Part-time MBA

Giuliana Auinger

Giuliana Auinger
Class of 2017
Hong Kong

Completing a master’s degree had always been a life goal for me and after spending 10 years working in management consultancy in the UK, US and Hong Kong, I finally decided to take the leap. HKU is widely considered the best school in Hong Kong and one of the best in Asia, so I had no doubt that this would be the right choice for me when researching MBA programmes. I was so sure, that I didn’t even consider other options.

The HKU MBA experience was a fantastic one and it helped me both professionally and personally. Originally born in Hong Kong, my family has a very international background, which influenced me greatly when considering where to study my undergraduate degree. I settled on the UK as my place of study and went on to start my career there after graduation. I worked in the UK for some time before moving to the US, then finally back to Hong Kong. By studying at HKU I was able to expand my network, an extremely important factor in my career progression given I was relatively new to the city, and make new friends and connections through the programme. I’m sure that the friendships I made will be lifelong.

Despite having over 10 years of consulting experience, I felt that I lacked the skill sets required for theoretical thinking processes, and therefore found the curriculum to be extremely useful. I learned the framework and academic theories necessary to refresh my knowledge and applied them to real business settings, which has been extremely helpful in my job. In addition to this, the use of real case studies on the course allowed me to take what I was learning and apply it directly to my work in real time. It was a very tangible benefit.

Though the MBA programme was not easy, it was manageable with self-discipline. In my first year of studies I was still working at Axiom, a legal tech & outsourcing company in Hong Kong. As I was quite settled into the rhythm of work and the turnaround of the business was successful, so I was able to dedicate time to my studies and even obtain good grades on the programme. In my second year of studies I moved to KPMG to help build the Global Strategy Group in Hong Kong, so I found studying a bit harder due to the increased travel required with my new role. However, with strong self-discipline I was still able to manage my time effectively and complete my MBA.

My advice to students looking into the part-time MBA course is to be open minded. Do not compare yourself to others with regard to career and salary because everyone is different and will walk their own path. Absorb information like a sponge – there is so much to experience and learn during your time at HKU that you must do your best to take it all in. Though part-time students tend to be a little older and sometimes cynical, one should try to look at this journey through the eyes of a young child; with excitement and anticipation. Don’t waste time worrying because it is the unexpected things that make the HKU MBA programme so exciting.

Industry: Consulting
Company: KPMG China
Job Title: Partner, Global Strategy Group