the tax profession and encourage students to express their views on tax topics.

ACCA Top Achievers’ Awards

Miss Liu Pui Yuen (fourth from left)

Mr Wen Sihan (first from right) and Miss Ma Cong Ying (second from right)

Three graduates and one student of the School received Top Achievers’ Awards in the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Examination this year. Mr Wen Sihan, a final-year student of BBA (Hons) in Accounting and Finance, received a top score award for Paper P4 – Advanced Financial Management in the June 2018 ACCA Exam. Miss Liu Pui Yuen, a graduate of BBA (Hons) in Accountancy, received a top score award for Paper P2 – Corporate Reporting. Miss Sum Fong Ting, a graduate of Master of Professional Accounting, won a silver medal. This year, ACCA also recognized students who joined their fast track progamme – ACCA Conditional Exemption (CE) Programme and finished all ACCA papers in less than 2 years. Miss Ma Cong Ying, a graduate of BBA (Hons) in Accountancy, received the “Outstanding CE Award”.

HKICPA QP Top Students

Award Ceremony for QP Top Students and Scholarship Recipients

Mr Chan Yee Chun, a graduate of BBA (Hons) in Accountancy, was named a Top Candidate for Module A (Financial Reporting) in the June 2018 session of the HKICPA QP programme. The award presentation was held on 22 September 2018.

Second Runner-up of HSBC/HKU Hong Kong Business Case Competition

(From left) Mr Wu Yao, Miss Yang Yiqi, Miss Li Haoru and Mr Cheung Tsz Yeung

The School team of four students, including Mr Wu Yao, Miss Yang Yiqi, Miss Li Haoru and Mr Cheung Tsz Yeung, won the second runner-up prize in the HSBC/HKU Hong Kong Business Case Competition 2018. The HSBC/HKU Asia Pacific Business Case Competition enhances the traditional strengths of the case method of teaching by moving the business case from the classroom into a global competition format. In the competition, students from across the globe are judged by senior executives who make decisions on a daily basis.

Runner-up Team of EY Cyber Asia Case Competition

(From left) Mr Wang Runfeng, Miss Feng Wenxuan, Mr He Shiqi and Miss Xiu Huize

The “Water Team” composed of three students of the School, Mr Wang Runfeng, Miss Feng Wenxuan and Miss Xiu Huize, and one student of Department of Computing, Mr He Shiqi, won the runner-up prize in the EY Cyber Asia Case Competition on 24 March 2018.

The competition gives students a realistic experience on managing and responding to a real-life cyber-attack. Participating teams act as the C-suite executives of a company and need to analyze the cyber-attack case, react to emergency events, and prepare a presentation for a panel of industry leaders on the strategy and action taken.