A COOL IDEA A cross-faculty team of seven undergraduate students won the 2024 James Dyson Award Hong Kong for designing a cooling device that fits on the safety helmets of construction workers. The device mitigates heat stress, which can be a real threat to workers given the temperatures inside their helmets can soar up to 45 degrees Celsius when they are labouring in summer heat. The project began when Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies students Jeff Li and Joseph Wong were in their first year and wanted to create something impactful. Initially, they focussed on a hands-free cooling solution for hikers, but then they realised the serious health risks facing construction workers. They began building prototypes, recruited friends studying engineering, business and law, and formed a company, Hay-koze, in 2022. Along the way, they received support from the Faculties of Architecture and Medicine, the Tam Wing Fan Innovation Wing in the Faculty of Engineering, and the iDendron programme of HKU’s Techno-Entrepreneurship Core. “We all graduated in 2024 and were wondering whether to invest full-time in this project, so winning the James Dyson Award gave us a massive confidence boost. We will continue pushing the project to maturity and we are seeking partnerships with major contractors in Hong Kong,” said Mr Li. Students have been embracing opportunities to apply AI and other technologies in the real world, through their own projects and HKU-organised internships. TECH SAVVY Jim presenting a novel approach to remediating the issue of immune evasion during immunotherapy at the iGEM 2023 Grand Jamboree. CROSS-FACULTY TEAM WINS GOLD A team of 25 students from the Faculties of Science, Medicine and Engineering earned a gold medal in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) 2023 Grand Jamboree, held in November. Student teams from around the world had been invited to develop solutions to global challenges using synthetic biology, and the HKU team engineered macrophages based on self-replicating RNA to enhance the treatment of solid cancerous tumours, particularly immunotherapy treatment. The students were supported by their faculties, the Common Core and the Tam Wing Fan Innovation Wing. Jim Cheung Chi Hung, now a fourth-year Bachelor of Science student and one of the team leaders, said they are continuing to develop their innovation further so that it can be more effective, accessible and affordable, and delivered simply via injection. “This was a completely student-run team and the leadership, idea generation, team management, funding and direction were all decided by team members. It has given us students an unprecedented learning opportunity that cannot be received through final-year projects or internships,” he said. OPPORTUNITY THROUGH AI INTERNSHIPS HKU was the first university in Hong Kong to organise AI internships. In summer 2024, more than 100 students and more than 30 firms joined the programme arranged by the Centre of Development and Resources for Students. Among the student participants were third-year Bachelor of Engineering students Widjaja Edward Aryaguna, originally from Indonesia, and Oh Hyun Young, originally from Korea. Both students worked with Merck Pharmaceutical HK where they had opportunities to develop and optimise AI-based solutions related to sales orders and forecasting, and learn more about project management, design and proposal. Mr Aryaguna also successfully pitched a chatbot on product information for the sales and marketing team. “All of the skills and new AI knowledge I gained will be very useful for my future career as an aspiring data scientist. In fact, utilising AI and machine learning models in a real-world setting is an experience most students at my level would not have,” Mr Aryaguna said. He came to HKU because of the opportunities it offered, a view echoed by Mr Oh. “HKU aligns with my academic interests and offers invaluable networking opportunities through its strong connections with industry professionals. The AI internship not only expanded my technical knowledge but also provided me with insights on the workings of a multinational organisation.” MEMO TO SELF: STUDY MORE EFFICIENTLY Two medical students, who laboured over learning large amounts of information for their pre-clinical studies, have devised an AIpowered platform that now has over 180,000 users across 30 different academic disciplines. Their start-up, Memo (formerly PDF2Anki), automates the creation of flashcards by making lecture slides, notes, presentations and other PDF files compatible with the Anki flashcard app. This saves hours of time that would be needed to do this manually. The project began when Jason Chan Chi Shing (now MBBS Year 3) and Calvin Cheung Tin Chun (MBBS Year 4) were in their first year, and they developed it over weekends and study breaks. Mr Chan, who leads product development, received an Innovation and Technology Scholarship in August 2024 for his work from the Innovation and Technology Commission, HSBC and The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups. “It was challenging to find time, but our passion for the project and its potential impact kept us motivated. What started as a solution to our own study challenges has grown into a tool helping students worldwide. This award is a validation of our work, and I plan to use the opportunity to further develop our AI capabilities and explore new technologies in the Greater Bay Area,” he said. A cross-faculty team of undergraduate students developed a cooling device that attaches to the safety helmets of construction workers. Merck Pharmaceutical HK hosted an end of internship award ceremony where Oh Hyun Young (first from left) and Widjaja Edward Aryaguna (centre) were presented with the Exemplary Progress Award in recognition of their dedication and hard work. MBBS students and co-founders of Memo – Calvin Cheung (left) and Jason Chan (right). 16 17 HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2024 TEACHING AND LEARNING
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