A team representing Hong Kong Shue Yan University emerged as the winner in the 3rd eBusiness Management Project Competition jointly organized by the Department of Business Administration at HKSYU and the Department of Information Systems at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU).
Supported by Bauhaus International (Holdings) Limited, the Competition took place on 3rd January, 2024 in Shue Yan campus. The judging panel comprised HKSYU alumna Madam Winnie Tong, co-founder and chairlady of Bauhaus, Mr. Sunny Yeung, CEO of Bauhaus, Dr. Monica Law, Head and Associate Professor from HKSYU’s Department of Business Administration, and Dr. Ron Kwok, Director of the Alumni Relations Office and Associate Professor from CityU’s Department of Information Systems. A blind judging process was in place to ensure fairness.
Dr. Joseph Kong, lecturer of eBusiness Management at HKSYU, said he drew inspiration from his participation in the iLEAP Competition organized by the Hong Kong Computer Society last year, and invited the senior management of Bauhaus to deliver guest lectures over the semester. As they provided students with insights into the Company’s business challenges and development directions, participating teams of both Universities were encouraged to develop eBusiness plans that align with the company’s operations and actual needs.
Susie So, a third-year HKSYU student from the MDIT program, shared with Shue Yan Newsletter her learning experiences in the team’s final victory. As a non-business major student, Susie found the course challenging but gained invaluable experience in the art of business pitching. She recalled the team at the early stage had put too much focus on creativity, which sometimes overshadowed feasibility and the necessary supporting data. She was glad the guidance from Dr. Kong and the contributions from their BBA teammate, Atiq, ensured a well-rounded approach. She also thanked Dr. Kong for the rehearsal and advice on how to leverage their skills in journalism to excel in the Competition.
Another HKSYU team from the Digital Marketing programme also achieved a commendable result to win the 1st runner-up. The team highlighted the importance of demonstrating confidence during presentations. In the process, Dr. Kong provided constructive feedback, emphasizing the need for more detailed and refined presentation content. Comparing the performance of both universities, HKSYU teams were praised for their specificity and practicality, while CityU teams showcased professionalism and gave a presentation more from an academic viewpoint.
As for the judging criteria, Dr. Monica Law said she expects the teams to propose practical and feasible solutions that are grounded in data. She lauded the HKSYU teams for their practical and innovative approach in their proposals. She also encouraged students to recognize the differences between Universities, especially in terms of presentation skills and attention to details.
Dr. Kong and Dr. Yongjin Park, course leader of eBusiness at CityU, expressed gratitude to Bauhaus for the Company’s continuous support of the Competition. They thanked Madam Tong and Mr. Yeung for their valuable input, including the provision of real-life operational data, sharing of the Company’s recent developments, and the time spared for the judging roles out of their busy schedules. Their support has made the eBusiness Management courses at both Universities a unique and valuable learning experience.
Dr. Kong and Dr. Park have turned this inter-university competition’s teaching and learning experiences into a teaching case conference paper, which is accepted for presentation in July at the 14th Canada International Conference on Education hosted in Toronto.
Source: Spring 2024 Issue