Feature Stories

In recent decades, sustainability has gained significant traction across the business sector. With the launch of Hong Kong’s first BSc in Sustainable and Green Finance program (SGFN) in 2022, a cohort of HKUST young professionals will rise as top-level green and sustainable finance experts – the bridge between practical knowledge in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues and the standard skillset of finance. Developed with input from key stakeholders from the Financial Services and Treasury Bureau, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, and World Green Organization (HK), the program aims to contribute to the development of Hong Kong into a leading green finance center. As the first cohort starts their third year of university, Linda WU (BSc SGFN, Class of 2026) shares her insights and opportunities through the lens of the program.

An Essential Element of Novelty 

To Linda, sustainable and green finance captures how to evaluate and quantify environmental impacts into financial risks, skills that are essential to meet the business needs of an increasingly green-conscious world. Given the uniqueness of the program, Linda found her major unanimously received with surprise by both employers and peers, followed by questions about what exactly “green finance” is. “A lot of them, even during job interviews, asked me to talk more about this major. Is it finance or is it like more science-y?” she recalls. She also notes that while their knowledge in green finance and sustainability varies, they all see the opportunities for this unique combination of skills, as the regulations and need for sustainable financial infrastructure grow beyond a social movement. From preparing corporate ESG reports and crafting impactful measures to mitigate environmental problems in supply chains, to incentivizing a greener manner of operations, the applications of the program bridge a solid finance background with a working knowledge of environmental issues.

Building upon the business core courses taken in her first year, Linda found her major courses an impactful blend of finance and environmental knowledge. “I feel like it’s a good balance, where we take all the finance major courses and electives, as well as core courses on environment and sustainability. These sets of courses are from different schools and we must learn skills from both fields.” She looks forward to more application-based courses to prepare for industry expectations and hopes to learn as much as she can from a diverse pool of knowledge through the many electives her major offers.

Opportunities for Impact

Aside from developing talent ready to bridge sustainability with the business world, Linda sees her major as a medium to bring industry changes for the future. “I think the most important impact is how you communicate with others.” A collaboration between the School of Business and Management and the Division of Environment and Sustainability, the major synergizes core concepts and skillsets from multiple disciplines to create an interdisciplinary toolbox by which students fill the gaps between funding and sustainable actions at the bottom line. “We were taught to think in a system and see connections. That’s critical for green finance and sustainability projects. You need to see how things are connected, link the actions and impacts to the bottom line and get others to understand how to achieve green finance to get things done.”

Linda is confident that sustainability will continue to increase in relevance, which requires a combination of knowledge and action, starting with the rising generation of leaders, even at the university level. “Many case competitions now start to incorporate a lot of green finance or sustainability concepts.” She notes that even as Hong Kong’s business landscape sees more green finance through green bonds issued by the HKMA, sustainability education and ESG reporting, the city still has work to do to reach the standards set in other regions to make sustainability part of the bottom line.

A Competitive and Nurturing Environment at HKUST

Hailing from an international school in Macau, what drew Linda to HKUST Business School was the opportunity to grow her circle of friends at HKUST, where a diverse range of students cross paths. By joining the Shaolin Martial Arts Society on campus, she connected with peers from various backgrounds. “It was good to know other people who’re interested in the same things, whether they be exchange, international, or local students. There’s always someone willing to help you, whether in teaching you some Cantonese to communicate with the Shaolin master or being an encouragement and optimistic support through stressful times.” She also found the collaborative culture ingrained at HKUST carried over well to her internships in the past summers, where an optimistic attitude enhances morale, boosting productivity across the team.

In addition to supportive peers, Linda attributed her success in various internships and case competitions to her learning experiences at HKUST, especially in the SGFN major. “In the case competitions, I know how to align the aspects of finance with that of sustainability and can propose how the case company can pivot toward a greener bottom line.” She also shared more about sustainable and green finance during her internships and even with other students on-campus at Traders@UST, ingraining the importance of sustainability and how to engage in green financial practices.

As a second-year student pursuing her career aspiration, Linda found the support she received from the Entrepreneurship Centre and Career Center incredibly valuable, especially for those who are exploring career opportunities and getting insights into their future endeavors. “Our Business School has so many connections and opportunities. There are industrial leaders and mentors constantly coming to our school for talks, projects, case competitions and events like Unicorn Day. It was really helpful to just talk with someone who has been working for a while to learn from their experience. They were friendly and shared what they've been through, how they got to what they’re doing now and chose something they’re passionate about.”

A continuous journey

Reflecting on her time at HKUST thus far, Linda is always motivated by the atmosphere on campus. “In general, my peers at HKUST Business School are career-driven. There are so many resources and people to talk to that help me get my career going while balancing academics and fun as a student.” She also found support through her friends, and advises students to “find the right people, as there’s always people to support you through fun and sad moments.” After graduation, Linda is considering staying in Hong Kong, but also hopes to find internships overseas to gain exposure to other cultures’ workplaces.

She advises prospective students who want to take up the SGFN major to examine their motivations for choosing the major, and to be a team player, as most courses require a lot of collaboration, just like how the design of the program came to be. For those who are worried about the finance courses of the major, Linda reminds students that they are all in this together. “All people in finance-related major programs are doing them, so everyone's in the same boat. It'll be hard, but you'll get through!”

 >> READ OTHER FEATURE STORIES <<