Hong Kong
Posted by Joseph M. Phillips on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 3:21 PM PDT
I spent May 4, 5, and 6 in Hong Kong visiting Seattle University alumni and supporters. Along with Jim Hembree from University Advancement and Russ Powell, Associate Provost of Global Engagement, I visited with 24 people individually or in group meetings, including 15 alumni of Albers. There was a wide range of graduates, with the oldest graduating in 1975 and the youngest In 2006! We estimate there are about 80 Albers alums in HK.
Hong Kong looks to be a very livable city. The subway system is convenient, though crowded at times, and we have been making a lot of use of it! The city is fairly clean and crime does not seem to be a problem. On the other hand, the sidewalks are teeming with people in many sections of the city.
Right now the HK economy is not doing well. There has been a big drop in retail sales as mainland Chinese have cut back on the purchase of luxury items, the result of both the government's crack down on corruption and feeling unwelcome by HK residents due to recent governance controversies.
We were frequently asked about the purpose of the trip. The main purpose was to reconnect with alumni and learn how they have progressed since graduation. They have some great stories to tell! For example, the idea for the story on Kevin Dong that recently appeared in the Albers Brief (I hope you received your copy!) was hatched on our previous visit to HK and Guangzhou when we learned more about Kevin's success with his business, Hand Picked.
In September, Professors David Reid and Quan Le will be leading a study tour to Hong Kong and focusing on doing business in Hong Kong and near by China. One thing we like to include in study tours are company visits. I asked alumni if they would be able to support the tour with a company visit and discussion of how to conduct business press in Asia The response from alumni was very positive -- they were anxious to help!
One thing we have not been doing, at least not directly, is to recruit students. In the future we should be leveraging these trip to recruit students to our programs.
Hong Kong looks to be a very livable city. The subway system is convenient, though crowded at times, and we have been making a lot of use of it! The city is fairly clean and crime does not seem to be a problem. On the other hand, the sidewalks are teeming with people in many sections of the city.
Right now the HK economy is not doing well. There has been a big drop in retail sales as mainland Chinese have cut back on the purchase of luxury items, the result of both the government's crack down on corruption and feeling unwelcome by HK residents due to recent governance controversies.
We were frequently asked about the purpose of the trip. The main purpose was to reconnect with alumni and learn how they have progressed since graduation. They have some great stories to tell! For example, the idea for the story on Kevin Dong that recently appeared in the Albers Brief (I hope you received your copy!) was hatched on our previous visit to HK and Guangzhou when we learned more about Kevin's success with his business, Hand Picked.
In September, Professors David Reid and Quan Le will be leading a study tour to Hong Kong and focusing on doing business in Hong Kong and near by China. One thing we like to include in study tours are company visits. I asked alumni if they would be able to support the tour with a company visit and discussion of how to conduct business press in Asia The response from alumni was very positive -- they were anxious to help!
One thing we have not been doing, at least not directly, is to recruit students. In the future we should be leveraging these trip to recruit students to our programs.