WITH 17 YEARS' experience in the advertising industry under his belt, Royce Yuen, managing director of Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong, decided to enrol in the new doctor of business (DBA) programme at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Dr Yuen already had a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Baptist University and an Master of Arts in marketing from Australia's Macquarie University and the Hong Kong Management Association.
'At the time, technology was starting to have an impact on everything we do,' Dr Yuen said. 'Also, a lot of companies were going through mergers and acquisitions. I wanted to take some courses that were not offered when I was at university.'
He opted for a DBA because of its practical focus.
'A full-time academic is more likely to pursue a PhD but, as a practitioner, a DBA is perhaps more appropriate,' he said. 'It combines taught subjects and a thesis, while a PhD is more focused on research.'
The programme helped Dr Yuen expand his network with top managers and decision-makers.
