Family Business Strategist Certification Course

This program equips participants with comprehensive expertise and skills spanning family business leadership, strategy, governance, risk management, and succession planning. It focuses on assisting families in navigating the challenges of intergenerational business and wealth succession, while aligning with mainland China's legal framework and commercial practices to cultivate professionals with cross-border perspectives.

ILO-1: Cultivate strategic, financially literate, and culturally aware family wealth inheritance specialists.
ILO-2: Provide students with practical skills to manage complex family businesses and wealth across generations.
ILO-3: Master the legal and professional knowledge of Hong Kong and mainland China to establish a solid academic foundation.

Module 1:  Family Office Establishment & Asset Allocation This module covers setting up a family office, including governance structure, operational setup, and asset allocation strategies. Students will learn to customize investment portfolios that incorporate Mainland China’s legal considerations and market opportunities.

• Overview and Functions of a Family Office
• Comparison of Family Office Types
• Core Services of a Family Office
• Establishment Structure and Control Mechanisms
• Succession Blueprint and Family Constitution
• Asset Allocation and Investment Strategies
• Investment Considerations and Emerging Themes

Module 2:  Estate Planning, Taxation, and Family Trusts Addresses estate and tax planning with an emphasis on cross-border considerations. It explores the use of trusts, inheritance laws, and tax planning strategies in both Hong Kong and Mainland China to optimize wealth transfer.

• Core Concepts of Trust Law

• Differences in Legal Systems: Mainland China's Civil Law vs. Hong Kong's Common Law

• Establishment and Application of Trusts

• Family Succession and the Use of Trusts

• Topics in Estate Tax (Hong Kong / Mainland China / Overseas)

• Legal Challenges and Enforcement Difficulties

• Tax Planning for International Property Investment and Case Sharing

Module 3:  Alternative Investments (Luxury and Cryptocurrency) Examines contemporary assets such as luxury collectibles and cryptocurrencies. The module discusses their investment merits, risks, legal considerations in Mainland China and Hong Kong, and how to incorporate them into family wealth strategies.

• Introduction to the World and Concepts of Luxury Goods
• The History of Luxury Goods and 21st-Century Developments
• Characteristics and Market Analysis of Luxury Goods
• The Future of Luxury Brands and Emerging Markets

Module 4:  Medical and Health Management in Family Office This module focuses on strategic management of health-related matters within family offices for high-net-worth families. It aims to equip students with skills to provide holistic family office services that safeguard family wellbeing and optimise health resources.

• Introduction to medical and health management concepts in family offices

• Health risk assessment and personalised medical planning

• Overview of medical concierge and advocacy services

Students who have completed the assessments, and attended at least 80% of the course will be presented with a Certificate awarded by PolyU SPEED.

1.  Application form can be downloaded from this website.  Before completing the application form, please read carefully the "Guide for Applicants" on the form.

2.  Please submit the completed application form with a copy of your HKID card and settle the course fee by bank draft/ crossed cheque/ On-line Card Payment System for each course applied. For details of payment methods, please refer to Section 4 of the application form or this web page.

3.  Non-permanent residents of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) holding

(i) work visa/ entry permit; OR

(ii) visa/ entry permit under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG) (except those from Mainland, Macao and Taiwan); OR

(iii) dependent visa/ entry permit (except those from Mainland, Macao and Taiwan), issued by the Director of Immigration of HKSAR Government may enroll in short-term courses in SPEED without seeking prior approval from the Director of Immigration.

These applicants are required to attach a copy of their identity document(s) and the valid visa/ entry permit to their application.  On admission, they will be required to provide the original identity document(s) and visa/ entry permit for verification. Throughout the course of study, it is the responsibility of individual students to ensure that their identity documents and visas/ entry permits are valid. Other non-local applicants can neither be registered as students nor commence their studies on the short-term courses in SPEED.

4.  Applications should be submitted on or before the deadline for application via one of the following means -

(a) By post:

Send the following documents to
CPCE Academic Registry - Continuing Education
Room N301, 3/F, North Tower, PolyU West Kowloon Campus, 9 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong

• Completed application form
• A copy of your HKID Card and valid visa/ entry permit (if applicable)
• A bank draft/ crossed cheque/ payment confirmation page (for online payment)

(b) By e-mail (for application with payment settled via online system only):

Send the following documents by e-mail to ce.car@speed-polyu.edu.hk

• Completed application form
• A copy of your HKID Card and valid visa/ entry permit (if applicable)
• A bank draft/ crossed cheque/ payment confirmation page (for online payment)

Please choose either one of the following payment methods for course fee: 

(1)  Bank Draft/ Crossed Cheque

You could submit a bank draft/ crossed cheque (made payable to "The Hong Kong Polytechnic University") by post or by hand.  Please write your name, the course code and class code at the back of the bank draft/ crossed cheque.  Post-dated cheque will not be accepted.

(2)  On-line Card Payment System (by Visa/ Master/ China UnionPay card)
You could settle the course fee via On-line Card Payment System by Visa/ Master/ China UnionPay card.  For successful payment, please print the payment confirmation page for record and quote the invoice number (as shown on the payment confirmation page) on Section 4 of the application form. No separate hardcopy of the payment receipt will be issued for you.

According to the School's Refund Policy, course fees paid are normally not refundable, except cases of unsuccessful applications/ course cancellation.  Fees paid and places allocated are not transferrable.