Hao Chen, China

Tell us about yourself ...
 

I'm Chinese. I was born in Nanjing, East China and currently work in Shenzhen, South China Currently, right beside Hong Kong. I really wish to meet some UL people here or in Hong Kong. I'm happily married and this year we just have our first son, Yoann (named after my best French friend I met in UL). For UL, Limerick, even Ireland, they are just like "Wow" to me. Everything is so perfect! The people, the life, the music, the food, the landscape, the bar, of course the study... except the weather. UL is my Disneyland. Limerick is my second home town, I really enjoyed the life there. Even now I am back in China, I am still talking with others about it.

Tell us about your current job ...

I work for Huawei Technologies which is the most successful private corporate in China. Its main business is telecommunication equipment building and network solution providing. In the industry, this year we will be the no.2 right after Ericssons and before Alctel-Lucent. We are also the potential rival to Cisco.Next year, after the project finishes, maybe I will be appointed to work overseas in our credit centres which I designed worldwide. I also hope I can go back to UL and see my old friends with my family. At Huawei Technologies, I am the Designer of the Transforming Project Team consulted by IBM and I work with their credit experts everyday. Tailed with IBM's best practice, I designed the Huawei's to-be plan. I would read and understand IBM's way then communicate with relevant Departments. Powered by our sponsor, which means the big boss, our designed plan would be piloted and implemented. The paper work is ok but the communication part, believe me, not easy. It's all about benefits and responsibilities.

Why did you choose UL ?

 
My course was MSc in Financial Services. My course leader was Fergal O'Brien and my dissertation guide was John Garvey (I still can remember their name because they did excellent job).Several reasons for me to choose UL:

1 People are nice here

2 I don't like big city.

3 The resource of UL is good, I mean the "hardware"

4 Social life is great

5 Study, eat, travel, work is convenient in Limerick

Did the course meet your expectations?

 
Not only met mine but went beyond it.And it is very close to the real life. I mean I met several interview questions which were the same as my exam questions in UL!

How did your time at UL help you to get to where you are today?

1 I learned good English from the foundation class. In Huawei, I took the TOEIC test, I scored 930 in 995 and became the No.1 of Huawei Finance Function (the best English skill requirements in Huawei), almost the No.1 in 3000 people, probably the top 10 in the whole company (top 10 in 80,000 employees), which partly made me join the transforming project team.2 Broad view of the finance issue. To be honest, my course was financial services, it's not so close to the credit management which I am doing now. However, I will say my course built a strong financial background and broad view about the international and academic issues. That makes me become the specialist.

How would you sum-up your experience?

 
In short, totally worth it. My only regret is I wish I could spend my 4 year undergraduate time in UL. My most positive memory is people were polite and friendly and the campus facilities were perfect.

What you have been up to since graduation ?

 
Firstly, I joined a travel agency as the International Department Manager for 10 months and joined AIG Personal Finance as the credit analyst for another 10 months. Then I joined Huawei for that is what I am like to do. Now I am in Huawei for 1 year and the "marriage" is happy. Generally speaking, it's good. However, it could be more ambitious.Of course, I plan to send my son to UL in about 18 years. Now I am saving the tuition fees for him. I wish he can enjoy the 4 extra undergraduate study that I missed in UL, in Limerick, in Ireland.

Any advice for prospective students?

What are you waiting for? Take a tour in UL, it helps.

What unique qualities would you expect a UL graduate to have?

Brave to your fault. Nobody can be perfect, but few people actually think in that way. Always face your mistake in order to correct it.

How do you maintain your relationship with UL today ?

I check the website from time to time because China is really too far away from UL and I don't know anyone around me from UL, even from Ireland.The Irish Embassy founded an Irish graduates union in Shanghai and they have some activities there but the distance from Shanghai to Shenzhen... hello, is like from Limerick to Paris.