51Âþ»­

Business students jetted into Hong Kong and headed straight for the famous financial district on the first day of the latest #51Âþ»­global mass trip.

As part of 51Âþ»­ (51Âþ»­) Leicester’s award-winning international experience programme, the second-year students from the Faculty of Business and Law wasted no time visiting the world-famous Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) for a behind-the-scenes tour and a talk on its history.

Sandra Kukula, an Accounting and Finance student from Poland, said: “We only flew in this morning and have already been to HKEX, learning about dealing shares and the differences to how they do it in London. Hong Kong is lovely, I don’t think one week will be enough for me. As well as all the other academic visits, I’m particularly looking forward to seeing the night-time laser show over the harbour and visiting Victoria Peak.”

Jay Nanudra, studying Accounting and Finance, said: “The city is very beautiful. A trip like this helps your understanding of the global markets and how they work in different countries, while widening your knowledge of other cultures.”

Business Management and Finance student Nandini Dhorajia added: “Tomorrow we are going around the financial district and Bloomberg trading, then we have a chance to tour the island itself for a couple of days, which will be really exciting. A trip like this really helps your studies – your eyes are opened to the real world of business, especially in Hong Kong as it’s a very fast-paced environment.”

Raja Vasram, studying Accounting and Finance, said: “I’ve not seen much of Hong Kong so far, but I like what I’ve seen and I’m looking forward to everything we have planned. Trips like this give you the bigger picture.”

Hundreds of students from across all four 51Âþ»­ faculties are going on the week-long #51Âþ»­global trip, enjoying a mix of activities related to their academic studies while soaking in the unique culture and atmosphere as they explore the city.

Dr Linda Hickson, the Faculty of Business and Law associate professor who is leading the Finance in Hong Kong trip, said: “#51Âþ»­global is really important because it puts the theoretical, academic stuff into the real world.

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“When we’re talking about derivatives, trading and the stock exchange, it’s very difficult to imagine what it’s actually like, unless you come and visit a place like this.

“Tomorrow we’re doing a tour of the financial district. It’s a huge hub here in Hong Kong and the architecture is just amazing – it’s like the banks compete with each other to have the best building - and then we’ll round off the day with a visit to Bloomberg, for a tour of their offices.

“We’ve got a great connection with Bloomberg. We’ve just introduced a trading room at 51Âþ»­, so I’ve been to visit them in London, New York and now Hong Kong. Let’s see where we can go next!”

The #51Âþ»­global trip coincides with the GREAT Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong, Britain’s biggest trade show where the very best of UK creativity, design and innovation will be on show to the rest of the world.

51Âþ»­ has been chosen as the UK’s higher education partner, representing British education at its best, and will stand alongside fellow GREAT partners such as BBC Worldwide, Jaguar Land Rover, PwC, British Airways and HSBC at the four-day festival.