To celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the founding of The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK) this year, President Simon Ho, an international scholar on corporate governance and sustainability, and Prof. Ip Po-keung, a research fellow on corporate ethics and institutional cultures, held the “President’s Chatroom” on 1 March 2023 (Wednesday) to discuss and review the values of the founders of well-known corporations and how they shape their unique corporate culture. The seminar attracted over 300 alumni, students, staff, friends of HSUHK and members of the public to interact with each other on-site and online, as well as Mainland audiences to watch online.

The President’s Chatroom explored the experiences of well-known companies in Hong Kong (Hang Seng Bank), Japan (Kongo Gumi Co., Ltd.), and the United States (The Container Store) to investigate the relationships between the culture of these organisations and their founders’ values. President Ho shared, “An organisation should consider the interests of its stakeholders and strike a good balance among them in order to achieve an “all-win” situation. Professor Ip said, “Corporate culture shapes the behaviour of its employees. They should put their house in order for sustainable development.” Through this seminar, people will be able to understand the corporate culture and choose the right organisation to serve, patronise or invest in.

The “President’s Chatroom” was well received and the participants were very keen on the topic of corporate culture and eager to raise their questions to President Ho and Prof. Ip. The interactions between the stage and floor were enlightening, especially on the ways how to facilitate the sustainable development of corporations under the current business environment. Both President Ho and Prof. Ip shared, “The I generation has been shaped by the social and economic environment since childhood, and universities should actively instil proper moral education in young people so that they can cultivate their moral character.”

In addition, participants took part in the quiz session to win the book Ho Sin Hang and the Early Company Culture of Hang Seng Bank co-authored by President Ho and Prof. Ip.

The “President’s Chatroom” video has been uploaded on YouTube Channel. Happy viewing!