According to Professor John Wei, academic director of MScFA and MScIM, faculty members from various departments of the HKUST business school teach courses in the programmes.

'We offer many elective courses and some are taught by experienced industry practitioners,' adds Wei, who is also chair professor of the department of finance.

'Each programme can be completed in 18 months. They feature the 'two-class schedule' pattern for the core and required courses in which students can choose to attend classes on Saturdays only or take evening classes during the week, plus Saturday afternoons. There is also a transfer arrangement between the two programmes before the end of the first academic year.'

Programmes are constantly updated to meet the changing needs of the industry. 'Starting with a solid foundation in accounting, economics, quantitative and computing skills, the curriculum is rounded off with concentrations in corporate finance, security analysis, asset management and risk management. New courses may be added in future in response to industry needs,' Wei says.

'The programmes cover around 70 per cent of the Chartered Financial Analysts [CFA] examinations curriculum. CFA institute sponsors our students in taking the CFA Level 1 examination because we are its educational partner. Schedules of the courses are designed to match the needs of students who will take the CFA exams.' HKUST's business school will roll out new courses and initiatives to further sharpen the skills of its students so they can effectively tackle the increasingly volatile global economy in their future careers.

The school will introduce a required course in macroeconomics in its new four-year undergraduate curriculum, says the business school's dean Professor Leonard Cheng. 'The course provides the opportunity for students to discuss various issues, including global macro issues.'

The school first introduced this course in its master of business administration programme two years ago.

In addition, the risk management course in graduate programmes has a concentration of knowledge-focused materials aiming to help students prepare for the negative impact of a fluctuating economy.

'Students are expected to be conscious of the ever-present risks and have the skills and knowledge to tackle them,' Cheng says.

At undergraduate level, the school offers a specialised course integrating the knowledge and skills in risk management and an emphasis on business information. The new four-year undergraduate curriculum provides an opportunity for the school to further address such areas as professionalism, business ethics, character building, and the sense of social responsibility, all essential qualities in a business leader.

'We will increase the credits involved in these areas in the new curriculum. We plan to introduce a two-credit course in year one and combine it with some projects with not-for-profit organisations,' Cheng says. 'Another course at the planning stage will focus on tackling the dilemmas in different situations.' In addition to courses teaching students analytical skills and enhancing their ability to see the big picture, HKUST's business school will introduce a series of new activities that will engage its students in practising their skills through active participation.

'A competition focused on new business opportunities is at its preliminary planning stage. The competition will be open to all students of all faculties,' Cheng says.

'New opportunities arising from the technology side may provide a platform for students in business, science and engineering schools.'