Artificial intelligence has permeated into every aspect of the economy and is reshaping global businesses at mind-boggling pace. This transformation has influenced everything from market research to financial analysis, and is powering decision-making across industries. AI has now evolved into a strategic partner rather than just being a specialist’s tool.
AI is revolutionizing how companies operate. Today recruiters seek managers with AI knowledge and skills, who are able to interpret AI-driven insights to assist in
the decision-making process.
Business schools are now faced with a key challenge:
How do you prepare future leaders to manage in an era where AI isn’t just an assistant, but a collaborative partner?
To address this question, City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), a public research university located in the heart of Hong Kong, is adapting and revamping the MBA curriculum, with AI as the backbone, so that students remain competitive and workplace-ready.
Under the leadership of Professor Zhankun (Kevin) Sun, who took over as the MBA Programme Director in August 2025, the CityUHK MBA is being redesigned. Instead of treating AI as just another elective, it’s positioned as a strategic lens through which modern managers are trained to make decisions and lead.
The goal is to make students AI-ready and train them to become leaders who can thoughtfully apply AI in strategy, innovation and management, and stand out from the market saturated with coders.
Spearheading this transformation is Professor Sun who brings in a perfect blend of analytical rigor and real-world impact. A graduate of Tsinghua University with a PhD in Statistics and Operations Research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he began his career in Canada, applying mathematical models to improve hospital emergency systems.
After joining CityUHK in 2016, where he taught decision-modelling and analytics, Professor Sun gained prominence for his popular and unique teaching methods. He believed in the simple philosophy:
“AI is already doing the coding. What matters is knowing how to use it.”
His vision is now reflected in the redesigned CityUHK MBA.
The MBA program now integrates AI not only into its curriculum, but also into its projects and workshops, making it a core part of students’ learning experience. This allows students to use AI as a tool for leadership, innovation, decision-making or real-world impact.
Decision modelling, one of Prof. Sun’s most notable domains, continues to remains central but has evolved significantly to meet the present-day demands. Students still build a solid foundation in understanding the reasoning behind analytical models like regression and simulation.
But instead of requiring to master languages like Python or R, students are now focussing on what really matters for future leaders – problem framing, using AI tools and leveraging machine-driven insights for making judgement.
This shift reflects the reality of how companies now operate: AI does the computation while managers take charge of interpretation, ethical consideration and decision-making.
Prof. Sun’s philosophy is aligned with real-world practice to ensure that his students remain ahead of the curve.
When MBA Crystal Ball asked him what students can do before starting their MBA program to improve their odds of finding the right opportunity in today’s tight job market, he had 3 tips to share:
1. Develop basic technical fluency by getting yourself familiar with the foundations of Python and LLMs so you can effectively engage with data professionals.
2. Clarify your “STEM narrative” by identifying the digital sector that interests you and following industry leaders to understand current challenges.
3. Start pre-MBA networking by connecting with CityUHK alumni and faculty members, using such information to better align your electives and projects with market needs.
The MBA follows the “3 I” framework introduced by CityUHK’s Dean of College of Business, Professor Stephen Shum.
• Intelligence – integrating AI into decision-making
• Innovation – deep collaboration with law, computer science, and creative media
• Internationalisation – preparing students for cross-regional business and technology challenges
The CityUHK MBA is undergoing a major transformation and the results are showing. CityUHK was ranked 63 in the QS World University Rankings 2026.
In the QS 2026 International Trade Rankings, the CityUHK MBA
• Ranked #1 in Hong Kong SAR for the first time
• Was placed 37th globally
• Earned position #1 worldwide in Innovative Teaching
• Was leading in graduate outcomes across Asia
In addition, Times Higher Education also ranked CityUHK #1 for the ‘Most International Universities in the World 2024 & 2025’.
At CityUHK, learning goes beyond studying theoretical frameworks; students get practical exposure through hands-on AI project, case studies, real-world projects, industry on-site workshops, seminars and connecting with industry experts.
The MBA Enterprise Diagnostic Residential Trip and Global Exchange provide an immersive experience providing students insights into a company’s business model, its digital ecosystem as well as its technological advancement, all of which can deepen and enrich their understanding. These trips and residencies include:
• Company visits at Alibaba, BYD, and AI startups like DeepSeek in Hangzhou
• ESG fieldwork at Esquel Group’s sustainable development site in Guilin
• Overseas trips to UC Berkeley (Entrepreneurship and Venture Plan Development) and Imperial College London (Global Brand Management)
* The trip locations and company visits are subject to change annually.
By engaging with these opportunities, students understand how technology operates within different cultural, regulatory, and societal frameworks, building a truly global perspective.
The roles in which graduates are being hired have also evolved.
By combining a STEM-enriched curriculum with hands-on AI projects, the program is shifting graduates from traditional general management paths toward “hybrid leader” roles that blend technical fluency with business strategy.
These include job positions in various areas including AI product management, fintech and crypto strategy, business intelligence and data leadership, digital transformation consulting, and emerging roles such as prompt engineering and AI ethics analysis.
CityUHK remains committed to promoting diversity and innovation through a range of targeted scholarships. These scholarship initiatives go beyond financial assistance as they cultivate a diverse, inclusive and collaborative learning environment in which students can learn not only from the curriculum but also from their peers coming in from varied backgrounds.
This transformative experience was echoed by several alumni.
Wanlu Wang (Rosie), previously in brand marketing in Beijing, shared how the program changed her perspective.
“It wasn’t just about gaining another qualification. The courses filled my gaps in finance and strategy, but what I valued most were the classmates and professors. They brought different perspectives that changed how I see management.” she says.
“AI gives you speed, but leadership gives you direction. The program made me more confident about combining the two,” adds Rosie about the program which provided AI skills as well as leadership qualities.
For Perry Wu from Guangzhou’s finance industry, the highlight was the rigour and the practical experience gained from the U.S.-based overseas residency:
“It was hands-on from start to finish. We built a startup proposal from scratch and pitched to real investors. It was intense but unforgettable.”
For Professor Sun, the transformation goes beyond restructuring the curriculum or adding new technologies.
It begins with a change in mindset.
His aim is to move AI beyond the classrooms and into the mindset of future leaders and cultivate an environment where data, insight, and ethics coexist.
Looking ahead 3-5 years, here’s how Prof. Sun sees this program adapting as AI becomes embedded in everyday business decision-making:
1) From “Learning AI” to “Executing with AI”: He anticipates that AI will no longer be a standalone subject but a core component of every course. For example, Marketing will focus on AI-driven hyper-personalization, and Finance will center on AI-automated risk workflows.
2) Emphasis on High-Level Human Judgment: As routine analytical tasks become automated, he says the curriculum will lean more heavily into ethical governance and complex decision-making. “We will teach students how to manage ‘AI-human’ teams and how to audit algorithmic outputs for bias”.
3) Dynamic, Hands-on Lab Environments: He sees the program becoming more like a business laboratory. “Students won’t just study case studies of the past; they will work with real-time data from our industry partners in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to solve live problems as they emerge,” he adds.
The program’s ambition to become Asia’s ‘tech MBA school’ is not a slogan, it’s a statement of intent. CityUHK is building a new model of business education, an MBA designed for a future, where human judgement and artificial intelligence complement each other, working side by side, driving smarter decision-making.
One thing is clear: AI’s true value in business education lies not just in automation, but in the way it is challenging and enhancing human thinking and its ability to widen perspectives.
In this sense, CityUHK MBA is not simply educating students – it is helping shape how business leaders learn, think, adapt and prepare themselves to lead in the AI era.
Reposted from the article "How City University of Hong Kong Is Transforming MBA Education for the AI Era" in MBA Crystal Ball, February 16, 2026.
Source: here
