Alumni come together in China after four-year hiatus

Tao Jiang, Leeds University Business School Director of Student Opportunity, Experience and Success hosted a series of alumni events in China last month.

Tao Jiang chaired a panel of experts about employability in Beijing and Shanghai, and in Shenzhen she discussed her latest research about how consumers form their perceptions and attitudes towards brands. The sessions were followed by networking and refreshments, which allowed alumni to reconnect, share stories and connect for future business opportunities.

The first event was held in Beijing, where Tao chaired a panel of experts: Simona Liu (MA Human Resources Management, 2017) a HR Professional at Murex HR Beijing, Calvin Quek (BA Hons Chinese Studies and Economics, 1994) a Senior Manager for Partner Core at Amazon Web Services Greater China, Cindy Wang a Lockin Regional Manager, and Sunny Wang who is the Head of Hays Beijing Office, discussed how to boost employability and progress careers in a challenging job market. There were lots of interesting questions and discussions from alumni, such as how to deal with difficult questions during job interviews, and what would be the best way to change their career path. After the event, many alumni spoke highly of the panellists’ knowledge and how it would help them navigate their future careers. 

The second event was held in Shanghai, where panellists Lily Yin (MA Human Resources Management, 2000) a Partner at CGL Consulting, Jiayun Huang (MA Human Resources Management, 2016) a HR Supervisor at American International Group, and Jasmine Lyu (MA Human Resources Management, 2020) who works in Talent Acquisition at Standard Chartered Bank, discussed their expertise and strategic views of the local job market. Alumni were inspired to explore new ideas and professions, with many asking questions relating to sustainability, promising new industry sectors and what they may need to look for when choosing job offers from different enterprises. 

The final event was held in Shenzhen, where Tao gave a guest lecture on consumer perception of brands, and highlighted what companies could implement to manage or change undesirable perceptions within their consumer groups. Alumni commented how interesting and thought-provoking Tao’s talk was, and how relevant it was to their professional careers. 

The events were a huge success, with over 200 alumni in attendance across the three cities, with many favourable comments from attendees about how much they enjoyed having alumni events back in China, giving them the opportunity to reconnect with fellow Leeds alumni.

Reflecting on her experience hosting the events, Tao said:

It’s so heart-warming to see how much our alumni enjoyed our events in China. It was the first opportunity our alumni had to get together and reconnect in-person after the pandemic, and it certainly felt very special. It was great to see the strong bonds that our alumni had from their time at Leeds and how they still feel a connection to the University.  Many alumni said they appreciated the ongoing support from the Business School and how it made them proud to be part of the LUBS alumni community. Some expressed interest in coming back to Leeds to see how campus had changed since they graduated. It was a privilege to host this series of events in China, as I got to reconnect with alumni that I hadn’t seen in many years, and it gave me the opportunity to understand what we should be doing to further enhance the student experience and their professional development from an international student perspective. A huge thank you to our amazing alumni volunteers in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen for helping make the events happen on the night, and to our knowledgeable expert panellists for their contribution. The events would not have been so successful without everyone’s efforts. 

The Business School looks forward to hosting similar events in the future to strengthen our global alumni community, so keep checking our website for our latest events, news and updates and see how you can get involved.

View the photos from the Beijing event.
View the photos from the Shanghai event.
View the photos from the Shenzhen event.

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