Anthony Lin, Chief Executive Officer of Greater Bay Area, Standard Chartered, and a CUHK alumnus (BSc in Computer Science, MBA), said tremendous business opportunities were becoming available in the Greater Bay Area as Hong Kong became ever more closely connected with mainland China.

“Anyone who wants to succeed in business today cannot remain complacent with just knowing Hong Kong. They must also understand the dynamics of the GBA and mainland China and navigate diverse cultures,” Lin said. “That’s why Standard Chartered has partnered with Co-op@CUHK. We want to help cultivate cross-boundary talent, equipping students with the competencies that will help global businesses like ours thrive.”

“To succeed in this environment, we need the right individuals who understand both Hong Kong and mainland China, the different ways of thinking and regulations. Co-op@CUHK is an outstanding platform to help us identify the best talent for our future development and success. We’re glad the real experience and direct connections with mainland China have been valuable for these students,” he added.

Four CUHK students have been working at Standard Chartered since June, getting involved in projects that support the bank’s cross-boundary business development on the mainland and travelling to Guangzhou and other GBA cities to collaborate with colleagues there.

Yoyo So Pui-yiu, a Global Economics and Finance major, said her placement at SME Banking (for small and medium enterprises) gave her a lot of exposure and opportunities across the GBA.

Ivy Wong Cheuk-lam, an Integrated BBA major, cherished the opportunity she had to learn about the GBA business landscape: “Working directly with the GBA’s SME clients gave me real insights into how Hong Kong and other GBA cities drive business growth. It also taught me about SME practices and principles, enabling me to develop tailored solutions for clients across the region.”

Newton Deng Haotian, a Quantitative Finance and Risk Management Science major working, is posted at Standard Chartered’s GBA CEO Office and in SME Banking and has participated in projects to help the bank access untapped types of collaterals and streamline its lending procedures. “Witnessing first-hand the synergy across GBA cities has made me feel optimistic about the region’s potential for economic growth,” he noted.

Charlie Zhong Jiashan, a Professional Accountancy major doing placement at Standard Chartered’s Greater China Segment, has helped organise an event at the Guangzhou GBA Centre, aiming to streamline two-way referral process of Wealth Management Connect 2.0 between Standard Chartered Hong Kong and Standard Chartered China. He created a video to showcase the “voice of the frontline” and highlight the cross-boundary collaboration. “The positive feedback from senior management was encouraging. This experience has made me even more excited about my future career prospects in both the GBA and Hong Kong.”

Dr John Lai, Director of CUHK’s Office of Co-operative Education Programme, explained: “Our goal is to enable students to gain work experience in diverse cultures, enhance their employability and expand their networks, both regionally and globally.” He is grateful that Standard Chartered, along with companies like Tencent, BGI, HKSTP, Fusion Bank and PwC (Shenzhen), have committed to the vision.

He added that Co-op@CUHK would continue to develop corporate partnerships in Hong Kong, the GBA, mainland China and other Asian countries to support companies with top-tier talent to drive cross-boundary success.