On April 9, 2017 at 7:30 in the evening, Cheng Yu Tung College invited Mr. Leong Ka-Chai (OBE SBS JP), former Chairman of the Hong Kong Futures Exchange (HKFE); Emeritus Professor Lam Kin from Hong Kong Baptist University Department of Finance and Decision Sciences; Professor Tang Yong Jun from University of Hong Kong Department of Finance; Sangwoodgoon Agriculturist Mr. James Lam , and Radio Television in Hong Kong’s producer and at the same time host of RTHK’s University Knowledge Platform Gladys Chiu. They shared with us on how to develop our talents. The forum was started by the College Master Chung Ling and Mr. Leong Ka-Chai served as the moderator.
Mr. Leong Ka Chai: How to invest successfully?
Mr. Leung started with two concepts from Buddhism namely, absolute truth and false meaning. He defined absolute truth as what is true in a thing and false meaning as the surface appearance of a thing. He continued with, “We make decisions based on what we see on the financial market every day. What we see is false meaning.” But, how can we dig deeper and invest successfully? Mr. Leung answered, “First, be careful about the investment ratio. Second, to do thorough research is very important. Third, understand the market structure. And lastly, do not be greedy and do not be afraid.”
Professor Lam Kin: To rely on Math is not wise, not to rely on Math is not right
Follow what you are interested, and do what you enjoy doing. He presented his own experience and said, “Mathematical formulas attracted me and became my interest. It led me to buy and sell futures. I also found out that I enjoy dealing with numbers; I, then, wrote an article and named it, “The Beauty of Mathematics.” Talking about 1987’s Black Monday stock market crash, Mr Lam said, “I learned a lot from this happening. There is a must to understand the market, and it is not just familiarizing formulas. I never thought of the Exchange to be closed. In this kind of situation, it is not enough to rely on numbers. It will be useful to understand the things behind every happening.”
Professor Tang Yong Jun: Through ups and downs, uphold perseverance
Professor Tang was admitted to Jilin University at the age of 15. He graduated at year 1997 and went abroad to pursue his doctorate degree in the field of physics. Later, his family experienced financial crisis and things became tough. He then chose a course which could make money fast, which is Finance. Beginnings is always difficult, he used the term “miserable” to describe himself at the start. “The Class just started few minutes and there was a need to go out. I went in and out of the classroom several times. I did this because there was a need to check the computer and manage the stocks.” He told the audience, “Profession does not only rely on intelligence. It also relies on continuous accumulation. In this way, you naturally become a master of your profession.”
Mr. James Lam: The Healthy Development of a City
“I was doing ‘leverage’ while farming,” We can hardly think in term of the plants while doing city planning. “To be able develop a city in a healthy way, there is a need to include soil, air, and water in the plan for future development.”
Ms. Gladys Chiu: How to maintain vitality and how to maintain honesty?
After Ms. Gladys Chiu served in Hong Kong Arts Centre, she discovered that visual language can also communicate emotions. “Exploration cannot be stopped.” How to conduct exploration? “You need to be position your identity in the society, and through work you will be able to understand what suits you better.” Before letting other people know what you are good at, you need to be certain about yourself. We need to develop and maintain curiosity. “Each person needs to be like a piece of cotton, grabbing opportunities to absorb when water is available.”
The forum ended with students giving a big round of applause. Of course, it is a great pleasure to have these professionals and market leaders who are willing to share their life experiences with students. Lastly, Cheng Yu Tung College will continue to hold meaningful, forward looking activities in the future.
Student Reporter Wang ZiQi
