Alumni

After four years’ of study in media and news journalism, I enrolled into the MPUP programme with a strong interest in having a deeper understanding in policy making. The MPUP courses provided me with a comprehensive and informative knowledge in public policy integrating economics, global problems, risk management and guided me how to think as a policy maker. This is especially helpful for my career as I can now apply the knowledge and skills learnt in the programme in my daily work to write more in-depth and meaningful news stories for my audience. As a part-time student, studying the MPUP courses was especially challenging as I had to strive for a balance between work and study, yet it has been a very fruitful and meaningful two years. I highly recommend the MPUP programme to those wishing to gain a comprehensive insight into public policy, and hope you can enjoy the courses like I do.

MPUP equipped me with the essential skills to digest and communicate information in a professional way and to think broadly about the challenges in the world. Interdisciplinary nature of the programme excites me with opportunities to learn from a wide range of subjects including economics, policy research, politics, and ethics. Most importantly, being an MPUP student would be surrounded by talented people who always bring you new insights, network and inspiration.

MPUP is definitely an inspirational and valuable programme which has brought about far-reaching influences in my academic experience, personal career and interpersonal network. Having considered the increasing complexity of public policy issues, the courses of MPUP have emphasized much in multi-angle thinking through the professional teaching of interdisciplinary studies, including political sciences, sociology, economics and humanities. Different sets of analytical tools to examine policy inquiries and governance strategies are also my major takeaways throughout the programme. Thanks to the diversified academic and professional background of our fellow classmates, the programme, moreover, has embellished my horizon by enriching my social network as well as offering the precious opportunity for me to be acquainted with like-minded talents who share the same commitment in the search of innovative, effective solutions to social problems. Through exchange of ideas in the classroom and gatherings outside classes, we have built up a coherent community with the cohort, teaching and administration staff of the programme who have been actively involved in. The trainings I have received, the people I have met and learned from, the immersive environment I was provided during my study in MPUP, have equipped myself to be a more presentable, proactive and competitive candidate to pursue my career in public organizations.

I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be able to take part in the two-year fascinating journey in the MPUP. The well-structured courses and comprehensive learning activities not only helped me foster applicable multi-skills to better serve the community, but also allowed me to gain more insights into wide range of global and local policies through interactive and interdisciplinary learning. This definitely further broadened my horizons and widened my personal network. My current career requires utilization of critical analysis to offer consultancy services to different departmental units. Many learning areas, such as government efficiency, policy formulation process, policy economic analysis, involved in this program are directly relevant and useful to my daily works. I believe that learning policymaking is learning how we can make a difference in the society. I learnt to better balance the interests of various stakeholders through thorough considerations in policy formulation during this program.

As an interdisciplinary programme, MPUP equips me with comprehensive knowledge and necessary skills relating to major areas covering public policy research, economy, finance, environment and politics, which not only benefit my personal development but also constitute a solid foundation for my career. The programme broadens my understanding of policy issues and enables me to view public policies, ranging from major government policies to day-to-day operational decisions, from new angles and in different ways. It allows me to formulate new ideas and insights into different policy areas, which is useful to my role as a civil servant. Moreover, during my studies, I deeply enjoyed the opportunity to meet fellow students from a diverse range of backgrounds and experience. The MPUP indeed provides valuable and practical skills to students and leads to a wide range of career options in the public and private sectors. I therefore highly recommend this programme to those who are interested in public policy and would like to pursue a career development in this field.

The MPUP Programme provides a spectrum of inter-disciplinary courses, covering the significant branches of the public policy field. High-quality courses help me integrate my undergraduate knowledge in Economics and Law, and well-experienced professors help me understand public policies from theoretical bases and practical cases. The supportive environment pushes me to focus solely on academic study, and the rigorous academic requirement pushes me to explore the real issues. The MPUP Programme plays an inseparable role in enlightening my academic interests, as well as motivating me to start my PhD study in this field and this Department.

This year of studying at MPUP had left me many good memories. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of this programme, I am able to form a comprehensive and systematic thinking framework. I was always looking forward to discussing different cases with my outstanding team members, and now I am trying to apply things I have learnt in class to my own career and life. The classmates and MPUP Office are always supportive. I would say this one-year programme is worthwhile.

Studying in MPUP Programme not only provides me with joyful opportunities in pursuing my deep interest in public policy, but also encourages me to dive into other important sectors with which I am not familiar such as economy and finance. Besides academic enrichment, MPUP also embraces various extra-curricular activities including seminars, visits and sharing with current public policy practitioners, through which I can gain a lot more outside classroom. For those who already devote themselves in a profession, please rest assured that you can strike a perfect balance between your career and on-going study by enrolling courses that best suits your timetable with flexibility.