Media

(March 24, 2023 – Hong Kong) HKU Business School is pleased to collaborate with the University of Glasgow, with the support from the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, to jointly organise the Smith Around the World Lecture Series (the Lecture), which was held successfully at the University of Hong Kong today. In celebration of Adam Smith’s tercentenary, the Lecture was titled “Triumph of the Market: What China’s past and present tell us”, covering the relationship between the rise to prominence of the southern coastal regions in China and the Smithian growth drivers. The Lecture brought together over a hundred of participants, including researchers, students, professionals, and business leaders across Hong Kong.  

Professor Richard Wong, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong, Chair of Economics & Philip Wong Kennedy Wong Professor in Political Economy, and Director of Hong Kong Institute of Economics and Business Strategy, delivered the welcoming remarks and said, ‘We are delighted to be the partner of the University of Glasgow in organising the Smith Around the World Lecture Series. This collaboration represents an important milestone in knowledge exchange between two prestigious universities. Adam Smith has brought significant influence on global economic development, and we hope that the Lecture Series could create a timely opportunity to renew the global interest in Adam Smith and bring his ideas and legacy into contemporary debates around the world.’        

Professor Zhiwu Chen, Chair and Cheng Yu-Tung Professor in Finance, HKU Business School and Director, Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Science, the keynote speaker of the Lecture, said, ‘Adam Smith would be amazed to see what China’s southern coastal regions – especially Hong Kong, Shenzhen and the larger Pearl River Delta – have become over the past one and a half centuries, showcasing the power of Smithian growth drivers, as these places did not differ much from other Chinese villages and towns back in 1776 when he published the timeless classic, an Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Uncompromised freedom to exchange encourages the division of labour, which raises productivity and lifts wealth creation; and, as the extent of the market determines the extent of this division effect, globalisation deepens specialisation and lengthens the supply chain, pushing growth to unprecedented levels. It is the Smithian growth experience that gave the South its distinctive pro-business culture, as opposed to North China’s pro-power culture.’

Following the interesting lecture by Professor Chen, Professor Richard Wong and Professor Xiaodong Zhu, Area Head of Economics, HKU Business School joined the panel to further discuss Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments. The exciting sharing of the panel attracted active audience participation.

The Smith Around the World lecture series is led by the University of Glasgow. Places of learning across the globe will undertake their own events to mark the 300th anniversary of the famous Scot’s birth over the course of 2023.

This press release is issued on behalf of HKU Business School by Yuan Tung Financial Relations Limited.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Yuan Tung Financial Relations Limited
Tiffany Leung
Tel: +852 9102 8037 / +852 3428 2361
Email: tleung@yuantung.com

Wong Hing-fung
Tel: +852 9031 4049 / +852 3428 3122
Email: hfwong@yuantung.com

HKU Business School
Christina Chung
Assistant Director
Communications and Public Relations
Tel: +852 9092 2699 / +852 3917 1692
Email: chungmc@hku.hk

Edna Lee
Manager
Communications and Public Relations
Tel: +852 9331 4166 / +852 3910 2301
Email: leeedna@hku.hk

Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Science
Beth Kwok
Senior Project Manager 
Tel: +852 3917 5900
Email: kgkbeth@hku.hk

About HKU Business School
Established in 2001, HKU Business School is the youngest and most dynamic member of The University of Hong Kong (HKU). The School strives to nurture first-class business leaders and foster academic and relevant research to serve the needs of Hong Kong, China and the rest of the world in the new Asia-led economy. As a top international business school in Asia, the School engages leading scholars from all corners of the globe and they instil in students global knowledge with an Asian perspective. The School attracts top students from Hong Kong and beyond, recording the highest proportion of non-local undergraduate students amongst all Faculties at HKU.

HKU Business School offers a full spectrum of business education, and has achieved remarkable growth in faculty strength and research capability in the last two decades. In February 2023, the School topped the rank of UTD Research Rankings in Asia in 2021 and 2022; its full-time MBA has been ranked Asia’s no. 1 in the World MBA Rankings released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) for 10 years. The School has well-established and strategic partnership with world renowned universities and corporate partners, providing market-oriented content, superior learning and instrumental resources for our students.

To better serve our students and alumni in various cities and regions and facilitate collaboration opportunities with business communities around the globe, HKU Business School has established a unique international network that extends to Beijing, Shenzhen, Vietnam and Tel Aviv. The School is well-positioned to be a leading, globally-impactful academic institution of business and economics.

HKU Business School is fully accredited by the European Quality Improvement Systems (EQUIS) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Visit us at https://www.hkubs.hku.hk/