A student team from HSUHK’s School of Decision Sciences won the championship at the prestigious international EY Open Science Data Challenge 2024 after competing against over 1,800 teams from universities and commercial organisations worldwide. The winning team consisted of three Year 3 students from the BSc (Hons) in Data Science and Business Intelligence programme, Chan Ka-fai, Sin King-hin, and Lau Ngai-sang. They utilised data analytics techniques to develop solutions for pressing environmental issues.
The competition comprised of three phases. In Phase 1, the HSUHK team developed a YOLO AI model to analyse satellite images to detect the damage and undamaged coastal infrastructures affected by Hurricane Maria. The team’s exceptional performance earned them an impressive eighth place, surpassing numerous renowned universities and commercial organisations. Advancing to Phase 2, the HSUHK team prepared a comprehensive proposal outlining the implementation of the AI model, covering damage assessments, socioeconomic impacts, and climate change risks. The team’s exceptional work secured their place as one of the top three finalists out of 10 teams.
As finalists, the HSUHK team had the opportunity to present their integrated proposal at the 2024 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium held in Athens, Greece. Their presentation impressed the judges, ultimately leading to their well-deserved victory.
The three students were thrilled with the results. Chan Ka-fai expressed that the competition allowed him to deeply understand the importance of AI and data analysis in addressing global sustainable development issues. Lau Ngai-sang thanked his teammates, professors and the University for their support, believing that presenting an academic paper in Athens and attending the awards ceremony were invaluable experiences. Sin King-hin felt a strong sense of urgency in addressing global climate change through the competition, which has motivated him to continue applying AI and data analysis to solve problems and make contributions.