East beats West

With Europe in the doldrums, Martin Hermanowski chose Asia and HKU for his MBA

The Student

After studying computer science and law in his native Germany, Martin Hermanowski worked for five years at Accenture as an IT consultant in financial services. Following projects in Germany, Switzerland and the Philippines, he decided he wanted to boost his exposure to Asia, so he enrolled on the 14-month, full-time MBA programme at the University of Hong Kong (HKU).

What prompted you to pursue an MBA in Asia?
I plan to move into the business side of banking and looking at the economic situation in Europe compared to Asia, I’m very sure that the economy will perform better in Asia over the next five or 10 years. That’s why I want to significantly increase my exposure here.

Why did you choose Hong Kong and HKU?
I chose HKU because of its strong connections to China and the opportunity to do part of my studies in Shanghai at Fudan University. Its high ranking also convinced me of the quality of the school. I chose to study in Hong Kong instead of China because Hong Kong is an easier place to get around, and the classes at HKU are much more international than at business schools in China. Since I’m on the MBA programme’s China stream, I will also study for three to four months in Shanghai, so I will still get China exposure there.

Are you funding your own studies?
Yes.