The Second Information Session of Hackathon@HKUST 2014

Hackathon@HKUST is the event organized by CSE Entrepreneurship Club (E-Club), a student-driven interest group with a mission to promote entrepreneurship within and beyond the CSE community. This student and alumni activity is in collaboration of MBA Technology Club, E-Academy, Computer Science and Engineering Alumni Association and various sponsoring companies and organisations.

The second information session was held on 3 April 2014 at HKUST. There was a long queue in the registration counter, but it did not hinder the enthusiasm of participants. It was a fantastic event with more than 100 participants filling up the LTG. Participants were students, alumni and guests taking up roles of programmer, designer and businessman/businesswoman.

The event started with a briefing session about Hackathon@HKUST 2014 and its rules, regulations, the judging panel, the judging criteria, and the Q & A session. It was followed by a presentation of inspiring topics given by Professor Po Chi Wu, Adjunct Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. After that, groups of 10-12 participants were formed and they were given a chance to brainstorm the solutions for the problems we had given, and followed by group presentations. The ice-breaking session helped participants with different background mingle together.

The information session ended with a free networking session with refreshments. Participants were free to chat with other students, alumni, invited speakers and executive committee members. They could also find partners who are interested in working with, brainstorm ideas, build their own team, and even work out a preparation plan for the Hackathon event.

Jan Vosecky Co-founder of E-Club, HKUST

“ There is a lot of hidden talent and ideas here at HKUST. There is also a lot of potential for collaboration among students, across departments and with our alumni. I believe that Hackathon@HKUST will be a pioneering event - an opportunity to connect students, ignite their ideas and broaden their horizons. This event will also help connect HKUST with the Hong Kong startup community. It's great to see the positive response we got so far. Lastly, I would like to thank Peter Chung, the Program Coordinator of the CSE E-Club, for his dedication and invaluable support throughout the launch of the CSE E-Club and preparation of Hackathon@HKUST.

Ivan Gondoprastowo Co-founder of E-Club, HKUST

“ I do think that we have to clearly distinguish between being an entrepreneur and having entrepreneurial mindset. While being entrepreneurs is too risky for some, having entrepreneurial mindset doesn't give you any risk and makes your life and others life better. One of the part that has been missing is the chance for people to ignite their ideas, that's why people come up with ideas that soon are forgotten. Hackathon@HKUST enables people to get their ideas kick-started, and hopefully the solution that they build will benefit the society. I think this is a great way to push the human being forward and I am proud to be a part of it.

Martin Bednar President of MBA Technology Club, HKUST (Partner of Hackathon@HKUST 2014)

“ With the upcoming Hackathon, we are aiming to excite participants about entrepreneurship, connect students across departments and levels of experience, enable ideation, and foster creativity.

Seeing the enthusiasm and the participation level at the info session assured me that we have an exciting Hackathon weekend ahead.