Will anyone go to study in HKU MBA? What are your comment on HKU MBA?

Hi Friends,

Many applicants of the HKU Full Time MBA programme have certain doubts and queries regarding the MBA programme. I think the below mentioned points will answer most of their queries:

In Education Experience, HKU MBA is ranked 2nd worldwide, ahead of many premier B Schools like Harvard, Kellogs, Wharton etc by the 2007 MBA ranking of Economist (EIU), one of the most respected and trusted MBA Rankings world wide. In the overall ranking the programme got 37th position worldwide...
Rest, it is the only Asian programme in the world to come in the top 50 positions of an MBA Ranking (MBA Ranking of the Economist) consistently for 3 years... Here I would also like to highlight the fact that the Full Time MBA programme of HKU is able to achieve this level of world recognition even when it is a very young programme of only ~ 6 years...

Rest, Please note: In the MBA rankings by Financial Times and Business Week, HKU is never rated because to participate in the MBA rankings of FT and BW, an MBA program must be at least 6 years old and HKU full time MBA being a very young programme will become 6 years old in this year only.

Now, the education experience is given such a high rank because :

1. HKU is one of the very few B Schools in the world to have a partnership with London Business School (LBS) and Columbia Business School (CBS) for a ?compulsory? exchange programme in which the students of HKU spend one full semester with the MBA/EMBA students of LBS/CBS as a part of their curriculum. This provides the students with strong networking and learning opportunities? Students who go to LBS are given alumni status of the London Business School (excluding the placement services from LBS). Students who go to CBS are provided with most of the services that are provided to a normal MBA/EMBA student of the B School?

2. Programme structure in which students spend 9 months in Hong Kong (one of the top 3 financial hubs in the world), 3 to 4 months either in London or New York (proper Manhattan) and then 2 months in Shanghai hence, providing opportunities of great international exposure?

3. Good Faculty? Ranked 16th by the Economist 2007 MBA Ranking Worldwide?

4. Good exposure of China, one of the biggest economic giants along with Europe/ US?

5. A good mix of international students? The current batch which has a class size of some 50 students have students from as much as 11 nationalities?

6. Average work experience of students is 5-6 years? This contributes well towards a mature class room discussion and understanding?

7. The MBA programme is a part of one of the most reputed universities worldwide: ?The University of Hong Kong? in short ?HKU?. HKU is the oldest university of Hong Kong and is ranked 18th worldwide by the THES-QS World University Rankings 2007? In other University rankings also HKU always come in the top 100 positions worldwide?

8. Small batch size of some 50 students leads to a greater students and faculty interactions?

9. Strong research centres focusing on Asian case studies and knowledge?

10. Being located in the main campus of University of Hong Kong, the students get full excess to all the facilities of the University Campus ranging from Main Library, Seminars and course enrolment in other University departments, University Festivals, Computer Facilities, Recreation Centres like Restaurants, Sports Complex etc?.

11. Accredited by EQUIS

12. Last but not least; the way the reputation of HKU Full Time MBA programme is rising, it is highly commendable? Even if it is a very young programme, of just ~ 6 years, it has attained a very respectable position at international level?

This was all about the brighter side of the programme?
Now, regarding the other side:

1. Now, about the most important part i.e. placements: One can?t expect as much luxury and benefits that one receives in premier Indian B Schools where 'On Campus' placements come as a major relief for most of the students. Like in most of the foreign B Schools, in HKU also mostly students have to go for 'Off Campus' placements. One should have good skills in Chinese especially if he/she wants to get a marketing job in Hong Kong...
But, the good news is that initially the number of placement councilors in HKU were just 2 but from this year their no is increased to 5. This increase has come as a major relief for the students during the placements.

2. The ROI (Return on Investment) takes some time ~2-3 years depending on the type of job a person gets as compared to the ROI from a premier Indian B School which takes ~ 1-2 year. This is because the total expenditure of HKU MBA is ~ 22 Lakhs in Indian National Rupees (including everything from fees, food, accomodation, travelling etc) as compared to an Indian B School which is ~ 7 Lakhs Indian National Rupees...
But, the good news is that as the HKU MBA programme is just of 14 months as compared to a conventional 22 month MBA programme of an Indian B School, a person is able to cover the ROI much earlier than expected?
Rest, in comparison to a good US or European B School programme, which costs around 35-40 lakhs Indian National Rupees, the net programme expenditure of HKU MBA is quite less: around 22 to 24 lakhs Indian National Rupees. Hence, the ROI from HKU is much faster as compared to the ROI from a programme of a US/ European B School...

So detailed. Thanks.

Quote:Rest, Please note: In the MBA rankings by Financial Times and Business Week, HKU is never rated because to participate in the MBA rankings of FT and BW, an MBA program must be at least 6 years old and HKU full time MBA being a very young programme will become 6 years old in this year only.
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Hi there,

Any reason why the HKU MBA is still not included in the 2009 FT MBA rankings having turned 6 years old in 2008?

Cheers

Not good enough i suppose. Anyways, i think it will make it is FT sooner or later i predict in a couple of years but will take a bit longer for BW but quicker for Forbes.

I think HKU is a very good investment for all the reseasons that the lad said.

I still think for a general MBA it is pretty good with all the features it has. The only downside it does not have the strong concentration but for a 14 month MBA, with all the things HKU can offer it already provide a good concentration better than almost all other MBA

while the post from the HKU representative is very detailed, I find it all a bit disingenuous. An MBA is truly an investment - in terms of your money and more importantly, your time. I just finished the program recently myself (HKU) and count this as one of my few life regrets. I'm writing this mostly for western applicants (though this could also apply to our eastern friends as well) so that they have a better idea of what they're getting into.

I suppose the first question you may want to ask yourself is: what kind of job do I want with this MBA and where do I want to work?

If your answer is a bulge bracket bank or a name-brand consulting company like McKinsey or Bain - go elsewhere. If you want the possibility of working outside of Hong Kong and want your MBA to be recognized, go elsewhere. If you want a strong worldwide alumni network (yes, HKU as an institution has a network but a program as young as HKU MBA really has no legs at the moment) , go elsewhere. If you want to go to school in HK, i've heard great things about UST but after getting burned by HKU - I would do double time in terms of research.

If you're looking at MBA programs, test out the career services. Get statistics. talk to real people. The HKU career office made a great effort but the results were anemic. there simply is not enough critical (nor quality?) mass to bring in top notch employers


Now, to respond to the HKU rep's posting --- I will disclaim that this is my opinion (just as HKU was really posting his opinion, rankings are far from factual) and that talking to alumni and potential employers is the best research and investment beforehand...

1. the LBS/CBS partnership is the main selling point of the program - please please PLEASE keep in mind that this is 1 semester. Ask yourself if that is truly enough time to integrate with LBS/CBS folk? If you are particularly gregarious, then this could work but let's face it, networking takes time and exposure and I found 1 semester to be insufficient.

2. "Programme structure in which students spend 9 months in Hong Kong (one of the top 3 financial hubs in the world), 3 to 4 months either in London or New York (proper Manhattan) and then 2 months in Shanghai hence, providing opportunities of great international exposure" I like how the HKU guy points out CBS is in Manhattan proper and not the Bronx :P These 3 cities are great - there is no denying that. If you're going to school to take photos and eat great food, and don't mind a mediocre education - then this program may suit you.

3. Good Faculty? Ranked 16th by the Economist 2007 MBA Ranking Worldwide --> This is a joke - seriously - and damages the Economist's reputation. Ranked 16th against such academic stalwarts such as IMD, IIT, MIT, Chicago Booth, HBS, etc? Please, this is insulting.

4. A good mix of international students? The current batch which has a class size of some 50 students have students from as much as 11 nationalities?---> taiwan, hong kong, china, and india are 4 nationalities already and comprise about 80-90% of the student body. If you want diversity, this is not the place to go (try INSEAD, LBS, or CBS for a truly international experience. Even Chicago-Booth, which is not located in HK-London-NY - one of "world's financial hubs" had 35 nationalities).

6. Average work experience of students is 5-6 years? This contributes well towards a mature class room discussion and understanding? ---> It's not the length of work experience, it's the quality. Discussion with certain professors is not encouraged , i would peg the teaching style as somewhat dictatorial, with lots of powerpoint slides and verrrrry little discussion. Lots of my classmates daytraded during lectures.

7. The MBA programme is a part of one of the most reputed universities worldwide: ?The University of Hong Kong? in short ?HKU?. HKU is the oldest university of Hong Kong and is ranked 18th worldwide by the THES-QS World University Rankings 2007? In other University rankings also HKU always come in the top 100 positions worldwide? --> HKU will take you far in HK - and maybe elsewhere in parts of asia - but definitely not in Europe and the US.

8. Small batch size of some 50 students leads to a greater students and faculty interactions? read: Small alumni group. You take classes with the same 50-60 people all year round.

9. Strong research centres focusing on Asian case studies and knowledge?

10. Being located in the main campus of University of Hong Kong, the students get full excess to all the facilities of the University Campus ranging from Main Library, Seminars and course enrolment in other University departments, University Festivals, Computer Facilities, Recreation Centres like Restaurants, Sports Complex etc?. ---> This is an outright misrepresentation and lie. The school's offices are located on campus. Most of your MBA classes are in Admiralty or (gasp) Cyberport - 40 minutes away by bus. Nice facility, pain in the ass to get to - who wants a 1.5 hour commute to get to class?

11. Accredited by EQUIS --> this is a selling point?

12. Last but not least; the way the reputation of HKU Full Time MBA programme is rising, it is highly commendable? Even if it is a very young programme, of just ~ 6 years, it has attained a very respectable position at international level?
---> yes it is a young program. whether it is "highly commendable" is a statement of opinion and not of fact.


This was all about the brighter side of the programme?
Now, regarding the other side:

1. Now, about the most important part i.e. placements: One can?t expect as much luxury and benefits that one receives in premier Indian B Schools where 'On Campus' placements come as a major relief for most of the students. Like in most of the foreign B Schools, in HKU also mostly students have to go for 'Off Campus' placements. One should have good skills in Chinese especially if he/she wants to get a marketing job in Hong Kong... ---> READ: IF you want to go into Investment Banking, PE, Hedge Funds, LBOs or anything that moves you from the back office to the front , GO ELSEWHERE B/C THEY WILL NOT PLACE YOU. More staff is a relief, but seriously if you are paying this much money, your first and foremost priority should be getting that awesome post-mba job (to pay off your debt, switch fields) and there is nothing more important than career services (and a good alumni network - never underestimate your alumni)


2. The ROI (Return on Investment) takes some time ~2-3 years Hence, the ROI from HKU is much faster as compared to the ROI from a programme of a US/ European B School... (truncated)

----> I cannot speak for my Indian friends but I can speak on behalf of Europeans/Americans: I'm not sure what numbers this HKU rep used to calculate ROI. It's not simply subtracting your pre=mba salary from your post-mba salary then dividing it all up. there's also the opportunity cost and the nuanced upside potential. Please be aware also of the higher costs of living: HK rent is not cheap (not to mention NY and London). you do, however, have the option of living out in the boonies of kowloon to save money - just be prepared to commute.

Also , with a subpar MBA program, you are limiting your gains . Granted you can get into a bank/management consulting firm with an HKU MBA, chances are your offer will be 20% lower than others in your class.

Anyhow, that's my input. I have nothing to gain or lose - but wanted others to be a bit more informed before falling for rankings (or things that just blatantly aren't true!)

HKStan, thanks for the critics/comments... I love it!
I felt sorry that you didn't enjoy the HKU MBA experience so much.

Btw, I am a non-mandarin-speaking foreigner who is currently applying for an MBA in Hong Kong (not HKU)...
After reading your comments about 80% of class are coming from Asian countries, it really does open my eyes...
Hong Kong itself is not very "international" place (as 90% of the population is chinese) as it claims to be.

Studying in Hong Kong seems won't bring you far except in Hong Kong (and maybe shanghai) itself !!!

Thanks again HKStan, I think you just save me US$60k.

hey
nice for sharing the story. I am so sorry to hear that

actually, yeah, i would agree that hku wouldnt be able to open a new disticnt career for their students.

So most highly paid jobs like investment banks/hedge funds/ consulting would be a bit out of hand unless you have done those jobs b4. In case you do most wouldnt go to mba anyways

the teaching quality is alright i hope having talked to some faculty at the mba fair but most are mediorce PhD holders who graduated from top universities yes but not good enough within that university to make a career in Harvard or Kellog or LBS

also you are right to point out that actually the living cost is not cheap especially when you go to London and New York, HK is not cheap and more expensive than some nice places in USA or Europe. Also 1 year of extensive travel is costly and not necessarily real academic-wise

thank you hkStan, this might be the most informative post i have read on findmba.

Thanks HKStan for the post. IF HKU can divert some of its resources from advertising its program to its placement it would be really good for them.

Guys,

I just came back from spending a semester as an exchange student at the joke-of-an-instution called HKU. The education one can get at HKU compares to what one might expect at a community college in the US or vocational institute in europe. The facilities are in poor condition and the staff in unfriendly and unhelpful. The administration only seems concerned with comparing HKU with Harvard or Stanford at every possible opportunity and continually sends out emails saying that HKU is unrivaled at the best university in asia. At some point this just becomes ridiculous and one cannot help but be amused by the quantity of email students receive with these kind of outlandish claims. Also, you should understand that an HKU degree is probably worthless outside of HK. I will be attending a top mba program next year and I can tell you as far as I'm concerned any CV that comes my way with HKU on it is likely to end up in the rubbish bin.

Please consider some other school!

Nice to hear from you. I knew a couple of people doing MBA at HKU and they said it was pretty good. I never knew it is this bad.

Can you please expand on it a bit. Yes, I know what technical institutions and community colleges are like

One of my close friends with very solid background looking to do an MBA with HKU soon.The reason he chose it is because he want to be based at Asia near his family.

I suppose if you've never experienced western-style education perhaps you might think HKU is Ok. Probably HKU is better than a regional university in mainland China just because it is more international. I'm not sure what else I can expand on -- HKU is just a university in a very sorry state, poor facilities, uninterested professors, a rankings-obsessed administration and a generally passive student body. I guess if you're friend is going there solely so that he can be close to his family and get a degree at the same time that would be a reason to attend. But he probably will learn very little and end up with a diploma few employers are interested in.

Thanks mate

I will encourage him to come to the campus for a few classes before deciding to enroll.

He has undergraduate from pretty respected university from the UK and has short spells teaching at technical institutions/community college

At the age of over 30, kids and a stable career he decided to go to HKU with the exchange of LBS or Columbia as a unique selling point to him.

Surely when he meets the cohort and the lecturers, he will decide. I was the one who pointed out HKU to him so i dont want to feel bad about it

You are right about the point of western learning style, there the students are very active and lecturers are there to give a helping hand. In an MBA the team work is ever important but apparently the asian culture takes time to change that inspite of HK long history of Western influence

Cheers,

Dontgohku is pretty spot on with their assessment of the program - i find it fairly pathetic that the administration spends so much time crowing about their rankings (which took a big nosedive in 2007-2008 btw).

One point of disagreement though: I would not automatically totally dismiss anyone with an HKU mba (haha - we're not all idiots, some of us simply made an unfortunate choice and could not bear to absorb the sunk cost - or several classmates were there b/c of familial obligations). I had quite a few classmates I was incredibly impressed with - and we all agreed that the administration and profs were a big, sad joke.

Also, there are plenty of useless ppl in even top MBA programs - it's an unavoidable fact of life.

That said, I've landed a stellar job despite the MBA. Yes, I had to work twice (three times?) as hard to get the attention of recruiters as my friends as LBS, HBS, CBS, and Sloane - but again - if you've got proper wits and you are willing to put in some legwork, you'll be OK.

cheers -

HKSTAN - If you had a chance to do it over again, would you choose China University of HK or HKU? It seems if you are willing to work very hard you can find a job. But unevitably, some people have to go home - they can't live in HK forever unemployed if they have no family there?

Wangtao,

Regardless the program's quality. If someone wish to land a job in HK after MBA graduation, I will recommend CUHK over HKU. CUHK is the 1st MBA program in HK (for more than 40 years) and has the largest alumni network. It is always easier to land a job with alumni's support.

If not only a selection between HKU or CUHK, of course, in HK, UST remain the best. Esp. if you wish to work in Financial sector.

Wangtao -

HKU is an expensive proposition. For someone who wants to work outside of HK , it would first help to identify the location in which you would like to settle (europe? china? singapore?) and work backwards from there. Rule of thumb: it's always easier to find a job in the city whence you attended uni.

That said, I would not recommend HKU under any circumstances unless you were absolutely tied to Hong Kong as a place of residence. And if i had to do it all over again - I'd pick UST.

good luck

wow!! This is very good analysis and absolute eye opener. Thanks to ya all for sharing this ..

Thanks for the posts - if you cannot get into HKUST - then the question is whether Chinese University of HK is equal or better than a Chinese MBA like CEIBS, Tsinghua, or BEIDA. From the other posts, it seems that HKUST still has not escaped the Asian MBA status making HKStan's observation that studying in the city you want to work important.