Recipient of Sir Edward Youde Memorial Scholarship for Overseas Studies in 1993/94
尤德爵士紀念基金海外獎學金1993/94年得獎者
As an international financial center, the stability of the financial system (including the banking system) of Hong Kong is inextricably linked to its economy and people’s livelihood. The recipient of the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Scholarships for Overseas Studies in 1993/94, the Executive Director (Banking Conduct) at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Mr. Alan Au strives to protect bank customers at large by strengthening banking supervision while promoting technological development among banks in Hong Kong to enhance their global competitiveness.
After receiving the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund Overseas Scholarship in 1993, Mr. Au went to New York State to study for the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Upon graduation, Mr. Au returned to Hong Kong and worked in the Information Technology Department at an international investment bank, assisting it in building the internal systems of Hong Kong and other branches. A few years later, willing to contribute to the society more directly, he applied for the position of Administrative Officer and joined the government. Being a civil servant, Mr. Au has worked in multiple departments, including the Information Technology and Broadcasting Bureau, and the Development Bureau, etc. Moreover, he has participated in many projects that mark new milestones in Hong Kong, such as Electronic Service Delivery and the development of smart ID cards. After obtaining a Master of Science in Finance, Mr. Au joined the Hong Kong Monetary Authority in 2010 and currently serves as the Executive Director (Banking Conduct) to promote sound bank conduct and culture.
The current role of Mr. Au involves different fields across the banking industry. Apart from supervising the banks’ conduct, he has also launched various projects to enhance the protection to bank customers, including the requirements for banks to retain electronic statements of personal customers for 7 years for retrieval with the proliferation of digital banking services, as well as facilitating customers to request the wrong recipients to return the mis-transferred funds within 20 working days, etc.
Mr. Au added that although the rise of big data and Artificial Intelligence has facilitated the development of FinTech, it also brought about new challenges to bank supervision. On one hand, FinTech brings convenience to identity verification, anti-money laundering and credit risk assessment etc., but on the other hand, it has also aroused controversy on affecting financial inclusion as created by the digital divide. Therefore, the Authority has developed four guiding principles on consumer protection, namely governance and accountability, fairness, transparency and disclosure, and data privacy and protection. His vision is to witness the application of FinTech enhancing the overall clients’ experience and benefits, and providing more comprehensive protection for them, besides reducing cost of and bringing benefits to the banks.
The Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund had a far-reaching impact on Mr. Au, as it provided financial support for him to realize his dream of studying abroad. Never has he forgotten the support given by the Fund, he always reminds himself to give back to the society. Subsequently, he returned to Hong Kong after completing his degree in the United States, and joined the government, to fulfill his promises.
On the day of the interview, Mr. Au took out a stack of nostalgic photo albums from his backpack that recorded every detail of his study tour to Beijing and Qingdao, which was organized by the Sir Edward Youde Scholars Association in 1995. During the trip, participants visited historical sites in Beijing such as the Forbidden City and the Tiananmen Square, along with enterprises and social welfare institutions in Qingdao and they had to submit a final travel report that combined their valuable experiences and their research conducted prior to the trip. As it was his very first study tour to the Mainland of China, the trip has further strengthened his determination of contributing back to the society as he came to understand the social, cultural and economic circumstances of the Mainland better.
香港是國際金融中心，金融體系（包括銀行體系）的穩定與經濟、社會、民生各方面息息相關。尤德爵士紀念基金海外獎學金1993/94年得獎者，香港金融管理局助理總裁（銀行操守）區毓麟先生不但致力在銀行監管方面保障大眾客戶，還同時推動銀行的科技發展，務求提升香港銀行的全球競爭力。
區先生在1993年獲得尤德爵士紀念基金海外獎學金後，遠赴美國紐約州仁斯利爾理工大學攻讀的電機工程學理學學士。畢業後，區先生回到香港，在一家國際性投資銀行的資訊科技部門協助該行建設香港與其他分公司的內部系統。幾年後，他希望能更直接地貢獻社會，因此投考政務主任，加入政府。區先生曾任職於資訊科技及廣播局、發展局等部門，並參與過各種對本港具里程碑意義的項目，如公共服務電子化、開發智能身份證等。在獲取金融學理學碩士學位後，區先生於2010年加入香港金融管理局，現時擔任助理總裁，促進銀行的良好操守和文化。
區先生目前的職責涵蓋銀行多個範疇。除了銀行操守的監管外，他亦落實不同新措施，以加強對銀行客戶的保障。例如在數碼銀行服務的大趨勢下，推動銀行保留7年的個人客戶電子帳單記錄；以及在客戶錯誤轉帳的情況下可向銀行申請要求收款人20日內退回有關款項等。
他亦表示，近年興起的大數據和人工智能科技有助推動金融科技的發展，但同時也為銀行監管帶來新的挑戰。雖然金融科技一方面為身份驗證、反洗錢、信貸風險等業務範疇提供便利，但同時也衍生會否因為數碼鴻溝影響普及金融的爭議。因此，局方為銀行制定了四大保障銀行消費者原則，包括管治及問責性、公平性、資料披露及透明度、資料的私隱及保障。他期望金融科技的應用不單能為銀行節省成本和帶來好處，同時亦能提升客戶體驗及利益，以及更全面的保障客戶。
尤德爵士紀念基金對出身基層的區先生影響深遠，獎學金為他提供財政支持，讓他實現海外升學的夢想。他一直銘記着基金會給予的支持，並時刻提醒自己要取諸社會，用諸社會。於是他完成美國的學位後回流香港工作，並加入政府，履行當年得獎時回饋社會的承諾。
訪談當天，區先生從背包中取出一疊厚厚懷舊的相集，紀錄了1995年尤德學者協會北京及青島訪問團的一點一滴。訪問團當年參觀了北京的古蹟，如故宮、天安門廣場，以及到訪青島的企業及社福機構等等。團員需結合事前的研究與旅途中的考察，最後發佈一份訪問報告。他坦言，這是他第一次到內地考察，這次旅程使他更了解內地社會文化和經濟狀況，進一步加強了他要貢獻社會的決心。