Eric Chen Zixiang, a Year 2 student in the Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management of City University of Hong Kong (CityU), was runner-up in the Global Business Ethics Contest 2007/08, thanks to his advanced critical analysis and sophisticated debating skills. The significance of business ethics has been increasingly valued in regard to social stability and sustainable development. Eric’s award demonstrates that CityU students possess one of the prized qualities expected of modern business leaders.

Eric completed the Global Business Ethics Course before entering the Global Business Ethics Contest. Each participant was required to submit an essay on business ethics and only the best six students reached the finals.

In the first section of the finals, students identified and analysed the largest ethical challenges confronting Hong Kong today and proposed ways to meet them. The second section featured a theme debate on “The High Cost of Ethical Leadership”. Eric was named runner-up for his excellent performance and awarded a certificate of accomplishment and a prize of HK$5,000.

Eric read widely on business ethics before and during the contest. “Many people believe the result matters the most in any task, but now I understand that ethics matters, too. A leader cannot convince others unless he knows how to lead ethically.”

He especially thanked Professor Lilian Vrijmoed Kwan Lee-ping, Dean of Student Learning, for helping him build up confidence with an encouraging congratulatory letter. He has also benefited greatly from Mr Joseph Chan Kai-nin, Director of Student Development Services, who helped him explore the issues before the contest.

Professor Vrijmoed said, “I hope the contest will help Eric broarden his understanding of business ethics, improve his problem-solving skills and help him apply the theories he learned to real business operations in the future.”