HSUHK Innovation Project Competition

HSUHK Innovation Project Competition 2025


About the Competition

The HSUHK Innovation Project Competition (“the Competition”), organised by the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL), is now celebrating its 10th anniversary! Over the past decade, this Competition has nurtured countless innovative ideas and empowered students like you to make a real impact on the world. This year, we are inviting you to push the boundaries even further by addressing some of the most urgent issues facing our society today—through the lens of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. 

 

At HSUHK, we believe that you, our students, hold the key to creating a better future. By participating in this competition, you’ll have the opportunity to develop innovative solutions that directly address real-world challenges. Whether it’s creating a more sustainable campus, promoting diversity and inclusion, or improving governance practices, your ideas can have a lasting impact on our community. Think about it: your project could not only win an award but also contribute to building a better world—starting right here at HSUHK. 

Theme of the Year: ESG@HSUHK

The theme for the 2025 HSUHK Innovation Project Competition is ESG@HSUHK, focusing on the three pillars of Environmental, Social, and Governance issues. ESG is increasingly recognised as a key framework for ensuring sustainable development, addressing global challenges, and fostering a more equitable and resilient society. As HSUHK students, you are in a unique position to shape this future, both on campus and beyond. 

Through joining this Competition, you can:  

    • Make a Difference: Your ideas have the power to make a tangible impact on HSUHK and beyond, whether it is through reducing the campus’s environmental footprint, promoting social equity, or improving governance standards. 
    • Gain Real-World Skills: By addressing ESG challenges, you will gain invaluable experience that’s highly sought after by employers. Sustainability, social responsibility, and corporate governance are increasingly becoming top priorities in the job market.
    • Build Your Network: Through workshops, talks, and networking opportunities with industry professionals, you will connect with leaders who are at the forefront of ESG innovation. This could be the start of meaningful collaborations or even future career opportunities.
    • Showcase Your Creativity: This is your stage to shine! You will present your ideas to a panel of judges, refining your presentation and communication skills—skills that are crucial no matter what career path you choose. 
    • Celebrate HSUHK’s Future: As we celebrate the Competition’s 10th anniversary, your participation will contribute to a legacy of innovation and impact at HSUHK. What better way to mark this milestone than by being part of the solutions that shape tomorrow?

ESG@HSUHK Project Categories

Your project can address one or more of the following sub-categories, offering you flexibility to target the area you are most passionate about: 

  • Natural and biodiversity preservation: Develop solutions to protect ecosystems, conserve wildlife, or promote biodiversity—on campus or in the broader community.
  • Eco-friendly campus: How can we make HSUHK a greener, more sustainable campus? Propose initiatives that reduce waste, increase energy efficiency, or promote sustainable transportation. 
  • Healthy campus and responsible living: Innovate ways to contribute to a healthier campus environment, including improving air quality, promoting clean and green living, or creating a supportive and responsible environment that enhances well-being for all. 

 

  • Social mobility and wellness: Create solutions that break down barriers to education, employment, or healthcare, especially for underprivileged communities. Consider how wellness initiatives (e.g., mental health support, healthy living) can be integrated to enhance overall social mobility. 
  • Community engagement: Design projects that bring HSUHK students and the local community closer together, encouraging service-learning, volunteering, or other meaningful interactions that foster a greater sense of community. 
  • Diversity and inclusivity: Innovate ways to foster a more inclusive campus or society by addressing issues related to gender, race, disability, or other forms of diversity. 
  • Mitigation of risks: Identify key risks facing HSUHK, such as student safety, data security, financial management or even reputational risks. Develop strategies or tools to better manage these risks and prepare the University for unexpected challenges. 
  • Compliance and ethics policies: Design frameworks or policies to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability in student unions, clubs, and societies, fostering ethical leadership among student representatives and ensuring that governance practices promote a culture of responsibility and well-being. 
Schedule
Stages Date Actions
Stage 1:
Application
From October 2024 Students form teams and submit application forms online.
Application submission deadline: 27 December 2024, Friday
Stage 2:
Workshop on ESG (Taster Session)
24 October 2024 ESG Exploratorium: Designing a Sustainable Campus
Stage 3:
Proposal Write-up
January to February 2025 Writing the innovation project proposal.
Project submission deadline: 7 February 2025, Friday
Stage 4:
Theme-based and Skill-based Talks & Workshops (Updated 14/1/2025)
9 January 2025 (Thur)
16 January 2025 (Thur)
23 January 2025 (Thur)
10 February 2025 (Mon)
13 February 2025 (Thur)
20 February 2025 (Thur)
From Green Buildings to Scenic Routes: An Eco Tour Experience (9/1/2025)
Write Your Successful Proposal: Begin with the End in Mind (16/1/2025)
ESG Journey Starts Here: Inspiring Sustainable Innovations at HSUHK (16/1/2025)
Impact Innovation: Secrets to Unlocking Your Creative Mind (23/1/2025)
Tour to "The Henderson" (10/2/2025)
Facilitative Questioning in ESG Consultation (13/2/2025)
Pitch your Pitch (20/2/2025)
Stage 5:
Consultation
February 2025 Consultation sessions will be provided.
Stage 6:
Pitching Competition
27 February 2025 (Thurs)@D801 Pitching Competition and Award Presentation Ceremony
Competition Details
  • All current HSUHK full-time undergraduate students are eligible to participate.
    • Participants must form a project team of 2 to 4 students and submit the application form by 23:59, 27 December 2024 (Friday)(Participating project teams DO NOT need to submit proposals in the application stage). 
    • At least 50% of their teammates should sign up for all the workshops and activities lined up. The attendance may affect their chance of being shortlisted/ will be shown in the marking sheet. 
    • Each project team may submit ONE entry only. 
    • The entry must be the students’ own work demonstrating their innovative concept, creative design/modelling, as well as its practicability and impact. 
    • The entry shall be a proposal outlining an ESG innovation project that should be related to The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK), in the form of an advocacy event, a start-up, an enhancement plan for an existing project.
       
    • The proposal should illustrate the following content:
      – Need or problem identification
      – Existing solution(s) (if any)
      – Proposed solution(s) (including format, timeline, operation details, budget, expected difficulties and solutions, etc.)
      – Expected impact to the beneficiaries and/or an organisation
    • Each team has to submit a proposal with the following requirements:
      – MUST be in PowerPoint format
      – Maximum 30 slides for PowerPoint
      – Any text, images and videos can be included
      – Should be in English
      – Submitted electronically via the Proposal Submission Microsoft Form by 7 February 2025 23:59 (Friday).

– The judge panel reserves the right to shortlist the participating project teams for the Pitching Competition.
– Each (shortlisted) project team must send at least one member to attend the Pitching Competition to compete for the awards.
– A panel of judges will be appointed to assess the entries based on the following criteria:

    • Innovativeness (25%)
    • Relevance and impact (25%)
    • Proposal write-up (30%)
    • Presentation (20%)
    • Champion: HK$20,000 and an award certificate 
    • 1st runner-up: HK$10,000 and an award certificate 
    • 2nd runner-up: HK$5,000 and an award certificate
    • 4 Special Prizes in selected categories (if deemed applicable): HK$3,000 each and an award certificate 

    The awarded teams will also be recommended to join the Pre-Incubation Programme organised by the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE)

      • The results will be announced shortly after the Pitching Competition at the Award Presentation Ceremony. 
      • The awarded project teams must attend the Award Presentation Ceremony to receive the awards. 
      • The organisers reserve the right of rescheduling the date of the Award Presentation Ceremony depending on the situation. 
      • The decision of the judge panel is final. 
  • The organisers reserve the right not to accept any application submitted in response to this Competition and the right to interpret, amend, supplement the terms and conditions in the guidelines.
  • The organisers reserve the right to disqualify any team that violates the rules, conditions or spirit of the Competition. In case of any dispute, any decision made by the organisers shall be final and conclusive.
  • All materials submitted must be original work and must not contain any unauthorised use of copyrighted or proprietary materials of any person or entity. Any form of plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification. Use of thoughts or work of another source must be properly referenced.
Talk Series and Workshops: Free-of-charge! Register Now!

A series of talks and training workshops on the ideas and knowledge of ESG, innovation, real-life case sharing, and presentation skills will be organised to prepare you better for the pitching competition. The talks and the workshops can certainly assist you to craft your proposal! Of course, all HSUHK students are welcome (even if you are not joining the Innovation Competition).

*iGPS units will be granted to participants attending each workshop.

Impact Innovation: Secrets to Unlocking Your Creative Mind

Date: 23 January 2025 (Thursday)
Time: 14:00 – 15:15
Venue: A403, 4/F, S H Ho Academic Building, HSUHK
Speaker: Mr Cyron Chan, Executive Director, MakerBay Foundation

✅ Unlock Your Creative Potential: Immerse in the world of design thinking and ignite your innovation capabilities. Discover new ways to approach problem-solving and generate groundbreaking ideas. 🧠💡 

✅ Collaborative Networking: Connect with like-minded individuals and build valuable connections.  🤝🌟 

✅ Real-World Application: Gain practical skills that you can apply to real-world scenarios. Design thinking is a versatile approach that can be used in various industries and professions, giving you a valuable edge in your career. 💼🌍 

About Mr Cyron Chan:
Cyron is passionate about design thinking training, no-code development, and mentoring young entrepreneurs. As Executive Director of MakerBay Foundation, he directs the strategic development and growth of the organisation, to empower young people with maker skills and mindsets to make an impact. One of the projects he led is the Impact Innovation Lab, funded by SIE Fund, which aims to incubate 80 early stage social enterprises in 3 years.

Register HERE 

The ESG Journey: Enhancing Our University’s Sustainability Practices

Date: 16 January 2025 (Thursday)
Time: 15:15 – 16:15
Venue: A403, 4/F, S H Ho Academic Building
Speaker: Dr Belinda Yau, Assistant Professor, Department of Accountancy, HSUHK

Do you have an interest in knowing more about our university’s sustainability practices?

Gain Insight into ESG: Understand the significance of ESG criteria and how they influence sustainable business operations. 💼

Evaluate Current Initiatives: Learn about our university’s ongoing ESG initiatives and how they align with best practices. 🎓

Explore Financial Implications: Discover the financial impacts of ESG issues and how they affect long-term business viability. 💵

About Dr Belinda Yau:
Dr Belinda Yau is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Accountancy. She holds PhD and master’s degree in accountancy from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and is a Certified Public Accountant (non-practising) in Hong Kong as well as a Certified ESG Analyst. Prior to pursuing her PhD, she worked as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers specialising in the financial services sector and as a forensic accountant dealing with insolvency and forensic accounting cases. She received her bachelor’s degree in managerial economics minoring in philosophy from University of California, Davis. Her research interests include auditing, policy implication, and financial reporting.

Register HERE
 

Write Your Successful Proposal: Begin with the End in Mind

Date: 16 January 2025 (Thursday)
Time: 14:00 – 15:00
Venue: A403, 4/F, S H Ho Academic Building, HSUHK
Speaker: Ms Cloris Chan, Fullness Social Enterprises Society Limited

Are you ready to polish your proposal writing skills? 

Engage Your Audience: Discover methods to captivate readers and ensure your proposals stand out. 📝

Make a Lasting Impression: Acquire skills that will help your proposals leave a significant impact, increasing your chances of success. ⭐

About Ms Cloris Chan:
Cloris has been dedicated to the non-profit sector since her graduation. Cloris joined Fullness Social Enterprises Society (FSES, 豐盛社企學會), with a mission to support youth through innovative social initiatives. With extensive experience in project management, Cloris can offer valuable insights into proposal writing from an execution perspective.

Register HERE 

From Green Buildings to Scenic Routes: An Eco-Tour Experience

Date: 9 January 2025 (Thursday)
Time: 15:00 – 17:00
Gather Point: Entrance at D Building (close to D corner’s vending machine)
Facilitator: Dr Michael Chan, Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Science, HSUHK

kick off the semester with an immersive ecological tour that will be both enlightening and inspiring on 9 January 2025 (Thursday). Whether you are passionate about the environment, architecture, or simply love nature, this is a unique opportunity for you to connect with like-minded individuals and deepen your appreciation for our planet. 

ESG Exploratorium: Designing A Sustainable Campus

Date: 24 October 2024 (Thursday)
Time: 14:30 – 15:45
Venue: A403, 4/F, S H Ho Academic Building, HSUHK
Facilitator: Ms Kati Ng, Centre for Teaching and Learning

ESG is not just a buzzword but something you, as an HSUHK student, can actually take part and make a difference!

Join us for this exciting workshop that dives deep into Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues impacting our campus and community!

In this hands-on workshop, you will get to:

  • Explore ESG Issues   
  • Network with Like-minded Students
  • Think Creatively to Solve the Problems

 

Through interactive discussions and collaborative activities, you will gain insights into pressing sustainability challenges. You can also learn about our Competition more!

Submit for the Competition!

Form a team and complete the Application Form on or before 27 December 2024 to join! 

Organiser
teaching-and-learning-enhancement-CTL-HSUHK
teaching-and-learning-enhancement-CTL-HSUHK
 
Strategic Partners
teaching-and-learning-enhancement-CTL-HSUHK
Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship-09

Phone

3963 5011

Email

teaching-learning@hsu.edu.hk