MSc Business Information Systems postgraduates return from residential trip

A residential trip organized by the Master of Science in Business Information Systems (MSc BIS) of the Department of Information Systems has proved to be a big hit with students, who got first-hand experience of the carbon management and carbon emission trading system in Shenzhen. The trip is a key component of the elective course IS6930 Management Consulting in Asia, a collaborative course offered in partnership with the Queensland Business School, University of Queensland (UQ). The course provides students with the opportunity to participate in an on-site management consulting project for an Asia-based organization.

31 students joined the R-Trip, including 19 from the CityU BIS programme, and 12 from the Queensland Business School, along with three supervisors: Dr Yulin Fang, Programme Leader of MSc BIS and Associate Professor of the Department of Information Systems of CityU, Mr Frank Lo, Instructor of the Department of Information Systems of CityU, and Dr Dongming Xu, Senior Lecturer of the Business of Information Systems of UQ Business School.
The students had their first meeting with the sponsoring companies to learn about their company background in early June at CityU.

The on-site consulting projects began on 29th June and were completed by 4th July. The students visited the Green Carbon Shenzhen Investment Ltd. and Shenzhen National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Carbon Trading Management Office in Shenzhen.

Shenzhen NDRC Carbon Trading Management Office深圳碳交辦
Shenzhen NDRC Carbon Trading Management Office is a government carbon management authority agency which supervises both the development and enforcement of carbon management and carbon emission trading system in Shenzhen.

Green Carbon Shenzhen Investment Ltd. 深圳綠碳投資有限公司
GC Investment Ltd. is a carbon management consultancy that provides comprehensive carbon strategic services and plans to its clients, including the government, businesses, organizations, and individuals.

The students were divided into five consultancy teams, each concentrating on one specific topic regarding carbon management*:

• Social Media Marketing Strategy綠碳諮詢服務企業的社會媒體營銷策略
• Business Growth Strategy適合中國國情的綠碳諮詢服務企業發展戰略
• Internet-based e-Trading Portal Design 基於互聯網的綠碳交易平台設計方案
• e-Government Blueprint Design深圳碳交辦電子政務架構設計
• SZ-HK Strategic Collaboration on Carbon Management and Trading深圳碳交辦的深港綠碳合作的發展戰略

*Carbon management allows companies to recognize areas for reduction in emissions and potential energy efficiency projects by tracking carbon footprint, or the overall impact the company or organization has on global climate in terms of total amount of greenhouse gases produced.

Following a visit to the City University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) Research Institute Building on 3rd July, the teams each gave a thorough presentation on the company analysis and recommendations on the last day of the trip.

A gala dinner brought the 2014 BIS R-Trip to an end. The programme invited Prof Wenyu Dou, Associate Dean of the College of Business, as the closing guest speaker. Prof Dou gave an inspiring speech to the students reinforcing the importance of carbon management in their future businesses.

About IS6930 Management Consulting in Asia

The course, formally known as Residential Trip, is an elective course in the form of a field-based consulting project outside of Hong Kong in collaboration with the Queensland Business School, University of Queensland in Australia. This course aims to equip participants with necessary consultancy skills by engaging them in an on-site management consulting project for an Asia-based organization.

For more information about IS6930, please visit: course website.
For more information about the R-Trip, please visit CityU NewsCentre.