The future is technology. This is now truer than ever especially in a post COVID era where technology and data underscore so many aspects of daily life. As businesses continue to adapt to a digital age, entrepreneurs and business leaders today must have the right expertise in technology management in order to make a substantial impact.

For this reason, the School of Business and Management at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST Business School) offers the Master of Science in Information Systems Management (MScISM) program catered for business executives and future leaders who want to harness technology to initiate innovative IT business solutions, or professionals who want to pursue career advancement and management expertise.

The program’s vision is to nurture a new generation of leaders who are able to capitalize on the growing importance of technology-enabled innovations to expand the boundaries of business and gain an edge in an increasingly interconnected world.

“This is a management degree within the business school that focuses on the application and management of technology and technology-enabled change,” explained Prof. Theodore Clark, the Academic Director of the program. “Understanding technology or having the technical skills alone isn’t enough, the big impacts come from a combination of technology and management in innovations.”

In order to meet these goals, the interdisciplinary curriculum is developed to provide technical and non-technical professionals from a wide range of backgrounds the skills and knowledge and managerial perspectives to be leaders in innovating with advanced technology. HKUST business school emphasizes that the program is not a technical degree, but instead is about the management of technology functions and staff.

To accommodate an array of students with varying needs and commitments, the program can either be completed in one year on a full-time basis or over the course of two years in part-time mode.

Regardless, students get the same unique opportunities to embark on a myriad of exciting courses including Python Programming for Business Applications, Information Strategy and management, as well as Information Systems Analysis and Designs. Furthermore, students also get to choose from two optional concentrations: the Financial Technology Concentration as well as the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Concentration. Both offer the most up-to-date research and insights into some of the latest topics in technology including cryptocurrency, blockchain, big data, AI and their business applications.

Aside from the core curriculum, a key attraction of the program is its esteemed faculty staff. Most of whom come from the world’s top universities or from prominent companies bringing an abundance of expertise and experience to the table. Not only are they famed for their excellence in teaching and research, but many have received global recognition for their works or faculty awards. With such an oustanding team at its helm, students will get the chance to work with some of the world’s foremost experts.

Another key aspect of the program is to ensure that students hone a global perspective. As such, the program ensures international exposure and networking opportunities through its international exchange program. The MScISM Program partners with the prestigious London Business School (LBS), ESSEC Business School (ESSEC) and the Aalto University Business School (Aalto) to do student exchanges. For a select few students, they are even allowed to carry on to study at these schools from April to July for no extra tuition fees.

“The bonus to having these experiences is that students will get to develop a global perspective and build cosmopolitan connections that will help you thrive in an increasingly connected world,” said Prof. Clark.

Outside the classroom, the program places further emphasis on ensuring that students have ample opportunities to attend enrichment talks with leading industry practitioners and senior management from some of the top companies in Hong Kong and Greater China. This is a chance to hear from industry titans on some of the latest happenings in the industry.

Past speakers included Mr. Raymond Cheng, Group General Manager & COO of HSBC Asia Pacific, Mr. Paul Chow Man Yiu, Former Chief Executive & Executive Director of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, Mr. Edmund Lee, Hong Kong Consulting Leader of PWC Hong Kong, Mr. Charleston Sin, Executive Director of MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node and Founding Secretary General of Institute of Big Data Governance and Mr. Darron Sun, Head of Information Technology of Hong Kong Housing Society, etc.

Hearing from industry giants isn’t the only thing that the program offers, it also wants its students to hit the ground running and take advantage of its networks to learn beyond the classroom. The MScISM Experiential Learning Program is therefore popular as it lends to interactive learning by honing critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, collaboration, self-reflection and communication through a one day, on-site tailored immersive program. 

After the completion of such an enriching program, graduates tend to move on to develop exciting careers in consulting, financial services, e-commerce and much more. According to graduate Amanda Lau, who now works as Vice-President of Marketing and Channel Management for HKT Financial Services, Hong Kong: “Thanks to the program, my passion to acquire new expertise in technology areas has been fulfilled. I am fully empowered to stay ahead in my domain as a business technology professional.”

Her experience reaffirms what the Program hopes to do.

“The pace of change today is fast and it’s hard to adapt. That’s when you really need to get better at understanding how technology enables new forms of business.” said Professor Clark.