The orientation for the Carbon-Neutral PolyU 48 Hours Hackathon was successfully conducted on 13 May 2024, with the valuable support from the PolyU Campus Facilities and Sustainability Office (CFSO) and Earth Hacks staff.
During the orientation, Mr Ryan Lee, the Assistant Director of Campus Facilities and Sustainability (Campus Sustainability), delivered an inspiring presentation to the participating students. He shed light on the global environmental challenges and showcased the carbon clock, emphasizing the urgency of the issue. Mr. Lee also presented the campus carbon-neutrality roadmap, highlighting the major areas of focus for carbon emission reduction and the associated initiatives. Additionally, he discussed the key challenges specific to our campus. This information proved to be invaluable for the participants, as it provided them with insights to generate innovative ideas during the hackathon.
On the other hand, Prof. C.S. Poon, Head of CEE, encouraged all teams to utilize the 48-hour duration effectively and strive to develop pioneering green ideas that would contribute to the betterment of our campus. Adding to the inspiration, Ms Sanjana Paul, the Executive Director of Earth Hacks & Dr An WANG, Assistant Professor of CEE, shared noteworthy examples of previous hackathon projects, aiming to further motivate the teams to think out-of-the-box. The examples highlighted that the projects can go beyond conventional business proposals, extending to games or smartphone apps that align with the challenge statement and foster community engagement in achieving carbon neutrality.
It is crucial to remember that our objective extends beyond the development of ground-breaking ideas. We aim to cultivate a carbon-neutral mindset among participants and actively contribute to a more sustainable future, aligning with our commitment to sustainability and environmental excellence.
The exciting 48-hour hackathon will be kickstarted on 16 May 2024. We look forward to meeting all the teams once again and witnessing the innovative solutions that will emerge from this event.
