William Allen
Director B2B APAC, L’Occitane (Far East) Ltd.
(EMBA Class of 2018)
I’ve really enjoyed my study at CUHK’s EMBA. The course is rigorous and rewards effort. The EMBA network is excellent and the focus on China has offered me a new perspective.
I should first say that I was pleasantly surprised to discover that EMBAs even existed; having reached my mid-30s, I believed that I’d missed out on the opportunity to take an MBA, and wasn’t aware of an alternative. The great thing about CUHK’s EMBA is that unlike a full-time course or part-time programme with classes held on weekdays, it gives students the opportunity to develop new professional and life skills without suffering the opportunity cost of taking time out from work.
The eight core subjects studied during the first year offer a very good grounding in the competencies required for business management. The coursework and examinations are demanding and yield the expected sense of self-improvement, but the workload is perfectly manageable if one is good at organising one’s time.
For my part I’ve come to realise that the pursuit of knowledge is only part of the picture; in doing an EMBA, you are setting forth on a shared journey with an exciting network of people and benefitting from their wisdom and experiences. I appreciate and value this fact and other intangibles such as growing friendships more than any other factors.
Finally, I should mention the China focus. As a westerner in Hong Kong, I have been really happy to have this new perspective on region. In a way, it is the “icing on the cake” of my 4-year experience of living in Hong Kong. I feel well prepared for my “Asian” future.