DISCOVER HKBU

From financial journalism to film: Up close with Chung Suet-ying

28 Feb 2025

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Chung Suet-ying inspires the audience with anecdotes from her days at HKBU and her thoughts on winning the Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actress for The Way We Talk.
From left: Professor Raymond Li, Head and Professor of Practice, Department of Journalism; Ms Chung Suet-ying, HKBU alumna and Best Leading Actress winner of the Golden Horse Award, 2024 and Mr Clemence Poon, Part-time Lecturer, Department of Journalism.

From a graduate of HKBU’s pioneering Financial Journalism programme, to making it big on the silver screen, HKBU alumna Chung Suet-ying has made her mark as a rising star in the Hong Kong film industry. Chung’s star power grew brighter when she was named Best Leading Actress at the Golden Horse Awards 2024, for her portrayal of a deaf girl in The Way We Talk. 

On 14 February, Chung returned to HKBU for a sharing session organised by the Department of Journalism at the School of Communication. Professor Raymond Li, Head and Professor of Practice; and Mr Clemence Poon, Part-time Lecturer in Financial Journalism of the Department of Journalism, facilitated the sharing which was well-attended by staff and students. 

Despite her success, Chung retains a humble demeanour, often reflecting on her roots. She reminisces fondly of her days at HKBU, from surviving five days without sleep as an Exco member (上莊) of student associations, to being blown away by the amazing transformation of the Lee Shau Kee Communication and Visual Arts Building rooftop.

“I’m truly honoured to be here today. The Department of Journalism gave me a lot of support and many opportunities for self-reflection. I learned to be more demanding of myself, so as to live up to the School of Communication’s motto, ‘Truth is Virtue’,” Chung says in her opening.  

As the first class of graduates in Financial Journalism, Chung started from scratch, working on The Young Financial Post, an experience she still relishes today. Since then, she has learned to apply the skills of observation in real life and cultivated a habit of being inquisitive and nosy. “I feel energised and motivated from listening to others' stories. If you listen with your heart, you will find inspiration from their journeys to fuel your own." 

After graduation, Chung worked as a DJ at Commercial Radio Hong Kong, and also ventured into lyrics-writing with great success. Her acting career took off when she starred in Limited Education in 2019. Her talent was quickly recognised, landing her roles in Time (2021), The Lyricist Wanna Be (2023) and her award-winning turn in The Way We Talk (2024).

“I’d like to share my blessings from winning the Golden Horse Award with everyone on the team. I was happy people paid attention to what I was doing, but even more importantly, I was happy that the crew, the cinematographer and other team members of my generation were being seen and recognised. I want to give the award, and the hope and joy it brings to all the young people in different industries.”

As she looks to the future, Chung expresses a desire to remain grounded and authentic. “Staying curious and resilient physically and mentally is key. And never stop learning. I still find time for podcasts, radio and films.” She also urges everyone to go to the cinema and show their support for the film industry.