After over 30 years’ solid experience in the banking industry and graduating from the Doctor of Business Administration degree at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in 2018, Dr Derek Chung Siu-kuen decided to step into the university as a lecturer to apply what he had gained in work into transferable knowledge and give back to society.
Teaching is about giving back and continuing to learn
Bearing desire and passion, Dr Chung is now a Professor of Practice for PolyU’s School of Accounting and Finance. He started to progressively take up teaching corporate social responsibility (CSR), theme-based Capstone Project related to fintech topic, international banking and brand management courses at PolyU starting from September 2020, when there was after the Covid virus spread worldwide.
“I’m grateful to be offered this teaching opportunity. I enjoy teaching a lot, but the education sector is quite different from the business world, especially when times are changing fast. We need to find suitable approaches to engage students in the classroom and also get used to teaching virtually,” said Dr Chung.
Dr Chung had to adjust his teaching style to tackle the inconvenience caused by virtual teaching and meet his students’ needs. His approaches included adding in-class quizzes, ad-hoc presentations, and group assignments. From time to time, he has invited experienced guest speakers to share their knowledge and experience during classes, and he has proactively helped students find internships and full time jobs.
Dr Chung believes that teaching has allowed him to share what he has learned over his many years at work, giving him a sense of accomplishment while also motivating him to continue learning. As Dr. Chung also teaches CSR, he keeps a close eye on the environmental, social, and governance sectors. He believes that ESG has been growing fast in Hong Kong and points out that there are already ESG related financial products in the market.
Besides teaching, Dr Chung has also volunteered for various university roles. He is currently Chairman of the DBA Alumni Association, one of PolyU’s distinguished alumni associations.
In 2021, he was appointed to the new Board of Directors of the Federation of PolyU Alumni Associations for a two-year term. He also served as Convenor of Public Relations and on the Alumni Activities Sub-Committee. Dr Chung feels grateful that he has learned from his co-directors the best ways to engage alumni.
Consulting at the same time
As well as teaching and volunteering at PolyU, Dr Chung has also founded his own consulting firm, Dr. WMS Limited. The company specialises in advising on strategies and business models for execution excellence and for delivering remarkable business results.
As a seasoned banker, Dr Chung previously oversaw a wide range of operations in the banking industry, including sales and distribution networks, cross-border business growth and collaboration, customer segments, and retail banking and wealth management products. His solid and established credentials led to his being hired as a consultant to provide wealth management and planning services. Throughout his career, Dr Chung has managed significant strategic initiatives, new franchises and product developments in a variety of multinational and Chinese institutions. A number of authorised institutions were able to stay competitive thanks to his leadership, and his significant sales and marketing skills.
Dr Chung is particularly notable for launching a number of first-to-market products and programmes that have helped expand Hong Kong's retail banking sector. In addition to his vast banking knowledge, he was also appointed as Associate Director of a reputable property developer, responsible for sales of real estate in 2017 and 2018.
As an experienced banking professional with a strong background in property, mortgage loans and wealth management, Dr Chung has also served as a spokesperson for several banks and developers, and has appeared in top broadcasting, print and digital media, as well as seminars of statutory and non-statutory bodies.
