This Leap to Hong Kong and a Master's degree in Finance

Three years ago, I packed my life into suitcases and leapt into the unknown, landing in Hong Kong with no job offer, no familiar faces, and the world gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic. Before COVID hit, Hong Kong was already in turmoil, engulfed in year-long protests sparked by the 2019 anti-extradition bill. In 2020, China introduced the National Security Law.

So it wasn’t surprising when friends and family exchanged uneasy glances and whispered behind polite smiles, their eyes betraying a mix of admiration and bewilderment. To them, my decision seemed like a daring leap off a cliff’s edge—fueled either by either courage or, perhaps, madness. In response, smiling with unsure defiance dancing in my eyes, I told them I would be fine. I wasn’t acting on impulse. I had set a daily Google alert on Hong Kong and meticulously tracked every development since submitting my immigration application in December 2018. So every day, a fresh batch of information would arrive, a daily dose of Hong Kong, delivered straight to my inbox.

Getting past immigration in an almost empty airport and riding in a government bus to my COVID-19 quarantine hotel, peering at Hong Kong first through the windows of the bus and then through the only window in a hotel room where I stayed quarantined for three weeks, the decision, once fraught with uncertainty, now seemed less daring.

You see, I always considered myself to be risk-averse. Yet, a casual observation from a client forced me to reconsider this self-assessment. "My career path, which is marked by bold moves and geographical shifts, painted a picture of a risk-taker," he said. I didn't dispute that, but I promised to find out.

Shortly after settling in, the city, once bustling with life, had fallen into stricter social distancing measures such as shutting down public spaces due to COVID-19 infections, thus leaving people isolated in their homes. Amid this upheaval, moving to Hong Kong seemed like a gamble. Relationships, time, money, and career stability—pillars of a conventional life—hung in the balance. Yet, the allure of the East, the promise of a new adventure, kept me optimistic. The potential rewards, though uncertain, were too tantalizing to ignore. It was a leap of faith, that's about it.

Fast forward three years, and oh, the stories I could tell! Hong Kong is back to being the bustling city that never sleeps. The major reason I moved to Hong Kong was to satisfy my curiosity about Asian culture. And to get the full scoop, I didn’t just stick to Hong Kong; I ventured into mainland China too. I am sure you want to see pictures:)

In Hong Kong, Sundays blended seamlessly with the rest of the week, as if the city itself didn’t believe in taking a day off. The city hummed with activity; shops remained open, markets buzzed with life, and even libraries welcomed visitors. The only pause in Hong Kong’s relentless pace came during Chinese holidays when the city seemed to take a collective breath, and everything, for once, came to a halt—living up to the saying that the Chinese truly live to work.

After juggling two full-time remote jobs, I found myself craving the tangible connection of something local. Recruiters' feedback on improving my techno-functional skills led me to academia, enrolling in a master’s program in Finance (FinTech and Financial Analytics) at Hong Kong Baptist University. The program was a deep dive into the world of finance, fintech, and analytics, equipping me with the tools to tackle complex financial challenges. My coursework spanned investment management, corporate finance, financial derivatives, risk management, and international financial management. On the fintech side, I delved into financial technology, blockchains and virtual assets, cybersecurity, privacy, and regtech for finance. For financial analytics, I studied machine learning for financial data and financial computing using Python and R.

The program wasn't just theoretical; it had a real-world application. I collaborated on an independent project with three other students, consulting for a fintech company aiming to "penetrate the unserved SME market in Hong Kong with Soft POS". You see, despite the widespread adoption of e-payments in China and many Western countries, Hong Kong stands out with a persistent demand for cash despite the popularity of e-payment. This trend mirrors similar patterns seen in some African countries, where cash remains the most popular payment method. The project initiative was part of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority's “Fintech 2025” strategy, under the "Industry Project Masters Network (IPMN)" scheme. The scheme is designed to offer postgraduate students the opportunity to work on bank-led fintech or industry projects to gain invaluable hands-on experience. For me, it was maximizing my existing digital payment experience. Based on merchant interviews, secondary data and my experience working in three digital payment roles, we made some valuable recommendations.

Upon graduating, I further expanded my expertise by writing the CFA Certificate in ESG Investing examination. The program is tailored to equip professionals with the knowledge to integrate environmental, social, and governance factors into investment strategies, ensuring they are both sustainable and responsible.

Guess what? In Hong Kong, you can celebrate graduation by donning your cap and gown, complete with an award ceremony—even if your final exams are still ahead! Of course, the certificate folder remains empty (for now, till you meet all the terms and conditions), but the celebration happens anyway. It was a bit mind-boggling at first, but hey, different strokes for different folks. I suppose it’s all about wrapping up everything within the academic year.

Now, with a master’s degree under my belt and deep experience in digital payments, I’m still passionate about finance and rendering financial services with technology.

Like people would say, permit me to introduce the new finance degree holder, ready to explore a career in finance and revolutionize fintech with a blend of deep digital payments expertise and cutting-edge financial knowledge.

***About the Author: Based in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, Ifunanya has built a diverse career spanning retail, commercial, and corporate banking in Nigeria, with recent experience in Africa's fintech giants such as Flutterwave, Interswitch, and OPay China. She has also navigated Hong Kong’s vibrant fintech scene. She leverages her expertise in technology-driven financial solutions, customer-centric strategies, and innovation in financial services. If you enjoyed this piece, please like, comment, and share it with others.

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