Networking, enrichment for shipping executive
IMMEDIATELY AFTER he graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a degree in political science, Patrick Chau Kam-yin joined Neptune Orient Lines as an executive trainee. He trained for three months in Hong Kong and was sent to Singapore for another six months at the line's headquarters. He returned to Hong Kong, where he became an assistant manager in the mainland business department.
Mr Chau joined Hapag-Lloyd (China) as a sales and marketing manager in 1995. He was transferred to the product management team in 2003, assuming his present post as area product manager for Europe trade. With 12 years of professional experience, he decided to enrol in PolyU's MSc in international shipping and transport logistics.
'I had reached a point at which I needed to enrich myself,' Mr Chau said. 'My job had become pretty routine, and I wanted to widen my horizons and learn something new so that I could look at my responsibilities from a different perspective.'
Before taking the programme, Mr Chau had become an expert in shipping. What he lacked was an overview of the transport chain. He chose PolyU's programme because of its long track record in the field.
'I opted for PolyU's programme because it has been offering shipping courses since the 1960s, which gave me confidence,' he said. 'The school's location, which is near my office in Tsim Sha Tsui, was also more convenient.'
An unexpected benefit of doing the course was the chance to expand his professional network.
'I got to meet lots of people in the transport industry as well as forwarding agents, government officials, terminal operators and mid-stream operators,' Mr Chau said. 'This is helpful because we can share our experiences and see things from different perspectives.'
