The Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IHSS), an independent research institute at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) announces plans to launch a one-year taught Master of Family Wealth Management ("FWM") programme starting in the 2024/2025 academic year. The programme is offered by IHSS, which has a long history of research and teaching in the history of family business, family dynasty and succession case studies, asset allocation, and investment management.
Professor Zhiwu Chen, Chair and Cheng Yu-Tung Professor in Finance at the Faculty of Business and Economics, Director of both IHSS and Centre for Quantitative History, said: "As global wealth grows, there is an increasing demand for professionals who can effectively manage the complex and diverse needs of family offices. Beyond finance and wealth management, professionals need well-rounded knowledge across history, ethics, cultural competence, and social responsibility to excel in the family wealth management and family office industry. With an interdisciplinary mix of skills and knowledge courses that will help students develop the soft and hard competencies required for a successful career in this rising industry, this programme will prepare our graduates to meet the evolving needs of high-net-worth families."
The Master of FWM curriculum will emphasise the intersection across the historical roots and cultural dimensions of the family, family business, and investment markets. Core courses cover key topics such as history of the family and family business, history of wealth and financial markets, estate planning, asset allocation, investment management, and family office management. Elective courses further students' knowledge on these key topics. As a capstone to the programme, students will have the opportunity to either conduct research on and propose possible solutions to a practical issue faced by family offices and wealth managers, or to pursue an internship practicum in the industry.
The programme will be taught by a cross-curricular team led by Professor Zhiwu Chen and comprising of leading scholars at HKU and other institutions, and industry practitioners with deep experience in the field.
Professor Dragon Tang, HKU Business School Professor of Finance and Associate Director of the Centre for Financial Innovation and Development, said: "As a leading research and learning institution in Asia, HKU has a clear responsibility to provide education that meets societal needs. The family office and wealth management profession is undergoing fast changes in response to business and technological innovations. In Hong Kong, the Financial Services Development Council ("FSDC") established by the HKSAR government has emphasised the need for developing human capital to drive the growth of the family office industry. As such, this new programme, with emphasis on both hard skills and history knowledge, responds to the current needs for advanced wealth management education and will bring much synergy with existing taught programmes at HKU."
The first intake of the programme is set to begin in the fall of 2024. A live webinar with more information on the curriculum will be held at 5:30pm (GMT+8) on December 18th. To register for the event, please click: Link
