Edith's new skills to help others in HK

Graduations | Hong Kong

Hong Kong accountant Edith Chan is using her new University of Adelaide qualifications to improve her skills - and she wants to help other accountants improve their skills too.

The proprietor of her own Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firm Edith Chan & Co since 1994, she graduated with her Master of Business Administration at last month's University of Adelaide graduation ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Hong Kong.

Edith has already realised two childhood dreams: owning her business, which she began in 1994; and teaching, which she began a year later in 1995. She has been a part-time lecturer for the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Institute of Vocational Education, and is now one of the workshop facilitators of the CPA Qualification Program for The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

The CPA Qualification Program is the only professional program for those wanting to qualify as a Hong Kong CPA, and Edith is also the marker of the Qualification Program exam.

"When I was very young, I would like to play games with my sisters and brothers, where I would act as the teacher and they would be my students," Edith said. "I really enjoyed being a teacher. But as time went by, I also found that I loved mathematics and also enjoyed working with numbers and figures."

Undertaking an MBA with the University of Adelaide, through the Hopkins Training and Education Group in Hong Kong, was not a decision that Edith took lightly.

"I think getting a MBA is very important to me," Edith said. "I chose Adelaide because it is a five-star Australian university and it has a good reputation in Hong Kong.

"I have gained better skills to manage my company, like how to manage my staff more effectively and how to build up better relationships with my clients. These techniques can help my firm for future expansion.

"My MBA degree will also help widening my teaching experience."

Story by Ben Osborne