The University of Hong Kong launches Asia’s first Music Entrepreneurship and Popular Practice initiative

The University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Arts has launched Music Entrepreneurship and Popular Practice (MEPoP), a practitioner-driven initiative and the first of its kind in Asia.

Announced on September 1, the programme brings together industry professionals, artists, scholars, and critics to collaborate, exchange perspectives, and equip the next generation of creators and executives with practical skills.

In its first phase, MEPoP will focus on two pillars: music business and entrepreneurship, plus popular music and creative practice.

Initial offerings include three intensive courses: Music Business and Entrepreneurship, DJ Practice, and Songwriting.

These courses are complemented by public-facing activities such as lectures, roundtables, workshops, masterclasses, songwriting camps, and innovation competitions, with plans for further expansion.

Professor Daniel Chua, Chair Professor of Music at HKU and MEPoP’s chief advisor, said, “HKU has always been a leader in fusing theoretical learning with practical applications. We believe this exciting initiative will provide participants with an extra set of skills to succeed in the music industry, both as executives at the highest levels and as creators of the hits of tomorrow.”

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Co-Director Mr Jonathan Serbin, former Co-President of Warner Music Asia and CEO of Greater China of Warner Music, highlighted the importance of industry knowledge: “The music markets across Asia continue to grow rapidly. Music is the perfect example of an industry where theory and real-world skills can mesh to provide a powerful toolbox for those who wish to excel in the field.”

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Professor Rujing Stacy Huang, Assistant Professor of Music at HKU and Co-Director of MEPoP, reflected on the programme’s broader vision: “What I most look forward to in building a platform such as MEPoP is the possibility it presents in connecting worlds otherwise distant or disjointed: between the creative and the critical, between ‘pop’ and ‘indie’, between makers and thinkers, between human and AI, and between industry and academia.”

She added: “None of this will be easy, especially in the increasingly fragmented and divided world we live in, but it is for this reality that I believe MEPoP has a reason to exist and a true difference to make.”

Day-to-day operations will be managed by Dr Li Meng de Bakker aka Mengzy, who will also be the Lead Instructor for the DJing course.

For more info on MEPoP, head here.

Amira Waworuntu is Mixmag Asia’s Managing Editor, follow her on Instagram.

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