HKUST MBA, Hong Kong

HKUST MBA, Hong Kong

Guillaume Tryhoen, third from the left, started to attend Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s full-time MBA (HKUST FT MBA) in August 2010. Before, the 35-year-old from France was a senior lawyer at a business law firm in Luxembourg. HKUST MBA was recently ranked sixth in the Global MBA rankings 2011 of the Financial Times, the highest among MBAs in Asia.

Why did you apply to HKUST MBA?

It was for its great location with Hong Kong being at the doorstep to China both inbound and outbound, and also for its high ranking, for the quality of its faculties and last but not least the well-rounded personalities and skills of the students that I met there upon my first visit.

Any interesting events recently had at HKUST?

The Hult case competition was interesting. It is an international event where student teams of five compete to develop innovative ideas and solutions to some global challenges. This year the theme was the global clean water crisis. It is open to all university and college students around the world. The event is held simultaneously in five major cities: Boston, San Francisco, Dubai, London, and Shanghai. HKUST sent me and my teammates to participate the contest on May 5 held in San Francisco.

How did your team fare?

Though our team did not make it to the finals, the HKUST team that attended the event in Shanghai for the first round competition made it to the finals in New York City.

Are there any special events that you are looking forward to?

As we are heading toward the end of our mainstream program early next June with most of us leaving to different places for internships and then for exchanges, many social events are being organized. There will be a boat cruise on May 22 around Sai Kung, a district in Hong Kong next to my school. It offers some stunning scenery of Hong Kong natural beauty, very different from what you may expect while being at the heart of the financial district. This will offer us a great opportunity to mingle together for one last time and to practice with others the fun nautical activities such as wakeboarding or banana boating.

Tell us some characteristics of your school.

Honestly, I do believe that HKUST represents a great choice for those eager to pursue a top MBA either to enhance them-selves or to boost their careers. Most of the faculty members are truly impressive, which is often confirmed by exchange students from top U.S. business schools following their venue. The campus is simply beautiful with state-of-the-art sport facilities and amazing scenery. And of course all this would not be as great as it is without my extremely diverse classmates and the competitive but healthy atmosphere that prevails within the MBA. All of those features contribute to make the overall experience intense and highly valuable.

Can you think of any demerits of your school?

Talking about the demerits, I would say the lack of group study space and rooms. Also the on-campus accommodation may still prove challenging to some students: the impossibility in cooking and restrained space, although recent improvements have been implemented such as the refurbishment of common rooms.

Do you have any favorite class or teacher?

This is a tough call taking into consideration the quality of the faculty. Coming from a legal background, I have been truly enlightened by most of the MBA lectures and the way they are designed and taught: based on interactivity, case study, group project and a limited number of students per class. To me it would be the whole experience to step into various aspects of business-related areas from finance to IT, management, economy, accounting, operation management, marketing and consulting that represent the best of the HKUST FT MBA program.

Any plan for an internship?

Currently I have an offer for internship with an investment boutique firm in Mongolia in order to work as a head of their corporate communication department. The quality and limited size of the firm, along with the fast-growing pace of the local market, especially taking into consideration the demand for its natural resources, offer is the kind of challenge I am looking for.

What about an exchange student?

For the exchange program, I have applied to Tsinghua University in Beijing. My purpose is to consolidate my network and presence in Asia.

In which area are you interested among many sectors of business?

Management and economy are my favorite disciplines.
I believe that the first one relies not only on organizational and technical skills but also on more subtle factors such as psychology or emotional quotient especially when leadership attributes are analyzed. Improving the apprehension of oneself and of others has always been at the core of my personal development and has somewhat shaped my own identity over the years. There is still much to learn taking into consideration that this is a perpetual and ongoing process.
Economy has also grasped my interest as it underpins the way our global society has been built up. It offers some tremendous perspectives in terms of investment, politics, Sociology and allows us to connect the dots of globalization.

What’s your career plan after completing MBA?

Eventually, I would like to work for not-for-profit organizations as a country director or emergency relief coordinator.

Interview by Chung Min-uck