PHBS marks 15th anniversary

Writer: Yang Mei  | Editor: Holly Wang  | From: Shenzhen Daily | Updated: 2019-10-28

A scene of Saturday's celebration event. Courtesy of PHBS

A grand celebration event commemorating the 15th anniversary of the founding of Peking University HSBC Business School (PHBS) took place Saturday afternoon at the stadium of Shenzhen University Town Sports Center, gathering nearly 2,000 people, including leaders from Peking University and the Shenzhen Municipal Government, students and faculty, as well as staff members and alumni.

Established in 2004, PHBS was built up from nothing, and after 15 years of development, the school has evolved into a first-class business school in China that enjoys international prestige, according to Prof. Hai Wen, founding dean of PHBS. “Fifteen years ago, we had no teachers, no students, and only 1 million [yuan] (US$141,548) [in] startup funds. Now, we have 80 full-time professors, 90 or so staff members, and over 1,500 postgraduate and Ph.D. students. We have produced nearly 30,000 entrepreneurs and successful figures in different fields. We also opened our business school last year in Oxfordshire, the U.K.”

Hai also announced in his address that admissions for the Undergraduate Degree Program will open next year, which welcomes international students and students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

With the theme “Vision and Grit,” the celebration was kicked off with a poetry recitation by 15 alumni, in which they honored the school’s past and expressed their wishes for a bright future.

In his remarks, Wang Bo, vice president of Peking University, recognized the school’s achievements over the past years. “The development of PHBS is a significant practice of exploration for Peking University and even for China’s higher education,” he said.

The launch ceremony of PKU Financial Review was also held at the event, marking a milestone in the school’s 15-year history. The journal was initiated and guided by PHBS and HSBC Financial Research Institute at Peking University.