HKUST MBA Superconnector

Dean Frederik Anseel sits down with Prof. Stephen Shih for a wide-ranging conversation, and it starts where he believes everything in business starts: with people.He shares his priorities and direction for the Business School, and what his first months taught him about leading a large organization through change.From there, the conversation turns to AI and the future of work, and why Hong Kong sits at the intersection of two forces reshaping business: China's innovation ecosystem and the rapid advance of AI. Why the companies getting real value from AI are the ones investing in their people, not just the tools. Why we trust a human driver who makes a fatal mistake more than a self-driving car that makes far fewer. Why career forecasts are almost always wrong, and what he believes is worth building instead.And for every student and applicant, he offers one habit to master: knowing when to take the stairs, and when to take the elevator.

Most people assume investing rewards the sharpest mind in the room. Leonie Foong, CEO of Overlook, built her career on the opposite idea, that what lasts is something rarer, and far harder to learn.In a world buried in news, alerts and live prediction markets, she keeps her Bloomberg terminal switched off for most of the day. Not because she's behind, but because she worked out that the edge isn't reacting faster than everyone else. It's the discipline not to react at all. Sometimes, she says, doing nothing is the discipline.In her podcast conversation with Prof. Stephen Shih (Associate Dean of HKUST MBA Programs), she explains what separates the investors who last from those who burn out, why temperament beats intellect, and the one thing she urges students to invest in that has nothing to do with markets.Hear the full conversation now.

What if the biggest shift in marketing is more than targeting efficiency, but a quieter change in how people decide, trust, and connect?   In this HKUST MBA Superconnector podcast, Prof. Stephen Shih, Associate Dean of MBA Programs, sits down with Prof. Jiewen Hong, Head of the Department of Marketing at HKUST Business School, for a conversation that goes beyond the obvious. Together, they explore the subtle forces shaping consumer behavior today, revealing how emotions, perceptions and context can quietly guide the choices people make. Drawing on both academic rigor and real-world experience across Beijing, the US, and Hong Kong, Prof. Hong offers thoughtful perspectives on questions that matter to marketers and business leaders alike. When do people rely on reason, and when do they follow instinct? How do these patterns shape what effective marketing looks like in a world that is becoming more personal, more digital, and more unpredictable? She also reflects on the role of artificial intelligence, suggesting that the next shift is not just technological, but deeply human, raising important questions about trust, autonomy and the experience of choice. Tune in for ideas that feel timely, practical, and surprisingly human. In an AI-driven era, the strongest advantage may still lie in human judgement and curiosity. Click the links:About Prof. Jiewen HongExplore Her Research Insights

Ever met someone whose electric energy pulls you right in? 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐙𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐥𝐢 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐠 delivers just that, a restless explorer bridging academia, tech giants like Tencent and JD, and consulting, always chasing fresh challenges.In this HKUST MBA podcast, Associate Dean Prof. Stephen Shih uncovers her journey: from Tencent to leading HKUST's Center for Technology and Business Ecosystems. Her vivid examples, from TikTok creators to Uber drivers, ask us to think differently.Curiosity fueled her path, including co-authoring the pioneering “Internet Plus” reports that shaped China's digital economy. They dive into her award-winning Harvard Business Review China article challenging platform giants amid rising AI risks. Explore her "co-benefit ecosystems" blueprint that turns tech dominance into shared wins.Tune in for her straight-shooting advice on the dangers of big tech—and how tech can be a force for good.

Leaders today can no longer bank on a “safe” linear career; AI, shorter business lifecycles and global competition are rewriting the rules.In this podcast, 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐃𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐠 , 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐚, 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐓𝐑 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐇𝐊𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐁𝐀 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐲 , shares how his own journey shifted from a planned corporate path into six startups and the frontlines of AI. He explains why AI is a general-purpose technology that touches every industry, why the real bottleneck is human culture rather than tech, and why risk appetite and lifelong learning now matter more than perfect planning.Through his three MBA courses on AI innovation, digital transformation, and the “10X Entrepreneur,” he helps professionals see how East and West are evolving differently, question old assumptions, and turn AI tools and AI agents into powerful allies that boost their results instead of threats to their jobs.Hear how East-West innovation paths are diverging—and why HKUST MBA equips you to lead in the era of AI.