15 14 HKUST Annual Report 2020-2021 LEARNING FOR LIFE GAINING A HEAD START ON CAREER OPTIONS 2020-21 was also a time for resourcefulness in assisting students to search for jobs or internships during the challenging economic environment. To boost openings, the University pursued new avenues and leveraged its strong relationships with industry and the business community. Job postings on the HKUST-exclusive job board doubled to almost 3,800 in 2021 compared with the same time period in the previous year, and more than 150 employers joined the week-long vMosaic job fair in April 2021, a rapid-response initiative that utilized the University’s new in-house virtual career fair platform in light of the new trend of remote hiring. Meanwhile, online career development programs flourished, with more than 6,400 students having attended related programs and nearly 1,600 consultation sessions conducted in 2020-21. HKUST students’ enthusiasm for early work experience was highl ighted by the pi lot Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) internship scheme for university students, organized by Hong Kong’s Innovation and Technology Commission. The scheme attracted 522 HKUST interns over Summer 2020 and Winter 2021, the highest among all participating universities. Another novel opening was the opportunity to participate in virtual internships. Over 40 HKUST students took part in seven virtual schemes, with host organizations from Hong Kong, the Mainland, Australia, Europe, and the US. FOSTERING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET Developing students’ entrepreneurship skills is a critical step in setting them up for success after graduation. This has led to the dedication of considerable resources in diverse areas at HKUST to nourish distinctive graduates and students to make a positive social impact through implementing innovation. As an illustration of the University’s own bold thinking to extend traditional entrepreneurial education provision, 2020 saw the introduction of “Entrepreneurship 1001: Building Your Own Future”, a transdisciplinary Common Core course co-listed with liberal arts-oriented Lingnan University, adding a humanitarian perspective to entrepreneurship know-how and skills. In this fully experiential course, students are required to build their own business while highlighting the human condition and considerations that need to be incorporated in organizations and industries of the future. Over 150 HKUST students enrolled in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021, with 70 from Lingnan University joining the course. Beyond the curriculum, HKUST Entrepreneurship Center provided practical entrepreneurship support to innovative new University-related businesses, incubating 46 start-up companies in 2020-21. Links between business newcomers from the University community and experienced industry dynamos were strengthened through mentorHUB@HKUST, which attracted over 35 established mentors and more than 200 mentees from nearly 90 start-up teams across fields and industries over the year. The scheme encourages mentors and mentees to reach out to one another, anytime and anywhere, to facilitate early-stage business growth. The Center also nominated over 20 start-ups for fasttracking into incubation programs at Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited. Th e Un i v e r s i t y ’ s f l ag s h i p On e -M i l l i o n - Do l l a r Entrepreneurship Compet i t ion celebrated i ts 10th anniversary in 2020, with a record 1,826 entries from eight cities and regions across China. Computer Engineering alumnus Dr. LIU Zhaojun and his start-up Shenzhen Sitan Technology Co., Ltd., focused on cutting-edge microLED technology display, won the Grand Final in Nansha. Hundreds of on-site spectators attended while 1.7 million FLAGSHIP CONTEST CELEBRATES FIRST DECADE viewers watched the live online broadcast. In a special anniversary feature, 10 “Unicorns of Tomorrow” – start-ups founded by the HKUST community and valued between RMB1 billion and RMB10 billion – were also highlighted. In 2021, the Hong Kong regional contest received over 750 applicants from 185 teams, largely comprising HKUST faculty, staff, students, and alumni, and hailing from nine countries and regions. Participation in competitions delivered additional knowhow, motivation to translate ideas into action, and insight into other people’s capabilities. In addition to annual competitions such as the Hong Kong Techathon 2021, coorganized by Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, HKUST, and six other local universities, and hackUST, one of the largest student events of its kind in Greater China, there was also a dynamic response to the HKUST-Kaisa Autonomous RC-Car Racing Competition, which inspired over 90 participants from across the University to work on applications for autonomous radiocontrolled vehicles before showcasing their technological innovations to the HKUST community.
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