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Why Is Hong Kong An Ideal MBA Study Destination In 2024?

Strong career prospects and a dynamic commercial environment make Hong Kong an appealing study destination. Find out why you should consider studying in Hong Kong in 2024

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Tue Jan 30 2024

BusinessBecause
With a unique location at the gateway to mainland China, as well as a thriving commercial ecosystem and globally appealing environment, each year Hong Kong attracts ambitious professionals aiming to enhance their careers. 

The wealth of towering skyscrapers that populate the Hong Kong skyline are home to leading companies across many different industries. They provide a broad array of career opportunities. 

There are a number of top business schools that provide opportunities for students to develop new knowledge, skills, and connections. Institutions such as Hong Kong University (HKU) Business School—the top business school in Hong Kong, according to the Financial Times—help MBA students make the most of the opportunities available. 

So, what if you’re considering studying an MBA in 2024? We spoke with insiders from HKU to find out what makes Hong Kong an ideal MBA study destination in 2024. 


The gateway to business in Asia 

For some time, Hong Kong has been considered ‘Asia’s world city.’ 

The city operates within a uniquely global context. The main languages spoken are English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, and visitors are often struck by the mixture of Western and Eastern influences present throughout local life, from the cuisine to the architecture.  f339c6b6a85959b4d0fa5c84b945ab8865a28c64.png

The HKU MBA program is designed to make use of Hong Kong’s position within Asia. Modules feature case studies drawn from the Asia Case Research Centre, providing insights into business practices across the region.  

A variety of core and elective courses teach business from an Asian perspective, while the China Immersion Program offers students the opportunity to experience life in several key cities within Mainland China. Here, students learn about the cultural differences between the North and South and gain an insight into leading Chinese companies. 

Many students also opt to enhance their immersion by undertaking an embedded China track with Fudan University in Shanghai towards the end of their studies. 

For Emma Zhang (pictured), who had several years of private equity experience in Mainland China before enrolling in the HKU MBA in 2022, these unique opportunities were key to her decision.

“Hong Kong, as the financial center in Asia and the gateway between China and international markets, was the perfect location for me,” she says. 


A rapidly evolving green finance hub

Hong Kong’s blend of cultures and close integration with the financial sector in Mainland China mean it has long been considered one of the world’s key financial cities, alongside the likes of New York City and London. 

But, increasingly, Hong Kong is also becoming a major hub when it comes to the rapidly developing areas of green finance and ESG (environmental, social, governance). 

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Hong Kong’s location within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), means it is key for China’s plans for the region. The Outline Development Plan, first introduced in 2019, established a framework for the GBA that included initiatives such as pursuing green development and driving innovation.

This ensures that today Hong Kong benefits from significant government support when it comes to green finance. The city is also developing an increasingly sophisticated corporate governance framework. 

“The corporate governance environment in Hong Kong is mature and effective in protecting stakeholders,” says Dr Raymond Reed Baker (pictured), HKU adjunct professor and advisor to firms in Asia, North America, and Europe.

“You have the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Securities and Futures Commission, and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, all strengthening frameworks that are not only already working in Hong Kong but will work for the Greater Bay region and the rest of China.” 

The strength of this ESG ecosystem is helping companies across a wide range of industries transition to greener business models, while also facilitating the growth of social-impact driven startups. This provides strong career prospects for ambitious professionals looking to make an impact, Dr Baker explains. 

“You have this melting pot for students, where they can find corporate opportunities, become entrepreneurs, and capitalize on the ESG opportunities as well as the financing that’s available. 

“That’s the golden opportunity of coming to Hong Kong and developing those relationships and exploring those opportunities.” 


Top career prospects 

Green finance is not the only area where MBA graduates can find success within Hong Kong. Developing a holistic business acumen and embarking on a range of practical experiences ensure that HKU MBAs graduate with strong career prospects.

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Among the most recent graduating class, more than 90% of students secured employment after graduation. They were spread across several industries, with financial services, consulting, and technology the most popular. 

For those international students who wish to work in Hong Kong, the city's Immigration Arrangement for Non-local Graduates (IANG) allows them to apply to stay. The arrangement—which has no quota and is open to recent graduates even before they have secure employment—is indicative of Hong Kong's determination to retain talented professionals who can contribute to the local commercial ecosystem. 

For Anvesh Varma Budharaju (pictured), enrolling in the MBA in 2022 helped him achieve the illustrious ‘triple change’—changing industry, function, and location—after graduation. 

Previously a chemical engineer in India, Anvesh now holds a role with Puma Energy, a Swiss multinational petroleum company headquartered in Singapore. He feels the program’s diverse curriculum was essential to his success. 

“It not only broadened my horizons but equipped me with the knowledge, skills, and connections essential for securing a fulfilling role,” he explains. 

“The program’s holistic approach, blending academic rigour with real-world applications, has been a cornerstone in shaping me into a versatile and effective professional,” he adds. 

For Emma, the extensive career support provided by the school’s Career Development Team (CDT) played a key role in helping her transition into a multi-asset investment role with a global buy side fund after graduation.

HKU MBA students gain access to leadership talks, company visits, mentoring, and the chance to undertake internships. This provides opportunities to put their skills into practice and develop connections. 

“Even before the program orientation, the CDT helped me assess my goals,” she explains. 

The variety of support on offer “helped me to better understand the Hong Kong job market, explore the area that I’m interested in, and find the gaps that I need to fill,” she adds. 


The majority of HKU MBA students embark on careers within Asia after graduation while some take on roles across the globe. With the opportunities that Hong Kong continues to provide in 2024, it’s clear the city remains a top destination for ambitious professionals. 

Student Reviews

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) - MBA Programmes HKU Business School

Student

Verified

23/02/2023

On Campus

Academic

Very good academic, caes course amazing, ccs are all amazing, professors are excellent, the architecture and infrastructure is splendid, people here are awesome, made some really nice friends, and teachers support us

Hatim

Verified

6/02/2023

On Campus

Diversified culture

I highly recommend The University of Hong Kong to students all around the world because of their diversified culture, teaching standards, and the people which make the learning experience better every day.

Student

Verified

6/10/2017

A place where you best understand local and international cultures

With plenty of experiences available, HKU provides a plenty of experience for me to explore our own and other countries culture. She has excellent teaching and research staffs in the Department of Ecology and Biodiversity. Time allocate to students are considered sufficient and staffs are ready to reach anytime. Besides academic, she has various subsidised programmes that allow students to explore. This credit should be given to GenEd (general education) Office to provide different interesting programmes. These ranged from guest speaker giving talks on China-Hong Kong relationship; Contemporary art in Asia; or holding mini forum on geopolitics. Most, if not all, of which are free of charge!

Student

Verified

1/10/2017

Life at HKU

Pursued the SHS degree at HKU, academic and clinical staff members were very devoted and passionate. The academic program is under constant reviews, staff members are open minded and willing to modify the program with regards to students' opinions. Career prospect is good. Uni life is fruitful, many different activities for students to choose. Great facilities supporting learning.

Student

Verified

29/09/2017

Student Life in HKU

As an Accounting and Finance year3 undergrad student in HKU, the university provides lots of opportunities for me to learn and explore my interests. You could join a wide variety of activities, like being an committee member of societies and joining hall activities. As for me, I chose to join the winter exchange programme, be a committee member, and did volunteering servic and had latrine construction and volunteer teaching in Ghana, Africa. I also organized lots of activities for societies and had lots of meetings with company representatives. As for school work, it is okay normally but definitely u got a lot busier during November and April. You got a lot more free time compared to CUHK and HKUST. And of course, this is considered as the most ‘international’ uni in HK in a way that I could make friends coming from different countries. Just wanna add, HKU has a good location for foodie as its near Central, Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui. For those who love night lifes dont miss this. I didnt speak of anything i dislike coz there isnt anything i dislike much, but if I do have to say, it is the hall life of many local students, such as having cheers at night and never sleeps that may disturb others.

Student

Verified

2/09/2020

Blended

Academics

I think it’s a great university that gives you a lot of opportunities in terms of academics as well as extracurricular activities. The education system is fairly westernized and the professors are good for the most part.

Student

Verified

3/11/2017

International, stratified and political

Adequate resources and very convenient campus with sufficient channels to expand your social and professional circle. Also politically active, and perhaps too biasedly so. Its law school is firmly established, with the longest history in Hong Kong. Practical and professional training, with a constant atmosphere of anxiety and competition that encourages a relatively focused and narrow vision of career outlook. Good range of extra curricular activities available.

Student

Verified

12/10/2017

Life in HKU

HKU provides students with lots of opportunities in multidisciplinary researches and experiences. This encourages students to widen their horizons and prepare for the future. The programme I attended organised both local and oversea field trips that allowed me to have the first hand experiences of relative aspects. It was very useful for my later career.

Student

Verified

6/10/2017

BSocSc

I am a graduate of the BSocSc programme several years ago. I appreciate that the programme provided a flexible choice of majors and minors. Even I was admitted into social sciences programme, I could explore various streams of studies in and out of the social sciences faculty, including global studies, human resources, politics, science and music. I did a double major in psychology and sociology. Among all learning experiences in lectures, tutorials, field trips…, I would say the internship experience was one of the most memorable part of my university life. The faculty offers a credit-bearing internship programme in which students can go to various NGOs to work on social issues, ranging from poverty, education to adjustment of ethnic minorities. Students can be placed locally or overseas, depending on placement quota, their personal preference and past experience. I went to a social service agency that serves adults who are intellectually challenged and have autism spectrum disorder. It was an eye-opening experience in observing how different professionals work together to provide training for those people and reflecting on how psychological knowledge could come into play. I was also able to gain some hands-on experience in leading an activity. There are more and more internship opportunities for university students. It is just another way to gain practical experience apart from applying for interns in government agencies or business companies, especially in organisations that would not openly recruit interns but only work with tertiary institutions. It should be noted that for some majors/courses, there are really a lot of people studying. When I was an undergraduate back then, we often expected a lecture with 100+ students and a tutorial with nearly 20 students. If you favour close student-teacher interaction in small classes, you may look into the enrolment of particular courses.

Student

Verified

18/10/2024

On Campus

Great curriculum arrangement for my program

Teachers in HKU are dedicated to education students, for both undergrad and postgrad. The school is over 100 years old and it is one of the most pretty school I have ever seen through my life. But there is one thing that I do not like is that for some program, including mine, we could not receive our diploma right after we finished out program. We have to wait for another couple of months to receive that.