Strategy, skill, success: MA(PFE) trio tops business innovation contest
Team photo taken at the award-presentation ceremony. From left to right: Mr Li Zheng, Mr Yang Shanglin (team leader), and Mr Cai Jiawei. On the far right is Dr Tan Weiqiang, Programme Leader of MA(PFE).
At the competition, the “Business Innovation & Go” team analyses business cases to determine the best decision.
Team “Business Innovation & Go”, formed by three students from the Master of Arts in Personal Finance Education (MA(PFE)) programme, won First Prize in “The Third China Postgraduate Enterprise Management Innovation Competition – Business Decision Track”, held in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, on 8 November 2025. Their achievement reflects EdUHK’s commitment to nurturing talent in business and management innovation.
The competition was jointly organised by the Association of Chinese Graduate Education of China (ACGE) and the Children & Youth Science Centre of CAST, under the guidance of the Department of Degree Management and Graduate Education of the Ministry of Education of China. As a prestigious national-level business contest, this year’s event attracted 4,176 teams from 321 postgraduate institutions nationwide, involving more than 18,000 participants. Among these, 2,514 teams from 304 universities entered the Business Decision Track.
The winning team from EdUHK comprised three MA(PFE) students: team leader Mr Yang Shanglin, and members Mr Cai Jiawei and Mr Li Zheng, with MA (PFE) Programme Leader Dr Tan Weiqiang serving as mentor.
To prepare for the competition, the students refined their strategies through case analysis, financial modelling, workshops, and simulation exercises. This training strengthened their decision-making abilities and enhanced their problem-solving and innovation skills. In the finals, the “Business Innovation & Go” team demonstrated strong strategic thinking and adaptability, making a series of precise business decisions within a simulated enterprise management system to respond to rapidly changing market conditions.
Members of the EdUHK team, from left to right: team leader Mr Yang Shanglin, and team members Mr Li Zheng and Mr Cai Jiawei.
The winning team attends preparation workshops during the preliminary stage to learn the skills for business analysis and decision making.
Reflecting on the experience, team leader Mr Yang Shanglin said, “The final victory owes to the hard work of my teammates and the support from the MA(PFE) programme. During the preparations, the programme office organised several workshops for us. We also learnt a great deal from Dr Tan and other teachers during the training. This experience has been invaluable.”
MA(PFE) is the first programme in Hong Kong designed to equip students with professional knowledge in both personal financial planning and corporate finance. Graduates directly meet the education requirements for Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) certification in Hong Kong and are eligible for exemptions from all four education courses and one foundation-level examination for CFP qualification, paving a clear career path for aspiring financial professionals.
Dr Tan Weiqiang, an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences and Policy Studies, said, “This achievement not only demonstrates EdUHK students’ dual expertise in personal financial planning and corporate finance and management, but also reflects the MA(PFE) programme’s emphasis on integrating theory with practice. The programme will continue to encourage students to gain practical experience beyond the classroom, embrace business challenges, and build valuable foundations for future career development.”
Click here to understand details about MA(PFE) programme.
Team leader Mr Yang Shanglin (fifth from the left) represents EdUHK team in a group photo with representatives from other winning teams at the ceremony.
