Sparking Sustainability: Youth Explore the Essence of Campus Projects

This summer, our campus buzzed with energetic youth eager to participate in building a sustainable future. In late July, 14 family members and friends of HKUST staff joined a sustainability tour, exploring a variety of innovative projects on campus.

Highlights included a groundbreaking initiative using black soldier flies to convert up to 50 kg of food waste daily into organic fertilizer. The group also visited Hong Kong’s largest liquid immersion cooling system at our data center, which cuts power consumption by up to 45% and reduces carbon footprints by 40%. They concluded their tour with a stroll through the butterfly garden, where AI cameras are utilized to identify butterfly species.

Participant Cathy Wong reflected on her experience, noting the contrasts between agricultural practices at HKUST and those in the wider Hong Kong area. She expressed enthusiasm for more interactive learning opportunities in the future. Fellow youth member Nathan Guo shared that the trip offered him firsthand insight into HKUST's sustainability efforts, specifically impressed by the designs of the black soldier fly bin and the butterfly garden in meeting the sustainability goals.

Additionally, a group of 40 youth from the Civic Exchange Young Ambassador Environment Program spent a full day on campus, participating in Sustainability Game Workshops and touring facilities like the Urban Spring AI-driven water fountain and reusable lunchbox vending machines.

As summer drew to a close, the Hong Kong Observatory and Hong Kong Meteorology Society also brought a group of secondary school students to engage in similar sustainability-themed activities. Arthur Lau from Division of Environment and Sustainability shared about the impact of climate change and our roles as individuals. We hope that our campus projects will inspire our youth to develop more innovative solutions to address global challenges with limited resources.