Hack the SDGs: Sustainability-Focused Hackathon Opens Recruitment

Wang Jian, the founder of Alibaba Cloud, once remarked that the future of artificial intelligence lies not just in algorithms, but in creativity and imagination: the ability to quickly build applications to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.

That philosophy helped inspire the Hong Kong Inter-University GenAI Hackathon for the SDGs, an annual event launched in 2023 and powered by HKU’s Common Core office and HKU RISE, in alliance with all eight publicly funded universities in Hong Kong.

This year’s Hackathon will challenge student teams to develop GenAI-based technical solutions related to four major themes: Green Transport and Mobility; Sustainable Northern Metropolis; Smart Living, Culture, and Belonging; and Future Work and Enterprises.

In addition to hands-on experience of the startup and pitching processes, the event offers students the opportunity to network across university populations, attend seminars and workshops, and pitch for the chance to win prizes.

Winners will also be offered pathways to startup incubation, including with Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, which has incubated and seeded previous years’ teams, as well as gain entry into other entrepreneurship events.

The 2025 Hackathon awarded 12 prizes, including four Gold Prizes for projects such as a chatbot to help migrant workers understand their legal rights to a website for exploring Hong Kong’s biodiversity. This year will include a new award, backed by the contest’s technical sponsor, Tencent Cloud, for best use of Tencent’s agentic AI tool Workbuddy.

“Last year, we had over 550 students attend the launch day,” says Dr Jack Tsao, Associate Director of the Common Core Office. “It’s about bringing together students eight universities and all disciplines to build for Hong Kong's future: for the youth and ageing population, its heritage, its climate, and more. It's about turning knowledge outward, toward the people around you.”

The Hackathon is open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students from participating universities, regardless of major, background or experience. To register, interested students and teams only have to attend the launch event at 9 am on 19 September at HKU’s Pokfulam campus.

For more details on the rules and awards, visit the competition’s official website here.