Academic Prodigy Explores and Broadens Horizon Through Learning
Discover the captivating journey of our esteemed alumus, Leo LIU, and how HKUST Business School helped shape this visionary leader and ignite his passion and curiosity for new knowledge.
Leo Liu (EMBA, 2022) – an academic prodigy passionate about continuous learning – is enthusiastic about using his alumni status to support talent development and scientific research in Hong Kong. In August 2022, he successfully facilitated a cooperation agreement between HKUST and Alibaba Cloud to nurture new talent in data analysis, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.
“We’re all academic prodigies at HKUST!” proclaimed Professor XU Yan, the then Associate Dean of HKUST Business School. Yet, this classic slogan means more than just words to Leo. It also illustrates his experience studying for his EMBA.
Read along and discover how Leo's journey as an EMBA student at HKUST transformed his worldview and his work in the digital space.
HKUST Business School’s Enduring Reputation Attracts Alibaba’s Academic Prodigy
We connected with Leo online on a warm and humid spring morning in Hong Kong. He had graciously made time between meetings to share his EMBA experience with us. Naturally, we were curious as to why he chose HKUST Business School. He had a multitude of reasons, but he summed it up by saying, “Having worked for over 10 years in globalizing cloud computing, I really value the School’s international vision.”
Smiling fondly, he continued, “The School also boasts a dynamic academic atmosphere and is renowned in the academic world for its prestigious international ranking. This reputation is also one of the factors that attracted me.”
Leo (second from left) and his teammates were presenting creative ideas and solutions with the class after several late-night study and preparation
Reminiscing Student Days on Campus
Reflecting on his time as an EMBA student, Leo found himself immersed in the vibrant academic life at the School. Living in the School’s dormitory for a few days every month brought back memories of his university days. “The campus environment allowed us to develop genuine friendships and a sense of belonging to HKUST,” he recalled.
Leo completed his bachelor’s degree in Shanghai and pursued a master’s degree in the UK. His EMBA cohort consisted of academic prodigies from diverse industries, such as the future market, elderly care, and mining in Africa. Late-night study sessions in the conference room at the Clear Water Bay campus demonstrated their commitment to academic excellence. Excitedly, he added, “We are also planning to meet our mining classmate in Africa!”
Work Hard Play Hard - Leo (third from left) had joy and laughter in every after-class activity
Expand Your Horizons, for Knowledge Knows No Boundaries
Although Leo’s career began as an engineering student, he recognized the importance of gaining new business theoretical knowledge and skills.
In particular, Professor CHEN Tai-yuan's course had a lasting impression on him, offering him a unique perspective on reviewing financial and cash flow statements from an entrepreneur’s viewpoint. “I was eager to share these new theories and methodologies with my team at Alibaba Cloud, which are all applicable to my work every day.”
Next Stop: Niching into Academic Research
Although Leo started his EMBA in 2018, graduation was postponed to 2022 due to the disruption of COVID-19. In the same year, he embarked on his doctoral journey, focusing on the digitalization of Chinese technology companies. Leo’s goal is to leverage his corporate management knowledge to enhance management efficiency for other Chinese companies and academic research. “I hope that I can also stand on the podium and educate others one day!"
As Leo and other HKUST “academic prodigies” continue to advance in their careers, they are set to play prominent roles in nurturing and developing more exceptionally talented individuals for the betterment of society.
