More than 120 CityU alumni gathered for a special dinner held by the Development and Alumni Relations Office (DAO) and the Alumni Association of CityU on 23 February.

The dinner helped extend the University’s alumni network, offering former students an excellent opportunity to mingle with experts from the world of economics and business and to get updates on University development, and underlining the University’s commitment to strengthening ties among its graduates.

Ms Kathy Chan, Director of DAO, talked about the fund-raising progress of the University in the Government Matching Grant exercise and gave special thanks to the alumni for their contributions. From August 2005 to end of January 2006, the University raised $130 million, which includes the expected $45 million Matching Grant.

Ms Chan also announced the University’s plan to form a Convocation in 2007 to facilitate alumni taking part in University development through an integrated structure and system. She said she was delighted to see CityU alumni coming “home” regularly to reunite with fellow alumni and find out more about University development.

Highlights of the evening included talks by Mr Shih Wing-ching, Chairman of the Centaline Group, and Dr Y C Chan, Associate Professor of the Department of Management Sciences at CityU.

Mr Shih discussed changes currently affecting social and economic development in Hong Kong, including trends in the local property market. He said he was optimistic about Hong Kong’s economy and he suggested ways of achieving success in business. “You should have a strong vision and adopt prudent

Dr Chan shared his views on Hong Kong’s economy from a macroscopic point of view, outlining the importance of its tertiary sector, and he offered alumni tips on successful investing, reminding the audience that “the lesser the expectation, the better the life and easier the investment ”.

Ms Olivia Lo, who graduated from CityU’s Faculty of Business in 2002, said she thought the theme of the gathering was clearly presented and very interesting. “There is no doubt that it attracted alumni with similar interests,” she said.

Mr Richard Yuen, who graduated from CityU’s Master of Business Administration programme in 1996, said the gathering was well-organized and highly rewarding. “It was an enjoyable and practical occasion, and there was high quality interaction between the two experts and CityU’s alumni,” he said.