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An Exceptional Attitude Mr Sunny Sun receiving his 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award from Professor Kaye Chon at the annual Career Day Outstanding Alumni For Mr Sunny Sun, recipient of the 2007 SHTM Outstanding Alumni Award, “life is really about accepting challenges and making the most of everything”. Mr Sun is the Vice President, Development (China) for Langham Hotels, where he is spearheading the development of the Langham brand in the mainland. Mr Sun graduated with a Higher Diploma in Hotel and Catering Management from the SHTM in 1992 before completing his MSc in International Hospitality Management in Scotland. His career has since taken him to more than 15 major cities in China, most notably with the Hilton, Accor and Langham chains. But for someone so involved in the mainland hospitality industry, Mr Sun knew very little about the country when growing up: Putonghua didn't appeal to him and China seemed like “a remote territory”. A travelling scholarship he received on graduating from the SHTM changed all that. Mr Sun chose to spend his HK$15,000 award travelling through the mainland, drawing inspiration from the country until he “became less foreign to the language and the people.” Now Putonghua is the main language he uses every day. ‘Things never happen as you expect’ could well be Mr Sun’s motto, and his early plan for working in front office operations eventually became a career in project development. This change of direction seems fitting in a market that is “a mix of opportunities and uncertainties”, where “everything is possible but nothing comes easy”. Yet the positives outweigh the negatives, and with the growing recognition of brand values and the benefits of international hotel chains, Mr Sun has seen many doubtful projects become worthwhile after planning and facility adjustment. Thankful for the communication and group work skills he acquired at the SHTM, and for its large alumni network, Mr Sun spent time back at the School last year as a guest lecturer, noting “it is good to share some of my experiences with prospective graduates”. With his positive attitude and ability to grasp the moment, we could all learn from Mr Sun. School of Hotel and Tourism Management 7
8 Career Day The SHTM’s Career Day 2007 was held on 6 March at the Jockey Club Auditorium on the PolyU campus. An annual event of great benefit to both the School and the industry, the Career Day gives SHTM students exposure to potential employers while they are still undertaking their studies. The event this year was particularly significant given that PolyU is celebrating 70 years of educating and producing preferred graduates for Hong Kong. Mr Tony Tse, Programme Director (Industry Partnerships), noted that in 2007, as it does every year, the event provided information about both employment opportunities for graduates and placement opportunities for undergraduates in the local hospitality and tourism industry. Thirty companies helped make the Career Day a success, with both local organisations and international chains in hospitality, catering and tourism providing career talks and distributing information from booths. Along with students and staff, they also participated in HORIZONS Hotel Management student Ms Cherie Lau recalling her visit to Kansas State University The Four Seasons booth Staff at the Starbucks booth a blind auction for 15 items that were donated by the SHTM’s industry partners. With the gifts on offer ranging from dining coupons and tickets to Ocean Park to an overnight stay at Hong Kong Disneyland, a total of HK$12,400 was collected from eager bidders. All of the funds were gratefully received, and will be used in School development. Ms Lilian Yeung, a final year student in Tourism Management, was MC for the morning formalities, which included speeches from the Director of PolyU’s Student Affairs Office, Mrs Dorinda Fung, and SHTM Director, Professor Kaye Chon. Professor Chon also presented the 2007 SHTM Outstanding Alumni Award to Mr Sunny Sun, Vice- President, Development (China) for Langham Hotels. Mr Sun graduated from the SHTM with a Higher Diploma in Hotel and Catering Management in 1992, and received the award for his contributions both to the industry and the School. Mrs Dorinda Fung delivering her speech at the event
Page 2 and 3: Publisher: Kaye Chon Managing Edito
Page 4 and 5: Chair Professor’s Distinguished L
Page 6 and 7: placement while at the SHTM. A comm
Page 10 and 11: On accepting the award, Mr Sun took
Page 12 and 13: Teaching Hotel The SHTM’s teachin
Page 14 and 15: Representatives from PolyU and Xian
Page 16: Professor Agnes de Franco, HFTP Int
Page 19 and 20: 18 SHTM News Invited Presentations
Page 21 and 22: 20 Professor for a Day HORIZONS Pro
Page 23 and 24: 22 Field Trips Student Tourists Lea
Page 25 and 26: 24 Summer Programmes Korean Wave HO
Page 27 and 28: 26 Elite of the Elite HORIZONS Stud
Page 29 and 30: 28 Mentorship 21 Leo Lee General Ma
Page 31 and 32: 30 Alumni Association News Alum-not
Page 33: 32 Calendar of Events HORIZONS Date

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