A delegation led by Professor Way Kuo, President of City University of Hong Kong (CityU), took part in the 13th Xuanzang Road Business School Gobi Challenge held recently. 

By trekking 29.7 kilometres on an “experience day” hike on 2 May, Professor Kuo cheered on CityU athletes in other races during the three-day-long event.

The conditions were tough but team spirit prevailed. Professor Kuo, taking part in the Gobi Challenge for the first time, battled poor road conditions under a scorching sun through endless sandstorms and poor visibility to become the first of CityU Team C to reach the finishing line. In the spirit of unity, he waited for the others to catch up before crossing the line together.

“The CityU delegation showed its solidarity and mutual support for each other when rising to the challenge,” Professor Kuo said. “I will definitely participate in the Gobi Challenge again if I have the opportunity.”

At the supply stations, Professor Kuo was recognised by participants from other universities and invited to have his photo taken several times.

The Challenge this year took place between 30 April and 6 May in Guazhou County in the city of Jiuquan, Gansu Province. The CityU delegation numbered 52 persons, including Professor Yan Houmin, Dean of the College of Business, and 33 staff and students from the EMBA programme.

The competition, attended by EMBA students from global Chinese business schools, is held in the Moheyanqi Gobi Desert on the border between Gansu Province and Xinjiang.

In the Challenge, EMBA students from different universities team up to complete the 112-kilometre course through uninhabited parts of the Gobi Desert.