The 2024 Cohort has crossed the finish line of their 6-month learning journey with their innovative and impactful final projects!
On 20 September, the Final Pitching Day of the 2024 cohort was held at the UBS office at IFC. Our distinguished judge panelists are:
- Chief Adjudicator: Professor The Hon Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, GBM, GBS, JP, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong; and Former Chief Secretary for Administration and Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government
- Mr. Hoi-wai Chua, JP, Chief Executive, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
- Ms. Ming Geng, Head of Social Impact and Philanthropy, Greater China, UBS
- Prof. Cheryl Chui, Assistant Professor and co-director of HKU-UBS SSILP, HKU SWSA
We also invited Mr. Chuk-fai Kwan, MH, JP, Chairman, Community Investment and Inclusion Fund (CIIF) Committee, Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, HKSAR Government to be our Guest of Honour.
(From left to right) Prof. Cheryl Chui, Mr. Hoi-wai Chua, JP, Prof. The Hon Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, GBM, GBS, JP and Ms. Ming Geng co-adjudicating for the projects.
Mr. Chuk-fai Kwan, MH, JP (most left), acting as the Guest of Honour for the event.
After the presentation of all 27 impactful social projects, the judging panel selected two outstanding projects to be the Champion. Each will be awarded HK$400,000 incubation funding to develop and implement their charitable projects. The champions are:
- “Emotionland” – Oi Ying Siu from Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service (Registered NGO in Hong Kong)
A children’s mental health education project that aims to raise primary P.4 – P.6 students’ understanding of mental health and reduce the risk of suffering from mental illness. The goals will be met by 1) providing gamified interactive exhibits and supportive groups, 2) developing children-friendly interactive educational materials, 3) collaborating with an established eMental health platform to provide self-assessment tools and online resources for children and parents to use in the long run. The project targets to serve 10 primary schools, reaching a total of 2040 children and parents. It is expected that children’s mental health literacy will be raised, and early prevention and intervention could be made possible.
- “Transforming breast cancer screening in China through social innovation” – Dr Luxi Zhang from SZMG Charity Foundation (Charitable Institution in China with 5A rating)
This project aims to make reliable breast cancer screening available, accessible, and affordable to women in China through social innovation, integrating cutting-edge technologies (“3D” ultrasound + AI + Telemedicine) and in partnership with the establishment of temporary screening stations outside hospitals. The proposal plans to launch a pilot study offering free screenings to 3,000 women at 15 different locations across Shenzhen over five months, followed by an evaluation conducted by a panel of cross-sector experts. This innovative screening strategy is expected to increase the early cancer detection rate by 4-fold and ultimately improve patient survival while reducing the screening costs by 15%
The 2 Champions, Dr. Luxi Zhang (middle left) and Ms. Oi Ying Siu (middle right) receiving the Champion award from Ms. Ming Geng (most left) and Prof. The Hon Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, GBM, GBS, JP (most right).
In addition, the audience also cast their votes for the Audience Choice Award winners:
- “Shall We Talk” – Roberto Tak Hong Law from Fu Hong Society (Registered NGO in Hong Kong)
Many caregivers of people with disabilities, working either full-time or part-time, are vulnerable to mental health issues. This pilot project aims to cultivate a compassionate community by providing emotional support for this group of “beneficiaries”. Retired disability caregivers are considered ideal “companions” for these “beneficiaries” due to their increased free time and vicarious experience. Through training by mental health professionals, the companions can gain the knowledge and skills needed to support the beneficiaries. The companions who have demonstrated satisfactory commitment will be invited to form a committee, managing the administrative work and training for future groups, ensuring the project’s sustainability.
- Luxi Zhang, who is one of the Champions, also won the Audience Choice award.
Mr. Roberto Tak Hong Law (middle right) receiving the Audience Choice Award from Ms. Ming Geng (most left) and Guest of Honour Mr. Chuk-fai Kwan, MH, JP (most right)
In the past six months, 18 mentors from UBS management and experienced NPO practitioners, along with 16 academics and industry subject experts conducted 9 lectures and various mentorship interactions with the 28 participating NPO leaders, covering various important themes, including strategic thinking, organizational culture and inclusive leadership, cross-sector collaboration, evidence-based decision-making and social innovation.
The 12 UBS mentors are senior leaders across divisions of the bank who coach NPO leaders on high-level strategy-making, resource management and pitching skills.
SSILP will strive to continue on its unique journey to strengthen ties between academia, corporates and the non-profit sector. Together, we can create a more cohesive approach to social change and make a lasting impact in Hong Kong and beyond, especially in the Greater Bay Area.
