Three IPO students were nominated to join 14 other HKUST schoolmates to volunteer at the Boao Forum for Asia 2015 “Asia’s New Future – Towards a Community of Common Destiny” at Hainan, China on 26-29 March 2015. Boao Forum for Asia is a high-end platform for dialogs on important and influential issues among leaders of national governments, industrial, business and academic sectors worldwide.

Chong Bor Hung, a year 4 student of the Dual Degree Program in Technology and Management, who has studied in Malaysia, Germany and mainland China, helped in the logistics team of the event and assisted in venue set-up and control of entry. Bor Hung met a very special person at the forum. “I met Mr Chad Hurley, the co-founder of YouTube. I learned a lot from him. When he sold YouTube to Google, he didn’t join Google as his partner did, but started another startup. Chad continues to pursue entrepreneurship, not because of stability or money, but only his passion for entrepreneurship. Once you do it, like it, and you will continue. His entrepreneurial spirit really inspired me.” Bor Hung has already got a job offer at a new startup and started his journey of entrepreneurship.

Simon Cheung, a year 2 student of the Risk Management and Business Intelligence Program, is an active volunteer. He helped in the messaging team to summarize each seminar or meeting in writing for uploading on web. He was fascinated that he got chance to talk with great people whom he cannot meet in his daily life. Those BIG personages were very willing to share their views and experiences with students, which was a pleasant surprise to Simon. “I worked in a seminar on the future of education. The panellists were presidents of universities from China, USA, Australia and Japan. They believed that university was more than knowledge transfer. University education should help youngsters to build up positive values, cultivate creativity and materialize innovative ideas to benefit the society as a whole. I was honoured to be able to talk to one of them. I reflect that, as a university student, we should not focus too much on academic performances but broaden our knowledge and care about what’s happening in the society. We may do something to have good impact on the society.” Simon plans to exchange to USA and engage in more social services in the next two final years of his study.

Another keen volunteer, Karen Kan, a year 2 student of the Environmental Management and Technology Program, also helped in the messaging team. What impressed her most was a seminar on pollution control with the Chief Justices from different countries as panellists. They discussed environmental issues in the perspective of judiciary and pointed out that more efforts should be put on international judicial cooperation to protect the environment. “Their ideas maybe very preliminary and not yet feasible, but they are determined to fix the environmental problems. I am reassured that there is still hope for a better environment in future.”

These students grabbed this invaluable opportunity to gain exposure, acquire new knowledge and meet new faces. Opportunity comes to those who are well prepared for it. Prepare yourself for the new challenges which may come anytime.