On September 21, 2024, the HKU Centennial Campus came alive with the bustling energy of enthusiastic students who gathered for the Hackathon Launch Day from across four universities. The hackathon will be a 1-month competition that culminates in the final demo and presentation day on the 19 October 2024.
The day began with participant registration, followed by a warm welcome address that set an inclusive tone for the day. The ice-breaking session that followed not only loosened up the participants but also fostered a sense of community among them.
A significant portion of the morning was dedicated to clarifying the hackathon rules and the exciting prizes up for grabs, ensuring all contestants were well-informed and aligned with the expectations. This was followed by a series of enlightening talks from esteemed speakers:
- Mr. Cyron Chan from MakerBay Foundation captivated the audience with insights into “Prototyping Gen AI Solutions with No Code”, which demonstrated innovative, accessible tech solutions.
- Prof. Kaimin Shih from HKU Engineering discussed the “Sustainable Waste-Resource System”, highlighting environmental challenges and sustainable practices.
- Prof. Albert Ko from the Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative shared valuable knowledge on “Humanitarian Technologies”, emphasizing technology’s role in solving social issues.
The networking lunch provided a great opportunity for participants to mingle, discuss ideas, and form their hackathon teams in a relaxed atmosphere. Post-lunch activities included a detailed overview of the upcoming workshops and critical hackathon deadlines. The official events rounded off with some free time for teams to strategize and plan their projects.
Over 250 students formed 61 teams to compete in this year’s hackathon competition.
