“EdUHK boasts the largest critical mass of education experts in Hong Kong and one of the largest in the region, with more than 330 academics drawn from Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Germany, France, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. Our academic team brings regional and international perspectives to our programme offerings and research projects. Over eighty percent of trained kindergarten and primary school teachers and thirty per cent of trained secondary school teachers in Hong Kong are graduates of EdUHK or its predecessor colleges of education”.

EdUHK has established international partnerships with leading universities, nongovernmental organisations and government agencies through exchange opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students, joint degree programmes, consultancy as well as research and knowledge transfer projects.

“Our collaborative approach has brought enormous benefits to EdUHK students”, says Professor Cheung. “Our students are able to broaden their horizons and enhance their cultural awareness”.

“We will continue to offer educational excellence and a stimulating academic atmosphere. Come and join us and you will be captivated by both EdUHK and Hong Kong”.

“It can take two or three years to successfully complete a project and we currently have over twenty billion Hong Kong dollars invested in LSG projects across the region”.

As completed projects continue to bring financial returns, LSG is continuously reinvesting in new developments. With opportunities across numerous key markets, LSG is not only doing business in Hong Kong but across the globe, a strategy which ensures the Group is not confined by Hong Kong’s already densely populated 2,754 km².

“Our property pipeline is stronger than ever”, says Chew. “The biggest challenge we face in Hong Kong is the lack of available land as developments have already shaped the Hong Kong we see today”.

Since the transfer of Hong Kong’s sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China in 1997, Hong Kong property prices have soared.

Global interest in Hong Kong’s stock market has enabled Hong Kong to become an important international financial center and the territory remains a strong wealth management center.

With China, the world’s largest economy (by nominal GDP), in Hong Kong’s ‘back-yard’ Hong Kong today rivals international finance centers such as New York and London.

“We have become a much more successful and proactive player in recent years” concludes Chew. “We are proud of our achievements and look forward to accomplishing the milestones which we have set for the Group in Hong Kong and the region”.

Innogreen Environmental has already installed the tallest green-wall in Hong Kong at the Open University of Hong Kong. The living green-wall stands over ten stories high and following installation, a bird’s nest was even found in the wall.

“Developers want something new”, says Lee. “We offer automatic watering and maintenance solutions with our products and we are developing new solar panel sensors to enable watering of the plants to be done more effectively and efficiently”.

As an innovation-driven company, Innogreen Environmental works closely with government bodies, clients and university research departments to drive developments.

“With the Hong Kong Productivity Council, we have developed plastic plants which are coated with an advanced film designed to absorb VOC (volatile organic compounds) which assist in reducing pollution”, says Lee.

“As we develop our offerings and grow our business, we see opportunities across the Asian marketplace for our green-solutions and we want to branch out and bring new ideas to the market which will protect the environment for future generations”.

grown into one of the largest executive search firms in Asia,” says Bernard Yeo, Head of South China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. “Our employees are dedicated to providing world-class mid to executive-level recruitment and placement services”.

With a decentralized team working in key Asian economies, strong lines of communication are vital to the success of the firm.

“We deliver targeted regional solutions based on ‘inter-communication’ with clients and candidates to ensure we meet the needs of all parties”, says Bernard. “In the Asian region, our cross-sector expertise has led us to become known as ‘China Specialists’, a moniker which we embrace as well as delivering superior high quality services to SEA and emerging markets through our complete brand offering from RGF”.

“Today we deliver services to numerous clients in Hong Kong’s banking and financial services industries while in southern mainland China, particularly in cities such as Shenzhen, financial-technology (Fintech) companies’ account for approximately forty per cent of our business”.

As the Chinese economy slows, Bó Lè Associates is increasing its commitment to China.

“We are diversifying the solutions we provide to clients in China and also across the region”, says Bernard. “While remaining focused on our core competencies, we are evolving into a consultancy-minded firm and aim to become a more strategic partner to our clients”.

While the fiercely competitive executive search industry remains crowded with both boutique firms and larger recruitment companies, Bó Lè Associates continues to stand out amongst the crowd.

“We understand that the recruitment model is no longer transactional”, concludes Bernard. “Our goal is to develop a long-term relationship with our clients and ensure that the RGF Group including Bó Lè Associates is recognized as a leading firm, committed to delivering outstanding talent to our valued clients across the region”.

With the integration of China into the global economy starting in the 1980s, we were an early investor on the Mainland, where our clients could enjoy seamless service with their preferred banking partner, The Bank of East Asia. In 2007, we were one of the very first foreign banks to establish a wholly-owned banking subsidiary on the Mainland. Today, The Bank of East Asia (China) Limited (“BEA China”) operates the second largest branch network of all foreign banks in the country.

We also offer a comprehensive range of personal banking services, and have consistently been a market leader in making the banking experience more convenient. Today, we are transforming our branches to make a wide range of customer-friendly banking services available through innovative digital channels.

Customer focus is at the core of our values. We have always put our customers first, knowing that our success depends on how well we anticipate, appreciate, understand, and satisfy their needs.

As Hong Kong’s largest independent local bank, how important are Southeast Asian markets, including Singapore, to the Bank’s growth?

Singapore is Hong Kong’s top trading partner among ASEAN Member States, representing some 37% of Hong Kong’s total merchandise trade with ASEAN in recent years. As such, Singapore is very important to our clients and to us.

Meanwhile, Singapore is also a major investor in China. Today, China is Singapore’s largest trading partner with trade growing more than twenty-fold between 1990 and 2014.The importance of China to Singapore’s economy is underlined by the fact that Singapore is now the third largest offshore RMB centre outside China.

Given Singapore’s strategic location in Asia, with well-developedinfrastructure and world-leading transport and communication links, Singapore will serve as a key node of China’s One Belt One Road Strategy and an excellent gateway to Southeast Asia.

BEA’s Singapore Branch opened for business in 1952 and is a full-license bank providing a wide array of financial services to meet both corporate and individual needs. In 1997, BEA established the Labuan Branch in Malaysia to provide syndicated and bilateral loans.

BEA is also present in other Southeast Asian markets. In Indonesia we have partnered with Resona Holdings Inc. from Japanin P.T. ResonaPerdania Bank. We are also a major shareholder in AFFIN Holdings Berhad in Malaysia, the holding company of AFFIN Bank Berhad. Most recently, we have acquired a strategic interest in a finance company in Cambodia.

Leveraging on BEA’s network, the Singapore Branch is well-positioned to support customers from China and Hong Kong expanding into Southeast Asian markets as part of the Belt and Road Strategy.

What does the future hold for BEA in Hong Kong and internationally?

BEA’s growth in recent years has largely been attributable to the success of the Bank in developing new business links between customers in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and overseas. Going forward, we will further build onour advantage in facilitating cross-border business flows. In this regard, a growing number of Mainland enterprises are stepping up their overseas investments.Business is now truly two-way, with overseas companies investing in China and Chinese companies investing abroad.

Our clients are also concerned about their individual investments, and we have built up an impressive wealth management capability over the past 15 years. Today, our exclusive Supreme Gold account services can be found wherever BEA has a branch. We are ready to serve our top clients, no matter where or how they wish to invest.

We also recognise that the banking business continues to evolve. Even as new global regulatory standards place greater demands on our resources, we must drive down the cost of delivering services to our customers. We are very focussed on streamlining our business, making the most of advanced technology and increasing efficiency.

What does the next 20 years hold for Hong Kong?

The range and depth of professional services available in Hong Kong, such as legal and accounting, is second to none. The regulatory regime is admired throughout the world, and the courts are widely recognised as independent. Taxes are low, and Hong Kong is an extremely efficient place to do business. These are just some of the reasons that Hong Kong is and will continue to be a major financial centre for China and for the world.

The banking sector will continue to enjoy business opportunities providing financial services to companies and individuals doing business in this region. As has been true since the first Mainland enterprise listed in Hong Kong just over 25 years ago, Hong Kong will continue to be a major equity fund raising centre and a platform for Chinese companies to go international.

Riding on China’s Belt and Roadinitiative and as a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Hong Kong will be a major financing centre for Belt and Road-related projects for Mainland Chinese and overseas companies. Hong Kong’s position as the premier offshore RMB hub, its close geographical and economic ties with Mainland China, and its financial expertise give Hong Kong the edge in playing an important role in the Belt and Road.

“As a company, our roots and our heritage are founded in Hong Kong,” continues Chao, who has been at the helm of the company for over five years. “While conditions in the industry have not been favorable in recent years; we are cautiously optimistic about the future.”

As Hong Kong continues to strengthen its role as the dominate shipping and logistics hub in the region, Singapore is also building on its success within the global maritime industry. Hong Kong’s proximity to mainland China enables Hong Kong to act as a ‘gateway’ to the mainland while Singapore’s location in the heart of Southeast Asia helps the country attract talent and reach out to neighboring economies.

“Competition in the shipping industry can be a good thing”, says Chao. “It can be argued that the Hong Kong – Singapore comparison is similar to that of London verses Oslo, both of which have successful and historic maritime industries. As a company, our advantage is that we are a family-run business and we intend to continue doing what we are good at. We have been in business for over sixty years and we will carry on taking a long-term approach to working with our international customers and partners as we look towards the future.”

CUHK’s medical school is close to Professor Sung’s heart. A renowned researcher in gastroenterology and hepatology, Professor Sung led his medical team to fight against the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003.

“As the era of precision medicine continues to break new ground, CUHK’s Medical School has become a highly regarded faculty”, says Professor Sung. “Established only thirty five years ago, the school is today ranked one of the world’s top fifty medical schools”.

Professor Sung is also proud of CUHK’s role as a bridge to the mainland. “We were the first Hong Kong university to accept mainland students and have close ties to the ‘C9 League’, an alliance of nine elite universities in mainland China. While we enhance our global reputation, we will maintain our China focus by bringing China to the world and opening new horizons”.

Looking forward, CUHK’s ‘Strategic Plan 2016-2020’ is based on three themes: Education – Nurturing lifelong learners as global leaders, Research – Cutting-edge discovery with global impact and societal contributions and Engagement – Recognition of distinctive culture and tradition.

“As an educator, I enjoy spending time with our students and we encourage them to share their experiences and knowledge”, concludes Professor Sung. “CUHK students inspire us to continue nurturing and developing tomorrow’s leaders”.

Prof Sung with CUHK students