14 January, 2025, Hong Kong – The School of Business and Management of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST Business School) announced today the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Microsoft Hong Kong to advance AI innovation in business, and extend their collaboration for Hong Kong’s first MBA elective featuring an AI curriculum. The AI Business School 3.0 Strategic Collaboration represents the third time both organizations have committed to jointly promote AI-related developments.
Photo Caption: The MoU is signed by Prof. Hui Kai-Lung, Acting Dean of the HKUST Business School (right) and Ms. Cally Chan, General Manager of Microsoft Hong Kong and Macau
Fostering AI Innovation
By addressing the need for AI-proficient business professionals and innovative AI applications, this latest phase of the collaboration signifies a crucial step towards unlocking AI’s transformative potential in the business sector and beyond. Leveraging its AI expertise across various business disciplines, the HKUST Business School will continue to drive AI-related business innovations forward. Microsoft intends to contribute to these initiatives by sharing best practices, insights, and business case studies, focus emphasis on AI security, AI governance, and ethical management.
“We are excited to partner with Microsoft Hong Kong to advance AI research in business and to equip our students for an AI-driven future,” said Prof. HUI Kai-Lung, Acting Dean of the HKUST Business School. “This new collaboration marks a step up in our long-running collaboration, extending from offering AI-focused courses in our post-graduate business programs to innovating for AI applications in business. Through this collaboration, we can better harness the game-changing nature of AI technology to create new opportunities for businesses and the broader community.”
“We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with HKUST Business School to promote AI development. This collaboration underscores our commitment to advancing AI research and education, and empowering business leaders with the tools and knowledge they need to harness the transformative potential of AI, “said Cally CHAN, General Manager of Microsoft Hong Kong and Macau. “By sharing our best practices and business scenarios, we aim to foster a culture of innovation and responsible AI usage that will benefit enterprises, and contribute to strengthening Hong Kong’s position as an international innovation hub.”
Photo Caption: Prof. Hui Kai-Lung, Acting Dean of the HKUST Business School (second right), Ms. Cally Chan, General Manager of Microsoft Hong Kong and Macau (second left), Mr. Fred SHEU, National Technology Officer, Microsoft Hong Kong (first left) and Mr. Chris TSANG, Assistant Dean of the HKUST Business School announced the extended collaboration to advance AI innovation and talent development.
Cultivating an AI-First Culture
As Generative AI continues to evolve and offers unprecedented speed, greater efficiency and enhanced capabilities and creativity, now is the time for organizations across different industries to adopt an AI-first approach. The opportunity for growth is to expand the talent pool with specialized AI skills by equipping the workforce to excel in the future-necessary skill.
The AI-first transformation will empower employees with AI tools that increase productivity and drive innovation. Adopting this approach enables organizations to unlock new opportunities and succeed in today’s highly competitive environment.
In the AI Business School 3.0 collaboration, HKUST Business School aims to nurture future-ready business leaders and young talent with comprehensive AI knowledge and skills. The updated AI-focused elective course in the MBA program plans to incorporate the Microsoft AI Business School curriculum, providing the latest insights on AI transformation in business. This course is also available to students of HKUST MSc programs, with plans to extend it to executive education in the future.
Since the launch of this collaboration in 2019, over 200 students from the School’s MBA and MSc Programs have participated in the relevant elective course, gaining advanced AI skills through the Microsoft Learn platform. The curriculum offers role-based technological skills, knowledge, and certifications in AI, Big Data, and Cloud Computing, equipping students with the AI expertise required for the evolving demand of the industry. This initiative ensures that graduates are well-prepared to lead and innovate in an AI-driven business environment.
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About HKUST Business School
The HKUST Business School is young, innovative and committed to advancing global business knowledge. The School has forged an international reputation for world class education programs and research performance, and has received many top global rankings. For more details about the School, please visit https://bm.hkust.edu.hk.
