Campus Digest

HKBU students excel at Inter-University GenAI Hackathon for SDGs

Tuesday, 2 December 2025

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HKBU students win awards at GenAI Hackathon for SDGs.
Vishal Ginni (2nd left) secures the Gold Prize with his teammates for their project NorthStar.
All award-winning teams and judges pose for a group photo.

 

HKBU students showcased exceptional talent and a strong commitment to social innovation by securing one gold and two silver prizes at the Inter-University GenAI Hackathon for the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

Mathematics and Statistics student Vishal Ginni, collaborating with teammates from other universities, was awarded the Gold Prize in the Youth Empowerment and Inclusive Futures track for their project, NorthStar. This innovative, voice-based GenAI platform helps students practise for job interviews by providing automated feedback to improve their communication skills. The project is also supported by the Social Innovation Kick-start Fund from TriAngle of the Centre for Innovative Service-Learning.

An HKBU team formed by Christina Grace Kolasanakoti, Liu Jue-shan, He Zhiqiu, Pak Yuet-wing, and Zheng Yiming, all majoring in Innovation in Health and Social Well-being, received the Silver Prize in the Resilient and Adaptable Communities track for their project, Silentalk. They developed an AI-driven tool that translates sign language into text in real-time, making communication more accessible for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

Visual Arts student Jessica Udemezue and her teammates from other universities were awarded another Silver Prize in the Artistic and Cultural Innovation track with  CRAFTSCAPES, an AI+AR e-commerce platform connecting artisans with global markets.

The event, organised by an alliance of the eight universities funded by the University Grants Committee, challenged students to apply generative AI to solve pressing sustainability issues and contribute to social good for the future. The winning teams earned direct entry to the finals of Techathon+ organised by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks, and to the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Social Enterprise Challenge organised by the Chinese University of Hong Kong.