Prof. Billy BAI Xiu-cheng
Professor and Associate Dean of Research, William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, The University of Nevada Las Vegas
Professor Bai, Professor and Associate Dean of Research in the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), has been dedicated to the tourism and hospitality industry since 1980s. He oversees all on-campus master’s degree programmes of the College and represents the College on the Research Leadership Council and Top Tier Graduate Enrollment Management Committee for Graduate Education at UNLV. To nurture new talents, Prof. Bai mentors faculty members on research career issues and helps them secure strategic research partnerships with the industry.
Over the years, Prof. Bai has been actively engaging in grant writing and successfully acquired funding from both internal (college and university) and external sources. He was honoured with the most prestigious awards in recognition of only the most impactful scholars for their long-term contribution to hospitality scholarship and research.
As one of the PolyU alumni supporting the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM), Prof. Bai has made continuous contribution to the School’s events. He taught at PolyU and has been a frequent speaker at university conferences and forums. Caring about students of his alma mater, he made generous donations to support SHTM students affected by COVID-19.
Mr Calvin YUEN Chi-kin
Senior Manager – Food & Beverage, Shangri-La Group
Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Hotel Management (2012)
Mr Yuen is currently the Senior Manager of Headquarter F&B in the Shangri-La Group. Overseeing the Group’s hotel operations amid COVID-19, he has played a pivotal role in planning and implementing guidelines for pandemic outbreak and recovery to cope with government policies. Mr Yuen also conducts hotel audits to monitor food safety and service standards while managing risk for all member hotels. To give back to the community, Mr Yuen has been leading and organising Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability campaigns from environmental, social and governance perspectives (ESG) during the pandemic.
In recognition of his outstanding achievements in the tourism and hospitality industry, Mr Yuen was named the Youngest Manager of Two-Michelin-Star (Chinese) Restaurant in Hong Kong at the age of 25. He also regularly receives Gold Star under the Customer Delight Programme of the Shangri-La Group.
To nurture and support the next generations of talents, he signed up as a mentor for the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) Mentorship Programme and the VinUniversity Vietnam Mentorship Programme. He also provides continuous support to his alma mater by serving as the Financial Secretary of SHTM Alumni Association and being a frequent speaker to share industrial insights with PolyU students.