Welcome to the latest edition of the FB Magazine.

Our theme for this issue, “Beyond Resilience: Cultivating Personal Growth through Challenge for Strategic Leadership Excellence,” invites us to reflect on how leaders grow — not only through achievement, but through experiences that stretch their capabilities and deepen their sense of purpose. In a world defined by rapid change and rising complexity, these qualities have become essential for leaders at every level.

Few experiences capture this theme as powerfully as the Ultra Gobi^® (玄奘之路戈壁挑戰賽), the focus of our Feature Story. This year’s four day, 121 kilometre challenge brought together nearly 5,000 participants from 65 business schools, with PolyU Business School fielding its largest delegation to date. What stood out most was the team’s shared commitment: veterans guiding newcomers, support crews working seamlessly, and every member contributing to a common goal — a vivid example of the trust and cooperation that enable teams to excel under pressure.

The Ultra Gobi^® also shows how challenge accelerates leadership development. Progress in the desert depends on collaboration, adaptability, and stepping in when support is needed — qualities that remain vital in today’s complex business environment.

In our Alumni Feature, this theme takes a different form. MBA graduate Mr Chen Guohui reflects on how endurance challenges have shaped his leadership approach in the finance industry. His experience shows that resilience is not simply a question of persistence, but the ability to prepare, reflect, and adapt as circumstances evolve.

As we look back on recent months, PolyU Business School has continued to strengthen its global reputation for excellence. Ten of our faculty members have been recognised among the world’s top 2% most cited scientists in the latest Scopus Data Snapshot, and PolyU has achieved the No. 1 global ranking in Management in the 2025 ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects. These and other milestones are highlighted in this edition’s Achievements section.

Our Research Perspectives section showcases the breadth and impact of our faculty’s work in an accessible format. One study reveals that independent directors become more willing to challenge management after observing a peer penalised for negligence. Another investigates how digital healthcare platforms can ease pressure on overstretched medical systems by directing routine consultations to less prominent providers. A third examines how US banks responded to the pandemic era transition to a new accounting standard, offering insights into decision making under economic stress. Together, these studies demonstrate how our researchers advance understanding across multiple industries and informing both policy and practice.

Our Research Spotlight feature highlights current and newly funded initiatives. In this edition, we showcase two projects that examine how people and organisations adapt to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving economy — one identifying the skills employers now expect from accounting and finance professionals, the other exploring how firms acquire and develop machine learning capabilities through emerging algorithm markets.

Finally, our Around the Faculty section brings together newsworthy stories celebrating the achievements of our staff, students, and alumni. These stories reflect the diverse, thriving community that makes PolyU Business School a special place to learn, teach, and grow.

As you explore this edition, I hope you find inspiration in the stories of those who have embraced challenge as a catalyst for growth. Their experiences remind us that leadership excellence is shaped not by avoiding difficulty, but by learning from it and moving forward with purpose and integrity.

As we approach the New Year, I wish all our readers a season of rest, reflection, and renewed energy. I look forward to sharing more of our community’s achievements in the next edition.