P
rofessor KC Chan joined HKUST in
1993 after teaching for nine years in
the US. He was appointed the second
Dean of the School and made important
contributions to guide theSchool towards being a
leader in management education and research.
“Our mission was to bring the School to the
world stage,” said Professor Chan. “We were
given a lot of freedom and opportunities to
move forward and to innovate, pioneering for
example the joint EMBA program with Kellogg,
the home-grown MBA program, and the Global
Business program for undergraduates.”
Professor Chan said one of his most
unforgettable moments was the first time the
Kellogg-HKUSTEMBAwas ranked one of the top-
ten performers globally and HKUST celebrated
its pride at a reception at Government House.
This was only the first step as the
program later took the number one spot and
has been at or very near the top of the list
for many years. Professor Chan said the
success of this joint program was founded
on an exceptionally strong faculty and
a commitment to academic excellence.
“Faculty recruitment and retention is
very important for any world class business
school. In addition to attracting the best
talent, we need to cultivate an environment
where faculty, in particular junior members,
can grow and become successful professors.
“At HKUST, there is a well-defined model to
attract and develop home-grown faculty, which
encourages them to work hard on research
and make an impact in the community.
Our uncompromising research endeavors
have enabled the School to gain growing
recognition and international reputation.”
The School has been ranked No.1 in Asia
by the University of Texas at Dallas Top
100 Business School Research Rankings
since 2005. Professor Chan added that
academic excellence is reflected by not only
the number of published research articles
in top journals, but the positive impact the
faculty could make on students and society.
Professor Chan was also pleased to
kick off another project for the School
in 2005 – the development of a new
building.
Today
the
purpose-designed
building is continuing to meet the School’s
ongoing growth and expansion needs.
Commitment to Public Service
Professor Chan encourages today’s
business
students
to
develop
an
entrepreneurial and innovative mindset. He
noted that some overseas students in Hong
Kong see the city as being an idea place to
start new businesses, where business schools
can provide opportunities for more students to
Joined HKUST in 1993
►► Dean of HKUST Business School 2002-2007
►► Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury,
HKSAR since 2007
Professor Chan at the HKUST 25th Anniversary Celebration
Banquet with (from left) HKUST Council Chairman the Hon
Andrew Liao Cheung-sing and President Professor Tony Chan.
experience successful ventures for inspiration.
Professor Chan has been very active in
academic and community service. With his
expertise in finance and dedication to public
service, he was appointed Secretary for
Financial Services and the Treasury in 2007.
“I was given a lot of opportunities to learn
about vision-setting and leadership as Dean of
the School. This experience is valuable to my
current job on positioning the financial market
for Hong Kong.”
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