Cross-Border Student Collaboration Yields Seven Innovative Prototypes for Campus Sustainability

4 July 2025

We are thrilled to share the outstanding achievements of the Sustainable Design Thinking Certificate Program 2025, held from June 2nd to June 7th at the Guangzhou campus. This event was a resounding success, made possible by the generous support of The Tung Foundation.

Organized by the HKUST Sustainability/Net-Zero Office, the Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Vice President of Teaching & Learning Office (HKUST (GZ)), the program brought together 28 passionate undergraduates and postgraduates from both Clear Water Bay and Guangzhou campuses, with four different nationalities. Our aim was to foster cross-disciplinary and cultural friendships while equipping students with teamwork and sustainability skills crucial for their future careers.

Throughout the week, participants engaged in dynamic activities, including design thinking workshops, industry visits, campus tours, campus academia and operation staff talks, stakeholder interviews, and mentorship sessions. They worked together to identify the sustainability challenges of both campuses and developed innovative prototypes to address these challenges.

The program was a hub of creativity, encouraging students to envision a sustainable future for HKUST. The design thinking approach was central to the event, ensuring solutions were tailored to the university's needs.

We are excited to announce the winners of the final presentations:

1st Place: Mosquito Avengers (Sensor-Driven Mosquito Repellent Station)
2nd Place: Yi Shot Down the Suns (Cross-border Emotion Tree Hole)
3rd Place: reSORC Warriors (Smart AI-Sorting Recycling Bin with Rinsing & Drying Station)
Best Prototype Award: UGYear1s (Beach-Cleaning Robot)

Congratulations to all the winning teams for their innovative ideas and impactful contributions to campus sustainability!

Participants shared their experiences, emphasizing the importance of cross-campus collaboration. Charly from Clear Water Bay said, "Thank you everyone from CWB and GZ for making this such a memorable program! Special thanks to our GZ friends for welcoming us and showing us around. Thank you to all the professors, lecturers, and staff for guiding us in developing a prototype solution for sustainability!"

Olivia from Guangzhou added, "So grateful for the experience! I made friends who mean so much to me through this camp. It really showed me how important it is for us to connect across campuses. I hope we get to do more events like this in the future!"

A heartfelt appreciation to all participants, faculty, speakers, judges, mentors, and volunteers who contributed to the program's success. We are especially grateful to The Tung Foundation for their visionary sponsorship, fostering a collaborative environment of creativity, learning, and sustainable innovation.

For program highlight, check out our video by clicking here. 

You can watch the videos of the winning teams by checking out here. 

Our talented participants brought their prototypes to life, showcasing their hard work to a panel of judges at the final presentation ceremony! Check out the recap video now. 

We are thrilled to share the outstanding achievements of the Sustainable Design Thinking Certificate Program 2025, held from June 2nd to June 7th at the Guangzhou campus.

This event was a resounding success, made possible by the generous support of The Tung Foundation.

Organized by the HKUST Sustainability/Net-Zero Office, the Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Vice President of Teaching & Learning Office (HKUST (GZ)), the program brought together 28 passionate undergraduates and postgraduates from both Clear Water Bay and Guangzhou campuses, with four different nationalities.

Our aim was to foster cross-disciplinary and cultural friendships while equipping students with teamwork and sustainability skills crucial for their future careers.