The University of British Columbia, Canada
Krystal LAU

“Surrounded by water and mountains, Vancouver has gorgeous scenery from virtually any vantage point in the city.

I was amazed at how well the natural environment blends into this cosmopolitan city. Beaches, big skies, condo towers, and wide streets, plus mountains and lakes within easy driving distance ... all of these pieces have combined beautifully. No wonder Vancouver has consistently been ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the world. The beauty of Vancouver gave me a sense of peace and tranquillity during my 4-month exchange, so I had more mental space to learn, grow, take on challenges, question my assumptions, and, of course, enjoy the present moment.

As agreed by many GLEFers, going on an exchange is one of the best ways to get out of our comfort zones. By opening my mind to new cultures and new people, I came home with different notions and possibilities. Not only did I broaden my perspectives on new realms, but I also learned more about myself.

It was without a doubt a fruitful and nourishing experience!”

JBA Capital Management
Natalie CHIU

“I undertook a full-time internship as an equity research intern at JBA Capital Limited, a small hedge fund based in Taiwan. The main duties included writing equity reports, presenting my reports every week during the meeting, making recommendations on financial decisions and other ad hoc tasks.

During the internship, I completed eight equity reports. To make sure that I familiarised myself with the market, my supervisor ensured that the equity she assigned to me came from different industries, which allowed me to develop my interest and have a better understanding of the whole market. In summary, I have been exposed to various industries, including the cement industry, the electronic components industry, the financial industry, the semiconductor industry, and the electrical equipment industry.

I feel that during my internship, I was treated like a regular JBA employee. It was a thorough training session for me, and I learned a lot about what an equity analyst does and how the hedge fund works. Furthermore, I have significantly improved my skills, such as financial modelling, forecasting, financial analysis, Excel use and valuation.

This internship enabled me to confirm my interest in the equity market and to identify many aspects that really attract me. Equity research is not just about inputting numbers, but about developing different points of view outside of consensus. The equity market is very dynamic; it changes every day and there are always different things happening in the market.

Thus, I feel that I have expanded my knowledge base each day. I am very grateful to JBA. Although it is a small company, I have gained a lot of practical experience, formed a close relationship with the company and am more certain about my future career.”

The Society of Global Economics and Finance (GEFS)

The Society of Global Economics and Finance (GEFS) was established in 2012 to serve the student members of GLEF.

The eighth cabinet of GEFS, Glefluz, who took office on 18 February 2020, is committed to serving and uniting our GLEF community. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued to organise a multitude of activities ranging from our virtual promotional period to the orientation camp.

Apart from networking events, GEFS organised career-related activities to provide students with clearer prospects for their careers. Various workshops were held to help GLEFers to better understand different industries and equip them with skills, experiences and knowledge. We aim to help our members plan and prepare for their career paths at an early stage, which will give them an edge over other students.

GEFS will do everything possible to serve the GLEF family with passion and dedication.

Career Ambassadors

We believe that in addition to academic studies and recreational activities, career development is an important part of university life for our students. To provide our students with more insights into different career paths, two current senior students are appointed as GLEF Career Ambassadors each year. Their mission is to supplement the career support provided by the programme through efforts such as organising various events to raise students’ awareness and understanding of their professional careers.

Over the years, several career-related activities have been organised. For instance, workshops on ‘hard skills’, such as investment and VBA workshops, were held in response to our students’ demands. These workshops aim to enrich students’ skills and give them practical knowledge that goes beyond the classroom. Furthermore, senior students were invited to lead sharing sessions about exchanges and internships. These sessions not only create an additional platform for junior students to connect with their fellow students, but also provide junior students with useful job hunting tips and diverse industry knowledge. Attendees can then plan their career paths in advance as they learn more about the duties and requirements of various roles in different industries.

In addition to career events, we maintain an internship and exchange database containing abundant and detailed information about past internships and exchange experiences that is accessible to all students. Students are encouraged to use the database and to proactively reach out to senior students to make the most of the strong GLEF network.

HSBC Financial Innovation Case Study 2019
Steven LO

“It is such a great experience to participate in the HSBC Financial Innovation Case Study 2019. I was fortunate enough to be awarded the 2nd runner-up among all the elite teams from different backgrounds.

Our team proposed an all-in-one tech-driven solution for HSBC to increase the public’s financial literacy and capability. The extensive research process involved enabled me to acquire knowledge on the latest FinTech and the landscape of e-wallets in Hong Kong. With rapid technology advancement, the FinTech industry is becoming extremely popular and has become entrenched in our everyday life. We may use Apple Pay, PayMe and Fast Payment System every single day, but not all of us understand how they work and earn revenue. By doing the case study, we had the opportunity to tap into the industry and learn practical knowledge that cannot be acquired from textbooks.”

GLEF student Steven LO and his CUHK teammates won second runner-up in the HSBC Financial Dialogue Series 2019 – Financial Innovation Case Study.

The HSBC Financial Dialogue Series is a continuous programme that aims to engage over 300 local university students and HSBC scholars in finance, business and economics each year through interactive dialogue sessions with prestigious leaders and financial experts, as well as through the exclusive accelerated learning programme afterwards.