The City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) MBA Class of 2026 officially embarked on its transformative journey with an immersive three-day orientation held across the CityUHK campus, Noah’s Ark on Ma Wan Island, and the Kerry Hotel overlooking Victoria Harbour. The orientation was strategically designed to provide new students with a clear academic roadmap, a strong professional network, and access to dedicated executive mentorship.
Day 1: Laying the Foundation — Campus to Victoria Harbour
The opening day focused on providing new students with a comprehensive introduction to the MBA curriculum and ecosystem.
· Academic Orientation & Peer Insights: An extensive academic briefing outlined curriculum structures, key learning resources, and campus support systems. Senior MBA students led an insightful panel sharing real-world strategies on course selection, workload management, and balancing rigorous academic pursuits with full-time professional commitments.
· Leadership & Influence Workshops: At the Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre (CMC), students engaged in two experiential learning sessions centered on Leadership & Team Learning and executive Charisma. These workshops served as the cohort’s first collaborative milestone, challenging students to refine their interpersonal dynamics and persuasive leadership styles.
· Welcome Reception & Orientation Banquet: The day concluded along Victoria Harbour at the Kerry Hotel. Students, faculty, and leadership connected during a networking cocktail reception and formal Orientation Banquet, officially kicking off cohort bonding in an elegant setting.
Day 2: Building Trust Through Team Dynamics & High-Impact Challenges
Moving to Ma Wan Island for an intensive series of experiential team-building exercises aimed at fostering deep trust, strategic alignment, and cross-functional collaboration.
· Strategic Alignment — The Big Picture: Following interactive energisers and icebreakers, teams participated in "The Big Picture" project. Working independently on individual canvases with constrained resources, groups quickly realized they were creating parts of a single, unified artwork. The exercise emphasised the importance of breaking down operational silos, negotiating resources across teams, and aligning localized efforts with overall organizational vision.
· High-Element & Trust Challenges: In the afternoon, students pushed past individual comfort zones in the indoor Rope Course, Crate Climbing, and Trust Circle challenges. Entrusting their physical safety to peers who managed belay lines, cohort members experienced firsthand the critical elements of psychological safety, mutual accountability, and supportive leadership under pressure. Structured debriefs allowed students to translate these experiential insights into executive leadership lessons.
Day 3: Strategic Self-Awareness, Innovation & Executive Mentorship
The final day concentrated on individual leadership profiling, entrepreneurial opportunities, and long-term career enablement.
· Belbin Team Roles Leadership Workshop: Students analysed their behavioural strengths and preferred collaboration styles through the Belbin Team Roles framework. The session helped participants understand how to leverage diverse team profiles and optimize cross-functional team performance throughout their MBA studies.
· Venture Funding & Career Pathways: Representatives introduced the HK Tech 300 Seed Fund, highlighting institutional resources available for students aspiring to launch new ventures. Distinguished alumni subsequently shared their career trajectories post-graduation, offering practical guidance on leveraging the MBA network for executive growth.
· Mentorship Pairing & Cohort Leadership: Following the election of Class Representatives, the orientation concluded with two structured mentorship pairing sessions. Every student was matched with an experienced industry mentor to guide their strategic career development over the coming years.
Looking Ahead
Moving seamlessly from academic alignment on campus, to experiential trust-building on Ma Wan, to executive self-awareness and mentorship, the three-day orientation set a strong foundation for the Class of 2026. As our new cohort steps forward to shape the future of business, we welcome them to the CityUHK MBA family.
