Johnny Li

Why did you choose Japanese Studies at CUHK Faculty of Arts?

Thanks to the popularity of Japanese culture in Hong Kong, my interest towards this country was ignited, and I believed that understanding their language is the best way to understand the most about Japan. CUHK's Japanese Studies is definitely famous in this area, with a large contributions of the mandatory exchange program and intensive language and culture courses.

What did you enjoy most at CUHK when studying Japanese Studies?

What I enjoy most at CUHK is the strong bonding and linkage between students and professors. In 2000s Japanese Studies was a small department, with fewer than 30 students in one academic year. This actually helped us build up a strong linkage and solid relationship not only among students, but also with professors. I did not feel any burden during arranging some personal catch-ups with professors, and they gave useful advice to my academic and career decisions.

Can you tell us your most valuable memories of studying Japanese Studies?

Definitely such will be my 1-year exchange program in Japan. I went to Rikkyo University in Tokyo in my second academic year. That was my first time to live alone in overseas, and I needed to solve problems on my own, and such included homesick. To utilise the limited time and maximize the outcome, I struggled to make a balance between goals, including research for my final year paper, working as a part-time worker in a restaurant to get in touch with the local persons, and joining the Piano Society in the university to pick up my interest again. Definitely I cannot become the current me without this valuable experience.

How your education prepared you for your career?

Through the program of Japanese Studies, I managed to acquire a high level of Japanese language, and demonstrated a more thorough understanding about the Japanese culture than the others. Such became one of my advantages, as these skills cannot be equipped without a lengthy time of exposure.

What is your current role, where is it and what brought you to it?

Currently I am working in MUFG Bank in Hong Kong, and MUFG Bank is one of the three mega banks in Japan. I am working as a Corporate Treasury Sales, providing different insights and solutions to Japanese corporate clients into how to handle market risk, such as foreign exchange and interest rates. It is always difficult for a non-finance student entering the banking industry. The role I applied specifically required a high level of Japanese language, as the candidate was expected to work with different Japanese internal and external stakeholders. I demonstrated my language fluency in the interview, and then I managed to get the entry ticket. After entering the industry, the experience strengthened my ambition to stay in this industry for long-term career development.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

In the banking industry, I am obsessed with the rapid-changing and fast-paced environment of the global market. In the future, I am expecting myself continuously making a step-up in this field. I will become more sophisticated to the market, manage to accurately assess the risk, and provide appropriate solutions to my clients about how to properly handle the risk with the services from the banks.

What advice would you give to our students?

Challenge yourselves and don't be afraid of mistakes. 

CUHK has a large variety of resources in terms of network building and knowledge exchange. Make use of it, get as much as exposure you can, so that you can figure out what the true goals in the mind after graduation.