“We have given a lot of thought about how we can develop the whole programme based on a central or core value,” says professor Xu Huang, programme director for the MBA and MScBM programmes.

“Originally, this was a programme for young people to prepare for their career. But now we try to ensure that the course design and all its elements are such that we can help them learn more advanced knowledge in business, which they can apply in the real world,” he says.

Students are placed in organisations in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to help solve real problems that arise. To ensure the programme stays at the cutting edge, new courses are continuously rolled out in areas such as fintech, big data, AI, analytics and other new sectors.

But aside from the courses, Baptist University prides itself on the way it helps its students to think critically. “There are many master's degrees out there,” says Huang, “and the certificate itself won't make you successful. It's the training, the experience and the learning process and the way we build up students' confidence and broaden their horizons to train their thinking. I think they are more important than the certificate itself”.

Programme alumni could not agree more, saying that lecturers are always open to new ideas and are committed to making things happen.

“I have never come across a university like this,” says recent graduate Michal Chmielinski, from Poland, who not only graduated the programme with outstanding academic results but was one of three students to be awarded a prestigious Belt and Road Scholarship (Research Postgraduate) for the 2019/20 year by the Hong Kong government.

“I felt that I could go and talk to any of the lecturers and staff at any time, and they would do anything that they possibly could to help you succeed. There are so many courses you can take and are offered, and we know about them, so if you approach the lecturers they can really make things happen,” he says.

Since the inception of the MScBM, Huang says that there have been two major changes to the programme. The first is a mandatory study tour or field study in the US, Europe or in a country in Asia. Students attend lectures at a local university, then makes visits to three to five companies to learn how they do business. “They really go to different parts of the world and see how organisations are operating,” Huang says.

The second major change is that every student must complete a final year project where they form groups to visit a company and help solve issues. “We have contacts with 23 companies in the Greater Bay Area and the students will get to go into a company and identify key problems with the managers and spend nine months solving the problems,” Huang says.

When the programme was developed around seven years ago, the focus of the course was to prepare students for a career in business, but now the programme has been refined so that the core philosophy is about gaining real world experiences. “Through this programme, they can actually engage in the real world,” Huang enthuses.

Indeed, over the years, Huang says hiring managers have criticised universities and business schools for not producing the right people or employees. Business schools are aware of this and HKBU is one of many that are making a real effort to change and modify their programmes to meet employers' expectations.

This is perhaps why the programme has developed a fantastic track record for producing graduates who can scale the career ladder quickly. “Although this is a young programme, we have got some successful graduates who work in various MNC [multinational corporation] firms, taking up senior positions in a very short period of time,” Huang says.

While the course was originally created for students who do not have much work experience, and who want a breather course between their university education and their career, that is no longer the case.

“We have attracted quite a lot of applicants and the number of applicants has been increasing over the years, so we have made lots of changes to make sure that they can learn something in just one year's time to prepare for their career,” Huang says.

The programme covers 11 courses in one short year, covering six core courses, two required courses and three elective ones. Undergraduate academic performance is important, but applicants must also demonstrate they have the capability to tackle such a vigorous programme.

“I was attracted to the programme because of the triple accreditation … The programme was quite challenging to be honest,” admits Chmielinski, who is now working on his PhD. “But it does provide you with a good fundamental understanding of business concepts, and I really enjoyed my elective classes.”

Personality is another sought-after quality. Huang says the course aims to foster a dynamic classroom environment so that students will be engaged when it comes to discussing important issues. They must be willing to get involved and discuss relevant topics while bringing something original to the table. Being proactive and showing a strong desire for learning are also key.

Yet another goal is to go international by attracting students from all over the world. “We don't want to just focus on Hong Kong and Greater China, says Huang. “We already have seven to 10 per cent of students who are from non-Hong Kong, non-China countries, and we want to expand that.”

Those keen to learn about business operations in Greater China and Asia are encouraged to apply, especially if they have limited work experience, as the course is specially designed for them. Huang says, “They will learn they have the ability to solve problems with managers as they will already have been problem-solving and interacting with real managers to address real-life problems.”