The sheer range of courses widened horizons for Betty Huang, emboldening her to reach for the top
Betty Huang
Programme pursued at Lingnan University: Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) (Major in Finance) 2011
Present career: Associate, Nomura International (Hong Kong)
I have been trained by Lingnan University to be open to ideas, be aware of different cultures, and to appreciate diversity.
Betty Huang
Betty Huang says she owes her high-flying banking career and global vision to the international exposure she gained back in her days as an undergraduate student in finance and economics at Lingnan University.
Mixing with the "movers and shakers"
Graduating from Lingnan in 2011, Betty went on to pursue a master’s degree at Britain’s prestigious Oxford University before embarking on a career with Nomura, one of the world’s top global investment banks. "One of the principal reasons for pursuing my studies at Oxford is that it is an excellent international platform to broaden my horizons and ensure I have a global vision," she said. Betty said it was a privilege to be rubbing shoulders with brilliant, ambitious young people from around the world. In the alumni network, where most people are the movers and shakers in their own field of expertise, they share a common belief that they can make things happen together.
Betty also appreciated Lingnan's liberal arts programme, which encourages students to think outside the box, appreciate diversity, and develop into rounded personalities with international exposure. Students are also encouraged to join the overseas exchange programmes the university provides, which take in the US, Asia, Europe, and China. Betty took part in various programmes, including one to the Carleton College in Minnesota, in the US. "It was a wonderful experience," she said. "During my time at Carleton, there were not many Asian students. I got the chance to study alongside people from various cultures, and gain exposure to different learning and living styles. I also grew to be more independent and resourceful because I had to adapt to a completely new environment."
During her days at Lingnan, Betty also took classes in philosophy and China economic studies as the university requires and also encourages students to take subjects outside their major studies. All this helped her become an open-minded person with an inquiring mind about what happens in the wider world. It also reinforced her decision to study at Oxford, and enabled her to excel in her current job as an associate at Nomura.
Keeping a finger on the pulse of world finance
In her job, Betty looks after financial analysis for the Asian equity trading desks. She keeps herself updated with what has happened in the global markets so as to understand the potential impact on the performance of the Asia equity market. She leverages on large database on equity trading and holds frequent discussions on trading activities and their impact with various teams including the trading floor, the operations team and the risk team, in order to issue instructive and comprehensive financial analysis reports for the trading desks and the management.
Her job involves the ability to perceive the linkage between global, regional and local events or issues, and to communicate them effectively not only to her own team, but also to various stakeholders around the world. "I have been trained by Lingnan University to be open to ideas, be aware of different cultures, and to appreciate diversity," Betty said. "It is extremely useful for me as I work in such a multicultural setting in a global firm. It becomes much easier for me to build a rapport with colleagues and various stakeholders, who are from around the world. It makes me a better colleague, and a better team player."
She also relishes her Lingnan days, when she lived in a dormitory. There was a great sense of community as the students, who were living apart from their parents for the first time in their lives, learned to take care of each other. It also fostered a great sense of independence, which prepared them to take on the world as mature, confident, and educated individuals. "I would encourage fellow Lingnan students to constantly maintain a learning mindset," Betty said. "Keep observing. Keep learning. Go and study something different, talk to someone different, and go to somewhere different. Be diligent in your studies, but don’t miss out on the great variety of extracurricular activities."
"Choose something you like, whether it is drama, choir, debate, or dance. Join the club and try to get involved as one of the organisers or committee members, so that you know how it is like to be a leader and make things happen. Campus life is like a miniature society. That is where you get to know people from different backgrounds and cultures, and learn to become a meaningful, engaged member of a community."