It was a windy autumn afternoon of 2018, I spontaneously joined an information session of the MSc(ECom&IComp) programme held on my college campus.  At the time, I was actually planning to study in either the U.S. or Canada, but having talked to the programme officials, read through the website, and compared this programme with other similar programmes, I decided to submit my application right afterwards.

What motivated me most for joining MSc(ECom&IComp) was to broaden my horizon not only by learning the up-to-date knowledge of e-commerce and technology from a team of distinguished and passionate professors, but also by working with all the excellent classmates from various industrial and cultural backgrounds.  "Always learn from the best" is something I believe ever since I was little, and I’m always grateful that MSc(ECom&IComp) programme provided me with an opportunity to do so.

As a full-time non-local student, I'm able to focus on academics and complete the study within 2 years.  I am currently working at a state-owned energy company in the Greater Bay Area.  This programme has equipped me with business-oriented knowledge and hands-on learning experience, along with the great reputation of HKU, making me more competitive in the job market as a fresh graduate.

To pursue a business and technology blended Master's degree is always my dream.  The MSc(ECom&IComp) provides the opportunity for me to enhance both my technical and business knowledge without affecting to my career.  The programme is well defined with the flexibility for the student to enroll in a mixture of both computing and technology programmes according to their interest.  Specific study paths were also created for startup founders, finance professionals, and programming professionals.  This structure enables me to network with people across various industry via the core courses while I could deepen by domain area knowledge via enrolling specific elective courses.  I am truly grateful for the guidance and support from the faculty and staff who make the whole master learning a memorable experience!

Having been working in the engineering industry for years, I was seeking for a programme that could provide fresh perspectives on where the industries and businesses are heading to in the next couple of years.  The MSc(ECom&IComp) programme at HKU offered exactly what I was looking for, focusing on multi-disciplinary journey on rich forward-thinking business and technical topics.

The unique programme was designed with multi-background students in mind and delivered by passionate faculty members comprising of academics, industry experts, and professionals.  The teaching methodology encourages the students to think critically from fundamental and pragmatic aspects in solving the current and future challenges in the industry.  I was also astonished by how adaptable the teaching materials were to cater students coming from different backgrounds rather than those who have had significant prior experiences.  This certainly helped the students to immerse themselves in the topics and not have to worry about having difficulties in understanding the materials.  Then there was the case study project for groups of students to explore business and technology ideas in real-world setting which was challenging particularly for the part-time students.  Overall, the journey was challenging yet enjoyable and rewarding at the same time.

I would recommend this programme to the prospective students who are keen to discover unique approaches particularly in adoption of transformative technologies.  To those who have accepted the offer to enter the programme, I would highly encourage taking the more challenging courses offered within this programme, as they are rewarding and well worth your time and effort.

Good luck and have fun!

I chose to study in MSc(ECom&IComp) because the programme allows me to customize my own course profile based on my interest.  If you are already a tech-savvy, you might consider taking more ICOM courses or some CS electives to challenge your problem solving skills and broaden your technical knowledge.  The Case Study Project impressed me most with this programme.  I enjoy thinking about different creative and feasible ideas, then select the best one with my teammates and turn it into reality.  I would treat it as a summary of what you have learnt in the programme and show off your innovative and profitable solution.