Welcome to the June 2024 edition of the FB Magazine!

Since our December 2023 edition, both the business and education sectors have undergone significant transformations due to the apparently limitless potential of artificial intelligence (AI). The swift pace at which AI has become an everyday tool in the professional and personal lives of millions of people underscores the urgent need for academic institutions to provide programmes that not only acknowledge but also fully embrace the ongoing technological revolution.

In this edition, we highlight how the Faculty is rising to the occasion by embracing the numerous opportunities and challenges presented by the emergence of AI. It is essential for PolyU Business School to spearhead this transformative process, ensuring that our programmes and research not only reflect current trends but also anticipate the future demands of the business landscape.

Our Feature Story, titled ‘Innovating Business Education: Our Strategic Programmes for the Digital Era’, outlines our dedication to developing forward-thinking educational strategies. We are enhancing our existing graduate programmes while also introducing new ones to equip future leaders with the skills to thrive amidst the ongoing digital revolution, and capitalise on the unique opportunities presented in the Greater Bay Area and beyond.

The Research Spotlight showcases an ongoing project centred around building an AI-powered platform to assist fashion designers in the creative process. The Intelligent Inspiration Image Generation Platform (I3GP) offers personalised support to fashion designers, thereby revolutionizing the design workflow. This project holds immense value for fashion design students, as it aims to ultimately transform the fashion design industry by integrating generative AI directly into the design process.

Our Alumni Spotlight features an engaging interview with Dr Jimmy Jim, a distinguished graduate of our DBA programme. Drawing on his experience as the Managing Executive Officer and Head of Global Markets at ICBC (Asia) Limited, Dr Jim emphasizes the significance of incorporating AI, virtual assets, and the pertinent considerations of regulations and ethics into our academic programmes to keep pace with the fast-changing market.

I am pleased to announce that our Achievements section is once again brimming with positive stories from across the Faculty. Notably, PolyU currently holds the 9th global position in terms of research contributions of our distinguished Business and Management scholars, as reported by Research.com. We also lead the world in Supply Chain Management, while also securing the top spot in Asia for Operations Research, Marketing, Management Information Systems, and Advertising, according to EduRank.org. In addition, our Faculty of Business Case Consortium recently emerged as the winner of a global case writing contest. More details regarding these remarkable accomplishments can be found in this Achievements section.

The Research Perspectives section provides a summary of the key studies undertaken by our faculty members, covering a wide range of fascinating topics as usual. One study investigates the potential practice of large corporations concealing pollution-intensive operations in less visible subsidiaries, possibly evading environmental regulations. Another study sheds light on the fact that company boards set higher performance targets for overconfident CEOs, thereby highlighting the impact of CEO confidence on incentive plans. A third study suggests that ending a sequence of difficult tasks with simpler ones can unexpectedly diminish the perceived difficulty of the entire sequence.

Concluding this edition is our regular Around the Faculty section, which compiles noteworthy news featuring our staff, students, and alumni, all of whom have made remarkable achievements and have inspiring stories to share.

As we embark on the summer months, I wish you all a season filled with enriching experiences and opportunities for growth. May this summer serve as a source of rejuvenation and inspiration for us all!