‘Sustainable Green Building’ takes top prize in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Camp-cum-STEM Competition hosted by Lingnan and PKU

The first-ever Lingnan-Yuanpei STEM Summer Academy, organised jointly by Lingnan University and Yuanpei College of Peking University (PKU), held a seven-day Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Camp-cum-STEM Competition from 22 to 28 June. Thirty of the best students from both universities formed five teams to compete on various innovative and entrepreneurial smart green technological projects. After a tight race, the project “Sustainable Green Building” team won the championship prize, and the chance to be nominated for the Lingnan University Entrepreneurship Fund, and will be put up for an application for seed or incubation funds.

Fifteen outstanding students from each university, majoring in artificial intelligence, data science, business, finance, and philosophy, joined the Lingnan-Yuanpei STEM Summer Academy having attended online and offline seminars, lectures, and immersive workshops over the past two months held by experienced business people and top scientists. The students learned about STEM, green technology, and high-tech industry development, and also innovative commercial processes. An entrepreneurial spirit was encouraged in the context of regional and global institutional transformation, and the students formed five teams from both universities in order to design imaginative and enterprising projects for the STEM competition.

In his welcome speech, Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University, expressed his pleasure in such talented students participating in this challenge, and added “In today’s world, we face various challenges, both old and new. A rapid pace of digitisation has brought fundamental changes to our lives and society, highlighting the importance of technological innovation and social responsibility. We have created this platform for students from Lingnan and Yuanpei to come together to exchange knowledge and explore new ideas. We hope that this activity will not only broaden your horizons, but also offer you a chance to experience Hong Kong's unique culture, and sustainable development practice.”

Prof Li Meng, Dean of Yuanpei College of PKU, thanked Lingnan for its tremendous support in putting together the “Lingnan-Yuanpei STEM Summer Academy”. He said the students had been warmly received and thoughtfully accommodated by Lingnan University, and that session includes training seminars, talks on entrepreneurial strategy, field trips to corporate innovation projects, cultural excursions in Hong Kong, and innovation and entrepreneurship competitions. I believe that students will definitely gain a lot in this two-month cross-institutional collaboration driving innovation in education and cultivating a competitive yet collaborative culture as young entrepreneurs.”

In the STEM competition, the five competing teams developed different business plans related to smart green technology: “Sustainable green buildings”, “Smart automatic control system improves quality of life”, “Smart Residential College System”, “The Holographic Projection Platform where reality and virtual reality coexist”, and “Drone (FPV) competition projects and on-site platforms”. Each group presented their business plans, competing against one another.

The judges were three top scientific and technological innovation experts, Mr Edmund Lee, Chairman of the Hong Kong Technology Incubation Network and Director of the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, Mr Raymond Chu, Associate Director (University Collaborations) at the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation, and Ms Marina Chan, Executive Director of the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node.

After a fierce struggle, team "Sustainable Green Building" won the Championship. The project will use Lingnan University's new campus building as a benchmark for designing a green building, aligning with Hong Kong's carbon neutrality goal and sustainable development vision. This green building will serve as a low-carbon demonstration, integrating various sustainable and smart technologies. It aims to achieve net-zero energy consumption to showcase renewable energy utilisation, while reducing operational carbon emissions through various intelligent energy-saving and eco-friendly technologies.

The teams “The Holographic Projection Platform where reality and virtual reality coexist” and “Smart Residential College System” won 1st runner-up and 2nd runner-up, respectively, while “Smart automatic control system improves quality of life” and “Drone (FPV) competition projects and on-site platforms” received a Merit Award.

Prof Li Donghui, Associate Vice-President (Student Affairs) of Lingnan University, voiced her sincere gratitude to the administrative support and care to students from colleagues of the Office of Student Affairs at Lingnan, and hoped that will remain enthusiastic about learning, innovation, and excellence, saying “This summer academy and competition symbolise the collaboration and innovation between students from both universities, and mark the beginning of a journey towards entrepreneurship. I firmly believe that you will continue to progress and grow in your respective fields, and look forward to your growing curiosity and creativity towards the advancement of science for the betterment of human life, as well as an entrepreneurial spirit of working together to overcome difficulties in pursuing your goals tirelessly." She also anticipates members of Lingnan staff and students collaborating with Peking University for the next summer academy as agreed by the two universities.

For more information, please visit: Lingnan-Yuanpei STEM Summer Academy | Office of Student Affairs (ln.edu.hk).

About the Lingnan-Yuanpei STEM Summer Academy

The Academy was divided into two. The first part, which took place from March to June, included a launch ceremony, pre-academy workshops, and individual guidance.  The second part was a seven-day Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Camp-cum-STEM Competition held at the end of June. 

Part 1: 

Leading professors and scholars were invited to preside over seminars and talks for students. Some came from Peking and Tsinghua Universities, and others from Lingnan University’s School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Science Unit, Entrepreneurship Education Section under the Faculty of Business, and Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative (LEI). Students develop a deeper understanding of entrepreneurship, enhance their skills in their assigned project theme, and integrate theoretical knowledge with practical application. 

Part 2:

Students from the two universities attend a series of immersive workshops and site visits together. With guidance from project advisors, successful entrepreneurs, and top scientists, they develop feasible business plans for the STEM competition. The winning team not only receives a prize, but their project may be nominated for the Lingnan University Entrepreneurship Fund and recommended for various seed or incubation funds.