Students at the City University of Hong Kong are reaping the benefits of an innovative learning environment that enables students, teachers, academics and business professionals to interact effectively and conveniently. To help its students acquire practical knowledge that is relevant to Asia in general, and Hong Kong/China in particular, the Master of Arts in Electronic program employs a collaborative approach involving three learning partners: the students, the researchers and the practitioners. This is facilitated by a knowledge community for e-business, and is supported by a research center.

Most university degrees mean a finite course of study. But the City University of Hong Kong’s program hopes to continue education and consulting for e-biz professionals who are already working. Students about to launch their careers get the benefit of learning from the pros, who also serve as guest lecturers and help grade student work. For academics, there’s increased and more frequent contact with people who work every day in the field they study. That means more understanding of applied and theoretical aspects of e-business as well as keeping up with developments as they happen. Professional participation means immediate and proportionate perks; for example, e-business people who offer feedback for students and help professors by speaking to classes are rewarded with greater access to information, as well as a wider network of colleagues in their field.

MAEB students have access to the Asia Center for Electronic Business, jointly created by the Department for Information Systems at City University of Hong Kong and the E-Business center at Peking University. Together, they aim to gather and share theoretical and applied research on electronic business, then promote e-business with a particular focus on China and Chinese-speaking countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Club eBiz is gaining popularity rapidly; in its first few months it already has more than 2,000 people participating.