Prof. Chen Qian
Ph.D. in Economics (University of Sydney Business School), Associate Professor，Advanced Certified Professional Forecaster（ACPF）, recognized as Overseas High-Caliber Personnel in Shenzhen (Peacock Plan). She was on the faculty of Peking University HSBC Business School (PHBS) before joining SZTU, teaching master’s and MBA programs. Dr. Chen’s research focuses on statistical modelling, data analysis and dynamic information, with application in financial risk management, capital allocation, and business forecasting. Her research has been published on highly reputable international SCI and SSCI journals.
Dr. Chen is also a member of PHBS Risk Management Research Center, Sargent Institute of Quantitative Economics and Finance, Peking University Research Center for Macroeconomics and Finance, and University of Sydney Time Series and Forecasting Research Group.
Q1: We understand that you obtained B.A. in Mathematics at Wuhan University, M.Sc. in Economics in Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and later Ph.D at University of Sydney. What similarities and differences do you find among universities in Mainland China, Hong Kong and overseas?
Chen：Excellent question! Wuhan University can be recognized as representative for traditional universities in Mainland China. HKUST is a representative of international new universities, founded in 1990s to accommodate transformations in the economy and the technology. University of Sydney is a representative for the overseas traditional top universities. It is not only the fundamental and frontier knowledge, but also the insights inspired by different cultures and education philosophy, that constitutes a valuable asset from these education experience.
Wuhan University has every feature of a traditional mainland universities, the curriculum sets goals to build solid framework of fundamental knowledge and skills, with focus on the inheritance of theory and culture.
HKUST was quite a young and energetic university when I was admitted to its M.Sc in Economics program in 2005. It has innovative education philosophy and curriculum structure.
The University of Sydney, as the first university in Australia, has a long history. Its main strength lies in its well-developed Co-op program. Via the university’s rich legacy of networks, the Co-op program provides students with intern opportunities in a large variety of enterprises.
The most important common grounds held by these three universities are the high standards in teaching quality, their excellent internationalized faculty, and identifying their students as the university’s brand foundation.
Q2: The Business School new program “International Business” will be available in 2020. The course Business Statistics is included in the program curriculum. Could you please introduce this course? How will this course help the students in Business School?
Chen：With the progress of technology and the development of business, modern business decision-making process involves dealing with a large amount of data and information. Data analysis helps people extract useful information for decision-making. Business Analytics is a scientific process using data, information tech, statistical analysis, quantitative methods and mathematical or computer-based models to help managers gain improved insight about their business operations and make better, fact-based decisions. And Statistics is the foundation of Business Analytics. In Business Statistics, the students will learn about the data levels, data display and data summary, as well as fundamental statistical hypothesis tests, factor analysis and business forecasting skills that are widely employed in business operations. Eventually, this course will help the students build up their quantitative analytic skills, which is necessary for the major courses after first year, for their graduate dissertations, as well as for potential future postgraduate study.
Q3: Financial Risk Forecasting and Management, as well as Quantitative Financial Analysis are among your research focus. There is International Finance elective module in the new “International Business” program in 2020, how should the students interested in this direction prepare for the study? How is the placement for this direction?
Chen：The global financial market has experienced closely correlated movements during the China-US trade friction in 2018 and 2019, as well as the pandemic of COVID-19 in the first quarter of 2020. The Global Financial Crash caused by the Subprime Mortgage Crisis 12 years ago had nevertheless brought great economic opportunity for China and even Southeastern Asia. Understanding the relation between international financial markets, exploring the opportunities in the global capital markets, improving financial risk control in the context of globalization and fast development of FinTech, are exactly the innovative perspectives provided by the International Finance elective module of International Business program. I’d like to advise the students who are interested in International Finance direction, to update themselves with financial news and market movements, as well as put effort into the study of Advance Mathematics courses, major-related foundational and core courses in their first two years in college.
There were 129 Chinese enterprises among the global Fortune 500 companies in 2019. It was the very first time that more Chinese companies entered the list than the U.S. companies (121). The companies in China firmly go forward to the global markets, where great challenges and opportunities coexist. And financial sector is so inclusive that the graduates of International Business program in International Finance direction have a wide variety of options of career. The graduates may find occupations in the consulting companies, international trade companies, security exchanges, fund companies, banks, asset management companies as well as the investment and finance departments in firms, for example.
Q4: What do you think is the difference in the education modes of SZTU Business School and traditional business schools?
Chen：The traditional universities in China, like Peking University, Xiamen University and Wuhan University, established Economics departments as early as in the beginning of the 20th century. Business schools were separated from the Economics departments after China’s Reform and Opening. The oldest business school is the HEC Paris founded in 1819, and the concepts of modern business school was further developed and carried forward in U.S.
The traditional U.S. business schools emphasize research in the theory and business modes, the traditional mainland business schools follow such education modes where the theoretical research accounts for a large proportion, even for undergraduate study.
SZTU is a new university, and its business school is a new business school. SZTU Business school explores innovations in its education philosophy and program curriculum, focuses on practical skill more than ever, is fully dedicated to developing high quality resources of university-enterprise cooperation, and closely connects with the regional industries. These are consistent with the education modes in the top European business schools, like Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Business School of OTH Regensburg University, London University and OUS Royal Academy of Economics and Technology in Switzerland, etc.
Q5: What is your expectation for the SZTU Business School students in 2020?
Chen: Build up solid basic skills, being open-minded and eclectic, explore an international vision of innovation, to contribute to the society and our nation.
