The workshop titled “Frontiers in Information Systems Practices: A Dialogue with Business Leaders” was jointly held by the Department of ISOM (Information Systems, Business Statistics & Operations Management) and the ISACA (Information Systems Audit & Control Association) Student Group. The half-day event drew to a successful conclusion with an overwhelming turnout of almost 500 students.
The audience consisted of not only final year IS students who want to pursue a career in the sector, but also many business students who are still considering their major. These students were brought together on 9 April to hear the insights and the latest trends from some of the leading industry experts. The four prominent guest speakers included: CEO of Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation Mr Allen Ma, Managing Director of Accenture Mr Jouni Hakanen, Director of Ernst & Young Advisory Services Mr Gary Yuen, and Junior Partner of McKinsey & Company Mr Ronald Fung.
The speakers shared their valuable real-life experiences on topical subjects, covering the technological entrepreneurship opportunities in Hong Kong, the practical skills and qualifications required to be an IS auditor, and the latest topics among CEO and CIO circles.
The event turned its spotlight to some of the most challenging issues and opportunities in the digital world at an open forum during the dinner. The participants were encouraged to expand their network and to engage in a broader dialogue with the guest speakers. The discussion provided students with an occasion to ask and learn more about the industry and better prepare for their future.
Experience Sharing from Industry
The workshop was initially planned as a smaller-scale career talk by the HKUST ISACA Student Group. ISACA is an international professional organization focused on IS audit, control and governance, with an aim to promote and advance skills and knowledge through its globally recognized certifications for information professionals. The HKUST ISACA Student Group was officially recognized last year by the global ISACA headquarters. It is one of the few groups of its kind and the very first ISACA student group in Greater China.
HKUST ISACA Student Group’s Chairperson Rose He, a final-year IS and Economics student, said, “The workshop is one of our activities to provide students with networking opportunities and career assistance in the area. With the advice provided by the Department of ISOM, we decided to expand our scope from a career-focused event to an industry experience sharing occasion.”
She added, “The faculty provided us with the vision and guidance we needed and helped invite some prominent speakers. After all, we were pretty much free to arrange the event. It is encouraging to see the outcome for it was the first time we worked on a project of this scale.”
Benjamin Huber, who was a member of the organizing committee, said it was a meaningful event that enabled fellow students to better understand the industry and its career prospect from someone in the field. Hopefully, he added, some of these students would reach the same passion about working in IS like many of our core members.