Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Department of Management and Marketing 2026

  We are pleased to announce the following awardees of the Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Department of Management & Marketing 2026 for their remarkable achievements.   Dr John YEUNG Hin-chung, SBS, OBE, JP Outstanding Alumni Award in Professional Achievement of PolyU Department of Management and Marketing Dr John Yeung Hin-chung, SBS, OBE, JP, has established a remarkable career in public service, business leadership and education. He joined the Hong Kong Immigration Department in 1967, serving for nearly three decades and rising to the position of Deputy Director of Immigration from 1989 to 1995. During the 1980s and early 1990s, he played a pivotal role in sensitive immigration and constitutional matters leading up to Hong Kong’s reunification. He participated in Sino-British Joint Liaison Group expert meetings on topics such as air services arrangements, passports, and visa and entry policies. He also represented the Hong Kong government in negotiations with mainland authorities regarding one-way permit quotas, family reunion arrangements, and cases involving single-parent mainland mothers and their Hong Kong-born children. Additionally, he addressed the issue of Vietnamese boat people. Following his early retirement from government service in 1995, Dr Yeung became Group Chief Executive of the Shun Hing Group. Since 2001, he has served as the managing director of The Cross-Harbour (Holdings) Ltd., a main board-listed company involved in transport infrastructure and related businesses. He has also served concurrently as the managing director of Western Harbour Tunnel Company Limited and Hong Kong Tunnels and Highways Management Co. Ltd., and as Chairman of the HK School of Motoring and Autotoll Ltd. Dr Yeung is widely respected for his integrity, sound judgement, and contributions to Hong Kong’s governance and transport-related business sector.     Mr Samson FONG Outstanding Young Alumni Award in Professional Achievement of PolyU Department of Management and Marketing Throughout his decade-long career as a growth marketer, Mr Samson Fong has successfully driven business growth and expansion for prominent technology giants and startup brands—such as Xiaomi, DJI, Eatigo, and Zenyum — across the APAC region, including Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, Bangkok, and Seoul. He has established a strong reputation for leading early-stage companies from launch through their hyper-growth phases and ensuring long-term business sustainability. Exemplary Leadership in Regional Roles: Mr Fong has held key leadership positions, serving as Regional Head of Marketing at Beame, Head of Marketing at Zenyum, and Regional Head of Partnerships at Eatigo. Driving Exponential Business Growth: During his tenure at Eatigo, Mr Fong successfully grew app installs in Hong Kong and Singapore by five times and increased monthly active users by ten times to 500K within 24 months. At Beame, he managed a daily six-digit USD advertising budget and built a full-fledged marketing team spanning multiple cities.  Venture Building & Ecosystem Nurturing: As Head of Growth and Partner at Inspect Element, Mr Fong scales startups from 0 to 1 and accelerates SMEs from 1 to 100 through comprehensive strategy consultancy covering fundraising, go-to-market, and product-market fit. He has managed high-profile clients including Coffee Meets Bagel, GetYourGuide, and HKBN, and actively nurtures the local startup ecosystem by running accelerator programs with Cyberport, HKSTP, HKTDC, and university incubators.  

Public Lecture by Prof. Viswanath Venkatesh – 10 Apr 2026 (Fri)

On 10 April 2026, MM had the pleasure to host a Public Lecture on “My Research Journey: Past, Present, and Future”, presented by Prof. Viswanath Venkatesh, who is an Eminent Scholar and Verizon Chair at the Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech.   In the lecture, Prof. Venkatesh shared his research journey on technology adoption and diffusion, offered valuable insights on the importance of collaboration and practical tips for building effective research partnerships, and reflected on the history and evolution of the information systems field.

Public Lecture by Prof. Nicolai J. Foss – 9 Apr 2026 (Thu)

On 9 April 2026, MM had the pleasure of hosting a Public Lecture on “The AI Revolution and the Future of Universities and Faculty: A Management Theory Perspective”, presented by Prof. Nicolai J. Foss, Professor of Strategy at the Copenhagen Business School and Visiting Chair Professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.    In the lecture, Prof. Foss shared a systematic Hayekian view on how AI may have complementary or substitutive effects with human work, depending on the task’s codifiability and knowledge specificity. He predicts that while AI will increase the average productivity of researchers, it will also lead to a Matthew Effect between high- and low-skill researchers. In this process, judgment will become increasingly critical in working with AI. Finally, Prof. Foss discussed how these trends will have significant implications for the future development of universities and faculty in research and teaching.

Call for Nominations Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Department of Management and Marketing 2026

The Department of Management and Marketing (MM) is delighted to announce that the new round of nominations for the Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU MM 2026 is now open. The Award recognises alumni who have made contributions to the University and the wider community through their achievements in respective areas. Nominations for Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Department of Management and Marketing are now invited for submission. Call for nomination starts from 18 March 2026 Nomination Form returns by 30 April 2026   The nomination form could be downloaded here. Please return the completed form to mm.notice@polyu.edu.hk with all required supplementary documents (such as a current curriculum vitae of the nominee and two written references) on or before 30 April 2026 (Thu).   Eligibility The nominated candidate must be a graduate who has successfully completed full-time or part-time programme offered by PolyU (or its forerunners: Hong Kong Government Trade School, Hong Kong Technical College, and Hong Kong Polytechnic) which led to academic award accredited by the respective Institution.   The proposer can be a PolyU graduate, Honorary Graduate, University Fellow, PolyU staff, PolyU Council and Court member and Advisory Committee member.  There is no limit to the number of nominations to be submitted by each proposer.  However, the proposer cannot be the candidate himself/herself.    Selection Criteria The selection of the Award considers two criteria:   Support and Contributions to PolyU: This key criterion considers nominee’s support and contributions to PolyU, including his/her leadership and/or support in University event and/or alumni activities, support in advisory committee, teaching, research, or student development, as well as support rendered to PolyU initiatives including financial / in-kind donation, or sponsorship. Achievement Areas: Three achievement areas serve as a framework for assessing nominee’s achievements in the concerned areas.  They include Professional Achievement, Entrepreneurial Achievement, and Scholarly Achievement.   Achievement Area Description Professional Achievement This achievement area recognises alumni who have attained distinguished achievements, demonstrated exemplary leadership, and made a strong impact on their profession / industry / society. Entrepreneurial Achievement This achievement area recognises alumni who have demonstrated outstanding innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as founded or advanced business or technology ventures with impact. Scholarly Achievement This achievement area recognises alumni scholars who have made notable scholarly or research contributions in their disciplines, with proven track record and excellent reputation in the field.   Notes: The bestowal of the award shall subject to individual merits of the candidates.  No award shall be given out in a certain category if no suitable candidate is identified.   Alumni who are aged at/under 40 in the award selection year would be eligible for the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.   Award Selection Committee The Award Selection Committee of Department of Management and Marketing will examine the nominations and assess candidates’ qualifications and performance for the awards.   Confidentiality All information submitted on this nomination form will be kept strictly confidential and will only be used by the Award Selection Committee for the purpose of the selection process.    Enquiries Department of Management and Marketing The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Email: mm.notice@polyu.edu.hk

Public Lecture by Prof. Viswanath Venkatesh - 10 Apr 2026

You are invited to attend the MM Public Lecture on “My Research Journey: Past, Present, and Future” presented by Prof. Viswanath Venkatesh, Virginia Tech on 10 Apr 2026.   Date* : 10 Apr 2026 (Fri) Time* : 10:30 am – 12:00 pm (Public Lecture)     12:00 pm – 12:30 pm (Q&A Session) Venue : M1603, PolyU campus *Hong Kong Time   Please register through the registration form https://forms.office.com/r/VD7c27EKDa on or before 6 Apr 2026 (Mon). External members will receive the campus access code by 8 Apr 2026 (Wed).   You are welcome to disseminate the information to colleagues and friends who might be interested.  

Public Lecture by Prof. Nicolai J. Foss - 9 Apr 2026

You are invited to attend the MM Public Lecture on “The AI Revolution and the Future of Universities and Faculty: A Management Theory Perspective” presented by Prof. Nicolai J. Foss, Professor of Strategy, Department of Strategy and Innovation, Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Professor II, Norwegian School of Economics, and Visiting Chair Professor, PolyU on 9 Apr 2026.   Date* : 9 Apr 2026 (Thu) Time* : 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm (Public Lecture)     4:00 pm – 4:30 pm (Q&A Session) Venue : M1603, PolyU campus *Hong Kong Time   Please register through the registration form https://forms.office.com/r/DFej0B96SN on or before 6 Apr 2026 (Mon). External members will receive the campus access code by 8 Apr 2026 (Wed).   You are welcome to disseminate the information to colleagues and friends who might be interested.  

Public Lecture by Prof. Christopher K. Hsee – 2 March 2026 (Mon)

On 2 March 2026, MM had the pleasure of hosting a Public Lecture on “From Preference to Happiness”, presented by Prof. Christopher K. Hsee, who is the Dean's Distinguished Chair Professor of Marketing at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business.  In the lecture, Prof. Hsee shared insights from his research on evaluability, including how evaluation mode induces preference reversals, differences between qualitative and quantitative attributes across domains such as people’s time preferences, risk preferences, legal judgements, etc., and how evaluability has significant implications for human judgement and decision making.

Public Lecture by Prof. Christopher Hsee - 2 Mar 2026 (Mon)

You are invited to attend the MM Public Lecture on “From Preference to Happiness” presented by Professor Christopher Hsee, Dean's Distinguished Chair Professor of Marketing, CKGSB on 2 Mar 2026.   Date* : 2 Mar 2026 (Mon) Time* : 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm (Public Lecture) 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm (Q&A Session) Venue : M714, PolyU campus *Hong Kong Time   Please register through the registration form  https://forms.office.com/r/EzscyCsHYf on or before 25 Feb 2026 (Wed). External members will receive the campus access code by 27 Feb 2026 (Fri).   You are welcome to disseminate the information to colleagues and friends who might be interested.  

PolyU Ranked 25th Globally in Business and Economics and No. 1 in Hong Kong

PolyU has achieved a significant milestone in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026 by Subject, rising from 37th last year to 25th globally in Business and Economics. This accomplishment also positions PolyU as the top-ranked university in this subject area in Hong Kong. This year, the THE ranking assessed 1,067 institutions across 91 countries and territories, evaluating performance across three core disciplines: Business and Management, Accounting and Finance, and Economics and Econometrics The recognition highlights the collective strength, dedication, and impact of our faculty, students, alumni, and partners. At PolyU Business School, we remain committed to advancing impactful research, nurturing future scholar leaders, and deepening connections between academia and industry. For more details on the THE World University Rankings by Subject 2026, please visit: World University Rankings by Subject 2026: Business and Economics | Times Higher Education (THE)

The 2025 Hong Kong Consumer Behavior Newcomer Symposium (4 Dec 2025)

The 2025 Hong Kong Consumer Behavior Newcomer Symposium, focusing on “The Frontier of Consumer Research,” was successfully held on December 4. The event served as a dynamic platform for early-career scholars and graduate students from across the region to foster collaboration and exchange knowledge on the latest developments in consumer behavior and marketing research.   The event opened with welcome remarks by Prof. Yuwei Jiang from PolyU. The full-day program covered cutting-edge topics, including price promotion framing, information disclosure, shared payment paths, ingredient quantity framing, prosocial behavior and financial risk-taking, household decision-making preferences, and mysterious consumption. Scholars from PolyU, HKU, HKUST, CUHK, and CityU shared recent empirical findings and theoretical advances, highlighting multi-dimensional progress in psychological mechanisms, decision processes, and market practice.   Speakers & Topics: The sessions covered a diverse array of topics, ranging from pricing psychology to household dynamics. Shangwen Yi (PolyU) opened discussions with an examination of "process amplifier effects" in promotions, revealing how implicitly partitioned percentage framing can boost purchase intentions for high-relevance products. Jiaqi Yu (Assistant Professor, HKU) showed that the mere presence of a quantified attribute—rather than the level it conveys—can strongly shape consumer judgments, indicating that asymmetric information disclosure may, in certain contexts, hinder quality assessment. Social dynamics in consumption were also a key focus. Han Jung (Assistant Professor, HKUST) reported that indirect payment in shared expenses (one consumer pays in full and others reimburse) increases purchase satisfaction by creating and resolving a temporary sense of indebtedness, a robust effect across multiple preregistered studies. Vincentia Yuen (Assistant Professor, CityU) found that engaging in prosocial acts elevates perceived deservingness, which in turn increases subsequent financial risk-taking; the effect strengthens with higher karmic beliefs and weakens when low deservingness is primed. Other presentations delved into product perception and domestic decisions. Michelle Kim (Assistant Professor, CUHK) demonstrated that “fewer ingredients” often signal “more natural” when processing information is unavailable, thereby influencing food choices; however, preferences can shift toward “more ingredients” when indulgence or uniqueness goals become salient. Tess Kwon (Assistant Professor, HKU) identified an asymmetry in household decision preferences: consumers are more likely to opt for joint (vs. solo) decision-making with partners during disposal than acquisition, driven by concerns over rights infringement and valuation clarity—offering explanations for disposal delays and over-accumulation. Eva Buechel (Assistant Professor, HKUST) analyzed the “mysterious consumption” phenomenon, showing that anticipated surprise can backfire at reveal due to wishful thinking and hedonic contrast, unless such expectations are constrained or outcomes are exceptionally desirable. This symposium reflects PolyU’s commitment to open collaboration and innovation in marketing and consumer research.