HKUST Business Review

52 HKUST Business Review FromCuriosity to Leadership Professor CHANG Xin (Simba), finance scholar and Associate Dean for Research at Nanyang Business School (HKUST PhD Graduate), reflects on how his time at HKUST shaped his research philosophy, leadership style and lifelong passion for learning. As HKUST marks its 35th anniversary, the reflections of its alumni reveal the University’s lasting impact. Among them is Professor Chang Xin, Associate Dean (Research) and professor of finance at Nanyang Business School at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. He credits HKUST for shaping both his research philosophy and his leadership approach. Born and raised in northeast China, Professor Chang’s path to HKUST began unexpectedly. “A few HKUST professors were recruiting from my graduate school,” he recalls. “A friend of mine sent me a postcard of the campus—the sea, the football field—and I thought, it looks like a great place to study and play football.” That postcard, he says, marked the start of one of the most defining chapters of his life. Rigor, Curiosity, and Mentorship At HKUST, Professor Chang found an academic environment that valued both precision and curiosity. “The PhD training was very rigorous,” he says. “It gave me the skills and tools to do solid, evidence-based research.” He credits much of his intellectual growth to his supervisor, Professor Sudipto DASGUPTA. “He taught me how to ask creative questions and stay curious,” Professor Chang says. Yet mentorship went beyond technical training. “He was like my academic father—supportive, caring, and always encouraging me to think deeply,” recalling the many times in his academic career when both mentor and mentee sat in absolute silence and contemplation for up to 20 minutes. “He encouraged me to think, really think,” he recalls. This atmosphere of inquiry and high standards built the foundations of Professor Chang’s academic confidence. “I was trained by world- class faculty with diverse backgrounds. Their expectations were extremely high,” he says. “I almost failed my qualifying exam, but staying through it showed me what it really means to do research at a high level.” That diversity—both intellectual and cultural—was central to his HKUST experience. “The global environment helped me understand people from all over the world,” Professor Chang reflects. “Not just in classrooms, but also on football fields with teammates from 11 countries.” These interactions, he says, fostered openness and patience—skills that later proved vital in international collaboration and academic leadership.