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Citibank and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) today held the inauguration ceremony for the “Citibank University Banking Course 2007-2008”, which is being offered to selected second-year students studying in the Faculty of Business Administration of CUHK.

The Citibank University Banking Course, which is part of the Citi Financial Education Series and is funded by the Citi Foundation, will be run at CUHK for the first time in 2008. Now entering its fourth year, the program is designed to provide Hong Kong’s future leaders with insights into modern banking operations and practices, giving them a valuable opportunity to explore the real world of banking through both structured classroom lectures and interactive discussions with seasoned bankers from Citibank.

More than 140 student applications were received and after a rigorous selection process, which included a finance-related written test and group interview, 50 students were admitted to the course. The course will be run from January till March, and consist of classroom lectures, a visit to a Citibank branch, and a mid-term and final presentation. Students will also receive three credits towards their academic study upon successful completion of the course.

At the inauguration ceremony, Mr. Sim S. Lim, Citi Country Officer for Hong Kong, said, “In the past three years, we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback about the Citibank University Banking Course from students, university faculty, and the finance industry. This has reinforced our commitment to financial education and we hope that our collaboration with CUHK this year will further strengthen students’ financial knowledge and help them become financially astute decision-makers.”

Prof. Liu Pak Wai, Acting Vice-Chancellor of CUHK, said, “CUHK and Citibank share the same commitment to enhancing Hong Kong’s position as a centre of international trade and finance. This year we are most privileged to have the opportunity to partner with Citibank in our efforts to nurture young talent for the business and financial services sector. I am certain that every student participant in this course will make full use of the unique opportunity to learn from the wisdom and wealth of experience of accomplished bankers from one of the world’s leading banking giants. I wish them all a most rewarding learning experience.”

The Citibank University Banking Course is a three-month intensive program, consisting of more than 30 hours of lectures from senior Citibankers and a visit to a Citibank branch office, covering a comprehensive range of topics related to the financial services industry. This year’s modules include:

‧Introduction to Consumer & Investment Banking
‧Treasury Cycles
‧Risk Management
‧Investment Products and Advisory Services
‧Branch Operations
‧Cards Business
‧Consumer Finance
‧Corporate Business
‧Compliance and Control
‧Bank Marketing and Research
‧Careers in Banking

The Citibank University Banking Course was first run in Taiwan in 1998 at the National Taiwan University. Citibank now conducts similar banking courses in several other markets in the Asia Pacific region including mainland China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore. In Hong Kong, the program was first launched at the University of Hong Kong in 2004. The program aims to teach students in higher education the fundamentals of finance and banking, as well as to help future leaders understand complex financial issues.

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About Citi
Citi, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Citi's major brand names include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.comor www.citi.com.

Citi Financial Education
Based on the belief that knowledge is your greatest asset, the Citi Financial Education Program is a global, company-wide effort to identify, support and implement initiatives that help give individuals, families and communities the tools needed to make sound financial decisions. Citi's ten-year, $200 million global commitment is focused in three areas: Personal, Small Business and Institutional Financial Education. Additional information about Citi Financial Education Program, including Citi Foundation guidelines, links and resources and the Citi Financial Education Program Curriculum and Facilitator's Guide may be found at http://financialeducation.citigroup.com.

Faculty of Business Administration, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Faculty of Business Administration at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUBA) is a pioneer in business education in Hong Kong. For over 40 years, CUBA has nurtured more than 12,000 undergraduates and over 4,000 MBA graduates, who are now very successful business leaders and entrepreneurs, and hold prominent management positions in local and international corporations. With an uncompromising insistence on quality and innovation, CUBA continues to strengthen its status as one of the leading business schools in Asia. For more information, please visit www.baf.cuhk.edu.hk.