CityU SDGs X Fintech Hackathon 2023
CityU Fintech, a student-run society, organized its flagship programme, CityU SDGs x Fintech Hackathon 2023, on 10 – 12 March at CityU Lau Ming Wai Academic Building, with the support of Momenday Consulting Limited (co-host organization), Gamenoodlesoup Limited (Strategic Partner) and Microsoft Hong Kong (Technology Partner). This year’s theme is “Financial Inclusion” that focuses on 7 Sustainable Development Goals from the United Nations. The event brought together 125 young innovators from CityU and other universities in Hong Kong to tackle pressing societal challenges through development of apps or software programmes.
Under the guidance of industry mentors and social entrepreneurs, participating teams worked together to innovate, develop and pitch pioneering solutions through engaging in a series of workshops, and classes, and sharing on design thinking and social innovation. Students analyzed the challenges faced by youths, minority women and elderly in Hong Kong and created inspirative and impactful solutions.
Christy Ma and Rico Choi, BBA Global Business students, with two teammates from another university won the Most Collaborative Team & Most Outstanding Team Award with a gamified investment simulation app “Wealth-Known” designed to enhance financial literacy among teenagers in Hong Kong. The app is the first wealth management app for secondary schools locally with the objective to improve social mobility, consolidate academic knowledge, and enhance academic results. It features multiple-choice questions, trading sessions, news updates, and difficulty levels, allowing teachers to explain financial concepts to students. “Our team’s experience in the hackathon has been both educational and inspiring. We have learned to address real-world challenges through innovative solutions effectively and will carry these lessons with us in our future endeavors,” the students shared.
Simulation app “Wealth-Known” presentation from the Most Collaborative Team & Most Outstanding Team Awardees
Owen Huang, BBA Global Business, wins the Best Presenter
Owen Huang, BBA Global Business, won the Best Presenter, and together with his team members, Lai Yip-ka, BBA Global Business, and Louie Cho Yam, BBA Global Business Systems Management, won the Most Impactful Team Award. Their group created an AI-powered HR platform named SkillBoot targeted to address recruitment difficulties faced by companies in Hong Kong and youth financial issues. It uses API and big data to match the right talent with companies, while academic training units provide skills and confidence to users. The platform benefits companies with long-term HR management, effective contract management, and ESG social aspects, while young talents benefit from early connections with employers, financial burden release, and motivation to complete training. “We had the opportunity to network and interact with high-profile industry experts, which was beneficial not just for refining our idea but also for knowing how to bring this idea beyond the competition,” said Owen Huang.
CityU Fintech Society Director, Vicki Lai, BBA Global Business, expressed, “It was our pleasure to host the CityU SDGs x Fintech Hackathon under the support of College of Business this year! The energy and creativity of the participants were truly inspiring, and it was amazing to see their innovative ideas come to life over the course of the weekend. As one participant put it, 'The hackathon was an incredible opportunity to learn from peers and mentors, and to develop skills that will serve us well throughout our careers.' We couldn't agree more. We're already looking forward to next year's event!”
CityU Fintech Society is a student-run organization dedicated to education, innovation and impact. In the digital and globalised world, the unique combination of technology and business is a competitive advantage. The Society aims to equip students with skills, knowledge and industry connections to thrive in this changing world.
From left:
1. Joyce Yeung, Assistant Vice President, OCBC Bank;
2. Eric Leung, Manager, NES Holdings Limited;
3. Jacky Liang, Business Development Manager, The Laboratory for AI-Powered Financial Technologies Limited;
4. Eric Chan, Director, Yihoksik;
5. Hugo Ho, Advisory, Deloitte
6. (Event judge) Vincent Tam, Head of Talent Management, Hong Kong Productive Council;
7. (Event judge) Sammi Wong, Director, HKSTP Innovation Fund;
8. (Event judge) Jenny Chan, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, JCE Group;
9. (Event judge) Johnson Lo, Chairman (HongKong), The Chartered Institute of Marketing
10 & 11. Sabrina Chan and Janice Cho, Bank of China Hong Kong.
12 & 13. Caleb Ng and Vikki Lai, Co-Directors CityU FinTech Society 2022/23