CEFAR Annual Award 2023-2024 cum Term-end Gathering

To recognize the outstanding performance from the MSc FinTech students who engaged in FinTech industrial project,

The CUHK Engineering FinTech Applied Research (CEFAR) Academy held the CEFAR Annual Award 2023-2024 on 20 April, arranging an award winning presentation to 6 outstanding performers from the MSc FinTech students who engaged in FinTech industrial projects, showcasing their learning experience, innovativeness and impactful result in the project throughout the academic year.

Date :20 April 2024
Time :10:30am - 02:00pm
Venue :

 William M W Mong Engineering Building Lecture Theatre,

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

The event provided an enjoyable occasion for participants, students and judges to mingle and network.


The competition
Programme Leaders and Panel of Judges (From the left):
- Prof. CK CHAN, Programme Director of the Master of Science in FinTech, CUHK; Secretary, CEFAR Academy, CUHK
- Ms. Karry CHUNG, Associate Fintech Director, Fintech Facilitation Office of Hong Kong Monetary Authority
- Mr. Victor YIM, Head of FinTech of Hong Kong Cyberport
- Prof. Hon Ki TSANG, Interim Dean of Engineering, CUHK
- Dr. HL YIU, Chief Corporate Development Officer, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park
- Mr. Simon LEE, Senior Director of Client Development in FinTech, PropTech & Art-Tech, HK Applied Science and Technology Research Institute
- Prof. Irwin KING, Programme Director of Master of Science in Computer Science, CUHK
- Prof. Tan LEE, Associate Dean (Education) of Engineering, Head of Graduate Division of Financial Technology, CUHK
Prof. Tan LEE giving out a welcoming address to start the event.Prof. CK CHAN introducing the background and information of CEFAR Award.
One of the contestants Ms. Min ZHONG presenting her works.Judges in the Q&A session, giving comments towards contestants' presentation.


Result Announcing

After the outstanding presentations from all 6 contestants, the panel of judges decided the competition result and annouced as follow:

CEFAR Award (Diamond)
CEFAR Award (Gold)
CEFAR Award (Silver) 

Ms. Baihui CEN
Mr. Haodong HU
Mr. Junhua ZHANG		CEFAR Award
(Honourable Mention)		Mr. Ziheng YU
Ms. Min ZHONG
Mr. Chi Hin Nestor FOK


Diamond
Gold
Silver
Prof. Hon Ki, TSANG presenting the award to Ms. Baihui CEN.Award presented by Ms. Karry CHUNG to Mr. Haodong HU.Mr. Junhua ZHANG receiving the award from Mr. Simon LEE.



Honourable Mention


Award presented by Dr. HL YIU to Mr. Ziheng YU.Ms. Min ZHONG receiving the award from Mr. Victor YIM.Prof. Irwin KING presenting the award to Mr. Chi Hin Nestor FOK.



After the event

Everyone taking a group photo of the event.


Participants enjoying beverages.More mingling after the event.


Real-world asset tokenization competition & 

visit to the hong kong monetary authority

Asset Tokenization is one of the popular topics in FinTech development.  It refers to the process of converting the ownership rights to an asset to a digital form.  The concept has gained popularity in recent years, particularly in Web 3 and real-world assets.

In view of the growing importance of tokenization, our programme and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) co-organised an awrd winning competition "Real-World Asset Tokenization", sponsored by Hang Seng Bank Limited, to raise the awareness and ideas on the trendingtopic.

The competition consist of 2 parts:

1. Competition: 15 April 2024CYT, LT5, CUHK
2. Award Presntation: 22 April 2024Information Centre, HKMA
With all 5 teams presented their thoughts and ideas on the topic clearly  to the judging panel, the competition was held successfully. Let's recap the competition together.


Panel of Judges of the competition (from the left):
- Mr. York TSANG, Associate Fintech Director, Fintech Facilitation Office, Hong Kong Monetary Authority
- Ms. Nancy CHENG, Principal, Strategic Planning and Corporate Development, Hang Seng Bank Limited
- Prof. CK CHAN, Secretary, CUHK Engineering FinTech Applied Research (CEFAR) Academy

 Groups presenting their ideas on the topic to the judges.

Everyone taking group photo after the competition.


Real-world asset tokenization competition & 

visit to the hong kong monetary authority

With the support from HKMA, our programme arranged a visit to HKMA and was honoured to also arrange the Award Presentation at the Information Centre of HKMA on 22 April 2024.


Prof. CK CHAN presenting the Second Runner-up Award to
Mr. Chit Wang Felix CHEUNG
Mr. Chun Ming Andrew MAK		The First Runner-up Award goes to
Ms. Wai Fan Fanny MOK
Award presented by Ms. Nancy CHENG
Ms. Natalie CHAN, Fintech Director, Hong Kong Monetary Authority presenting the  Award to the Champion
Ms. Ashley Jeyin TAN
Mr. Johnson KONG

The representatives from the co-organizers and sponsors take a group photo with the contestants.

Students enjoying their visit at the Information Centre of HKMA..

Visit to The Hongkong and Shanghai Bank (HSBC)

HSBC is one of the most prominent bank around the world, it is always great to learn from the renowned international bank.

On 25th March 2024, our programme has the honour to visit the renowned HSBC Archives in Hong Kong, one of the two archives in the HSBC Group (the other one in London), telling the story of HSBC 's roots and growth in Hong Kong. Allowing our students to understand more about the bank, from the internal working culture and atmosphere, to the long and decorated history, expanding their horizon.

Date: 25 March 2024
Time: 01:50pm - 04:15pm
Venue

: HSBC Centre, 1 Sham Mong Road, Kowloon 


Let's revisit the day with photos.

Guided Tour to HSBC ArchivePhoto taking after the in-depth history visit
Students concentrated in sharing by HSBC leadersGroup photo taking to conclude the tour

                                        


Visit to Cyberport

Our Division arranged a visit to Cyberport with a view to introducing the vision and mission of Cyberport, as well as its endeavours to support entrepreneurs and start-ups in particular those related to FinTech, opportunities for students, etc. The visit includes an introduction to Cyberport, presentations/discussions with start-ups followed by a guided tour.

We are honoured to invite Mr. Victor Yim, the Head of FinTech, Cyberport to host the event, giving 30 of our MSc FinTech students a insipiration welcome remark and introduction of Cyberport, marking the start of a fruitful visit. Our students benefits from the sharing by Mr. Victor Yim, Prof. Floyd Newsum and Ms. Honnus Cheung, and followed by an in-depth guided tour to Cyberport.

Here's some details of the event.

Date: 30 Jan 2024

Time:  3:00pm - 5:00pm

 Welcome Remarks & Introduction of Cyberport
Mr. Victor Yim, Head of FinTech, Cyberport

Presentation (1) - Robotics Process Automation HK Limited
Adjunct Assitant Professor, Floyd Newsum, Founder and Director, RPA HK LTD
Presentation (2) – On-Us
Ms. Honnus Cheung, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer		Group photo
Cyberport visiting tourCyberport visiting tour


CEFAR GBA CONNECT PROGRAMME EXECUTIVE SHARING SERIES

The first talk under the newly launched CEFAR GBA Connect Programme Executive Sharing Series was held on 20 November. Mr. Hong Wei Zhu, Payment Cloud President of Yeahka shared his insights under the topic “From Payment to Metaverse – Transformation of Offline Consumption in a Decade”. Mr. Eros Ye, Programme Lead of the CEFAR GBA Connect Programme and Director of Technology Centres China, Digital Business Services of HSBC China moderated the talk. Over 70 undergraduate and postgraduate FinTech students attended the talk and shared fruitful discussions with the speaker and the moderator after the event.


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2022-2023 MSc fintech Grduation Dinner

With the Graduation Dinner, 10 Nov 2023 came to a close in a fine evening.

Not only our graduates gathered together, our teachers and honour guest also joined the nice dinner, having a good chat and share their thoughts on the future.

Date: 10 Nov 2023
Time: 06:30pm - 10:30pm
Venue

: Diamond Room B, L2, Royal Park Hotel, Shatin


Let's re-visit the night together, you can also download more photos of the night here.


2022-2023 alumni sharing on job seeking

The 10 Nov 2023 continued in the afternoon, with 4 of our alumni sharing their successful experience to our current students, especially on job seeking, preparing our current students of the coming challenges after graduation.

We certainly hope the sharing could be of use to our students,  nurturing their excellence beyond academic performance.

Date: 10 Nov 2023
Time: 05:30pm - 06:15pm
Venue: MMW LT2


Programme Director, Prof. C.K. Chan giving opening remarks.

Introducing 4 alumni for their sharing.


(From Left: Mr. Johnny Chu, Mr. Fu Hongbo, Mr. Gao Tingxian, Ms. Wu Yirou)


2022-2023 Msc & pgd graduation ceremony

10 Nov 2023 is a memorable and busy day of our 2022-2023 Graduate Class,  having 3 activities to attend to.
The day started off with the Graduation Ceremony, where our gradutes being awarded their degree.

Date: 10 Nov 2023
Time: 10:30am - 12:00noon
Venue: Sir Run Run Shaw Hall


After the ceremony, our graduates gathered happily to take photos together, with our Programme Director, Prof. C.K. Chan.


Regulators' Briefing Session for MSc Financial Technology students of 2023-24

To provide students with a good understanding of the financial services regulatory framework in Hong Kong, the programme has arranged a workshop on 20 Oct 2023.

Conducted by four regulators in HK including Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), Insurance Authority (IA) and Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA), the workshop is a success and provided our students more knwoledge on the financial services regulatory framework.

Let's re-visit the workshop together.

Workshop was held successfully.

Programme Director, Prof. C.K. Chan giving the opening remarks.


MC of the day, Ms. Abbie Zheng started the workshop for
the programme.

Ms. Sherry Zhu of Securities and Futures Commission sharing via ZOOM.

Ms. Karry Chung from Fintech Facilitation Office of HKMA giving a speech to students.

Mr. Howard sharing his internship experiencein HKMA.


IA's Manager in Policy and Development,
Mr. Klose Lung sharing their work as regulators.

Mr. Kalman Wan, General Manager (IT) from MPFA giving a informative briefing.


hang seng hypothetical e-hkd campaign

One of the major initiatives in the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s (HKMA) FinTech 2025 strategy is to explore the launch of eHKD as part of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) project. As one of the banks participating in the trial, Hang Seng Bank invited our students to participate in the Hang Seng Hypothetical e-HKD Pilot Campaign.


Hang Seng conducted a CBDC Real-Life Simulation event, provided an opportunity to showcase the practical applications of an e-HKD, also simulate a real-world usage of an e-HKD by allowing our students to make purchases at selected merchants in CUHK via an e-HKD wallet.


Our students not only get a chance to participate in a trial campaign, also enjoyed an afternoon tea and snack at Vegetarian Food Shop and Coffee Corner at Benjamin Franklin Centre (BFC).


Let's have a look back to this enjoyable event on 11 Sep 2023!

 

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Msc/pgd fintech inauguration ceremony 2023-24

Everyear, our Division looks to educate more professionals and elites for the industry, which is no difference this year, MSc FinTech has garnered interest from the globe and admitted more than 100 students for 2023-24 academic year.

On 31 Aug 2023, we held an Inauguration Ceremony for our new MSc FinTech admittees, welcoming them to joining our programme and get ready for the new challenges and excitement from the programme.

The eventful ceremony is certainly enjoyed by all our guests and students, let's have a review of the day.

Capture the moment with group photo taking

Guests and students all concentrated in informative presentations

Programme Director Prof. C.K. Chan presenting certificate to
Guest Speaker Mr. Victor Yim

Admission Scholarship Awardees

Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowships Scheme Awardees

Class representatives introduing themselves to fellow classmates



CEFAR MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME NETWORKING DINNER


To enhance the communication among mentors and mentees, the CEFAR Academy held a mentorship programme networking dinner on 23 May following the Fintech Seminar Series. The guest speaker of the seminar, Ms. Charlotte Wong, HSBC Chief Information Officer, also joined the dinner as the Guest of Honour. All participants had a great time and led fruitful discussions at the dinner.

In the 2022-23 academic year, a mentorship programme has been launched as one of the initiatives of the CEFAR Academy for students of the Master of Science in Financial Technology. The seven students selected for the mentorship programme were among the recipients of the UGC’s Targeted Taught Postgraduate Fellowships Schemes. They were each paired with a mentor who is a member of the Advisory Committee of the CEFAR Academy. The mentorship programme aims to connect students with industry and fintech leaders to advance and accelerate their career goals and personal advancement.

Dialogue with HSBC Technology Leaders


Date:

16 May 2023 (Tuesday)

Time:

 10:00am - 12:00nn

Venue:

HSBC Centre, 1 Sham Mong Road, Tai Kok Tsui,

Speaker

Ms Charlotte Wong, Chief Information Officer of HSBC HK and her team





Regulatory Workshop


Date:

9 May 2023 (Tuesday)

Time:

 9:30am - 5:15pm

Venue:

LT8, 2/F, Yasumoto International Academic Park (YIA)

Agenda

SFC Briefing Session

HKMA Briefing Session

IA Briefing Session

MPFA Briefing Session

Visit to Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)


Date:

 28 March 2023 (Tuesday)

Time:

2:30 pm - 3:40 pm

Venue:

 Exhibition Areaof the HKMA

Agenda:

2:30p.m. - 3:20p.m.: Guided Tour to Information Centre*

3:20p.m. – 3:40p.m.: Sharing on CBDC by Mr. Danny Chau, Senior Manager, Fintech Facilitation Office of HKMA


*HKMA: https://www.hkma.gov.hk/eng/about-us/the-hkma-information-centre/exhibition-area/

  1. The Policy Section explains the work of the HKMA and related financial concepts;

  2. The Currency Section introduces the design, security features, production process and other fun facts about Hong Kong currency notes and coins, and exhibits the notes and coins currently in circulation in Hong Kong;

  3. The Historical Timeline traces the history of Hong Kong’s monetary, financial and banking systems from 1842 to the present, and reviews the key milestones of the HKMA’s work


Visit to Cyberport Career Fair


Date:

25 March 2023 (Sat)

Time:

2 pm - 4 pm

Venue:

Cyberport

Agenda:

14:00-14:30  Arrival & Cyberport Company tour

14:30-15:00  1st Recruitment Talk

15:00-15:30  CV Clinic Consultation

15:30-16:00  2nd Recruitment talk, Q&A

  • Topic: Exploring the Future of Fintech Careers: Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges
  • Speaker: Irene Wong, founder of ixFintech (互通金融科技)


Cyberport Career Fair 2023

Cyberport Career Fair 2023 is a one-stop platform for career and entrepreneurship opportunities, as well as updates on the Cyberport community. It is designed for youth, job seekers, and future entrepreneurs who are interested in exploring the digital tech industry. This is a great opportunity for talents to connect with industry experts and gain access to 1,000+ hot job opportunities (full-time, part-time, internships) across different job functions including business, STEAM, design, and more offered by 100+ companies from Smart Living, FinTech, Digital Entertainment and Cyberport Partners. 50+ talks and free career development resources will be offered to registered talents.


MSc FinTech Graduation Dinner

Date:

25 November 2022 (Fri)

Time:

18:30 - 20:30

Venue:

Diamond Room A, Level 2, Royal Park Hotel, Shatin

8 Pak Hok Ting Street, Shatin


A night to remember

Our MSc students' hardwork and intelligence were rewarded by the University, to graduate in MSc Financial Technology.

It is our pleasure to seeing our graduates in the graduation dinner, to celebrate their graduation from the University together in such a memorable event.


Let's get back to the night by viewing some of the best photos, here's also a link for you to take these great photos with you, enjoy!


 


   


 




CEFAR EVENTS

Details please refer to the website of CUHK Engineering FinTech Applied Research Academy (CEFAR Academy).


DateTopicSpeaker
17 Jan 2023 Riding on Digital Innovation to Achieving Winning Position

Ms Jennifer Tan, Chief Executive of Alipay Financial Services (HK) Limited,

                                     Executive Vice President – Strategy Development and Government Affairs, GBA of Ant Group

Moderator: Prof. Chun Kwong Chan, Professor of Practice in FinTech, Faculty of Engineering

7 Dec 2022Fintech in Algo Trading and Asset Management

Dr. Alfred Ma, Managing Director, CASH Algo Finance Group

Moderator: Prof. Chun Kwong Chan, Professor of Practice in FinTech, Faculty of Engineering


3 Nov 2022

2022 CUHK Conference on Financial Technology: 
“New developments in the digital economy: metaverse, web3 and beyond”


19 Jul 2022Fintech-banking Collaboration Using Open API - a Glimpse at Mainland and Hong Kong

Mr. Terry Chan, Senior Manager, Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA);

Mr. Alan Cheung, Senior Director, Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI);

Mr. Andrew Lim, Head of IT, Hang Seng China

17 May 2022How to make reading data less terrible - a beginner's guide to leveraging financial data for decision makingMs. Emily Chan, Solution Specialist, Bloomberg
19 Apr 2022Future Of Money – How Web3, FinTech And Tokens Are Re-Inventing The WorldMr. Peter Dingle, Ecosystem and Partnerships lead, Venture Investment, Asset Management Group Asia, HSBC
15 Mar 2022The Impact Of Technology On The Credit Rating IndustryMr. Dan Chan, Director, Product Specialist Group, Fitch Solutions
15 Feb 2022A Glimpse at FinTech 2025

Mr. Nelson CHOW,  Chief Fintech Officer, Fintech Facilitation Office, Hong Kong Monetary Authority;

Fireside Chat with: Prof. CK Chan, CUHK

18 Jan 2022

Financial Technology and the Evolving Landscape of Banking

Dr. Rajeev CHIB, COO, Citicorp
12 Oct 2021Early glimpse of CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) – Are Asian countries ready for it?

Mr. Brian Lam, Senior Manager, FinTech Facilitation Office, Hong Kong Monetary Authority;

Mr. Nike Kong, Chief Information Officer, Hang Seng Bank;

Mr. Gary Lam, Chief Technology Officer, Livi Bank;

Mr. Peter Lee, Chief Technology Officer, IBM Hong Kong;

Moderator: Prof. Seen Meng Chew, CUHK

8 Jun 2021Transparency in Artificial IntelligenceJohn Richards, Distinguished Research Staff Member, Research, IBM US
30 Mar 2021Role of API and Data in FinTech Ecosystem

Mr. Stephen Leung, Head of IT Wealth and Personal Banking, Hang Seng Bank    

Mr. Michael Au, Assistant Director, Corporate Engagement, Strategic Partnerships, The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation