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‘CUHK Entrepreneur Day 2018’, a large scale event on the theme of entrepreneurship   initiated by the CUHK Alumni Torch Fund, is being held today and tomorrow (11 and 12 May) on The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) campus. There is a series of talks, seminars, and exhibitions showcasing more than 50 start-ups projects, and the newly launched activity, ‘Innovation Demo Area’. 

Officiating at the opening ceremony today were Mr. Donald Y. Chen, Deputy Head of Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office and Mr. Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Two keynote speeches on popular topics were delivered by Professor Rocky S. Tuan, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK on ‘The Development of Biomedical Engineering in Hong Kong’ and Alumnus Dr. Li Xu, CEO of SenseTime on ‘The Development of AI: Its Visible Future.’ 

This university-wide entrepreneurship event has marked its fourth year, following great successes in the previous three. In his welcoming speech, Professor Dennis K.P. Ng, Pro-Vice-Chancellor/Vice-President of CUHK, expressed his appreciation of this alumni signature event on entrepreneurship for continually serving as an informative exchange platform for entrepreneurs from the circle of CUHK alumni, passing down the entrepreneurial spirit to the new alumni generation. He also indicated that CUHK has put great emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation in campus. With the introduction of a pioneering, university-wide Minor Programme in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (EPIN), which is open to all undergraduate students from different faculties and departments, students can manage the start-up and innovation processes theoretically and practically. A new four-year undergraduate programme in Financial Technology was launched in 2017/18, aiming to nurture leadership and entrepreneurship among the next generation of local talent in support of Hong Kong’s endeavour to grow into an international FinTech hub. 

A new element ‘Innovation Demo Area’ has been introduced in this two-day event. Visitors have been attracted by this showcase of various innovations, which include creative application of facial recognition technology, mobile payment demonstration, AR/VR technology application, innovative medical devices, and mobile apps and games. The semi-final of the Second CUHK Entrepreneurship Competition was also one of the highlighted activities today. Five selected start-up teams are competing for a championship and the chance to sign a MOU with investors tomorrow. 

There is also a large-scale exhibition showcasing more than 50 CUHK start-up projects covering biomedical engineering, artificial intelligence, fintech, big data, mobile app development, creative marketing, education and the arts. On the second day of the event, three seminars will be conducted by prominent alumni on the themes of entrepreneurial experience, forecasting of future development trends, and advice for start-ups on attracting investors. 

CUHK Entrepreneur Day is an entrepreneurship event organised by the CUHK Alumni Torch Fund and co-organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Centre for Entrepreneurship, Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services, the Centre for Innovation and Technology and CUHK Alumni Entrepreneurs Association. It also receives support from the Alumni Affairs Office, CUHK Convocation and the Federation of Alumni Associations of CUHK. 

About CUHK Alumni Torch Fund 

CUHK Alumni Torch Fund, founded in September 2014, was initiated by a group of CUHK alumni representatives and is supported by the Alumni Affairs Office of CUHK to promote a caring culture among CUHK alumni. It is set up to help CUHK alumni, in particular the young ones, to strengthen their competitive advantages and exposure to entrepreneurial opportunities, and to encourage CUHK alumni in developing their expertise and achieving excellence in the academic field.