HKUST Business Review

50 HKUST Business Review The University That Raised Us A Beginning Shaped by Freedom and Possibility Professor Hui recalls HKUST’s early years as a time defined by openness. “Everything was still being built,” he reflects. “There were no rigid structures holding anyone back.” Students were encouraged to explore, create initiatives, and pursue unconventional ideas. Professors taught with an informality rare in traditional institutions. Students didn’t sit across from professors—they sat beside them. “There was a sense that we were creating something together,” Professor Hui says. This culture of co-creation would become, in his view, a hallmark of HKUST’s identity and a formative experience for alumni who grew alongside the institution. An Exchange That Opened His World A pivotal moment came when Professor Hui spent a semester on exchange at the University of Pennsylvania. For a young Hong Kong student, it was his first immersion in a globally diverse academic setting. “It was eye opening,” he says. “You meet people from everywhere and understand how diverse the world really is.” The experience also confirmed something important: the standard of education he encountered abroad felt closely aligned with what he had at HKUST. That realization affirmed that the young university he had taken a chance on was already competitive with established global institutions. Surrounded by peers aspiring to academic careers, Professor Hui began to imagine a path he had not previously considered— becoming a professor. This seed, planted during the exchange, would guide the next phases of his life. Professor HUI Kai-Lung, Associate Provost (Academic Development) at HKUST (HKUST BBA and PhD Graduate), reflects on his unique path from pioneer undergraduate to academic leader— growing alongside the university he has called home for more than 30 years. When Professor Hui Kai-Lung first arrived at HKUST in 1993, the red brick paths were still settling, the campus was expanding, and the University itself was little more than an ambitious experiment. As a member of HKUST’s third cohort of undergraduates, he chose the young institution not for its reputation, but for its promise. More than three decades later, having served in key leadership roles—including a recent term as Acting Dean of the HKUST Business School — Professor Hui reflects on his own journey mirroring HKUST’s evolution as the University marks its 35th anniversary. Taking senior executives from the Kellogg- HKUST Executive MBA Program on a UAE study trip, blending cultural immersion with business insights.