27 April 2026 

On 27 April 2026, the Honours Academy (HA) hosted its 5th Symposium, featuring eight faculty-mentored, student-led capstone projects under the “Senior Research Project”. The Symposium showcased how final-year HA leaders apply rigorous inquiry to generate practical, policy-relevant insights that connect evidence, public value and caring leadership.

Two awards were presented in recognition of outstanding work. The Excellence in Research Award went to Nicole Chan and Charlene Chow of the 4th cohort for their study on AI-enabled accessibility for visually impaired individuals in Hong Kong. The Outstanding Presentation Award was presented to Rene Chan of the 4th cohort for his research on youth entrepreneurship and the gap between investment and involvement.

The “Senior Research Project” is a year-long research capstone that equips students to design and complete independent studies grounded in real-world issues. This year’s projects explored policy-driven questions across eight themes: entrepreneurship and finance, digital media and mental health, intergenerational change, Chinese literature and cultural development, urban culture and consumption, language and education, behavioural economics, and AI-enabled accessibility.