Hong Kong’s inaugural HACK852, a one-day hackathon for high school students, successfully concluded last Saturday (14 March 2026) at PolyU, sparking creativity and technical passion among local youths. Co-organised by COMP and Genesis, HACK852 aimed to broke down barriers to technology by welcoming high school students of all coding backgrounds. The vibrant event drew an impressive turnout, bringing together over 170 student participants, alongside a gathering of parents and experts from academia and industry.
The hackathon featured two competition tracks: AI Track and Coding Track. COMP, as a local pioneer in computing education, led the design of the Coding Track, ensuring a robust, challenging, and rewarding experience for individual participants. Participants showcased their advanced technical skills while tackling real-world solutions with code.
In the AI Track, competing teams were challenged to transform their own ideas into real, working projects with AI tools. Leveraging the power of AI, and supported by friendly mentors and on-site workshops, students experienced the excitement of expressing creativity with the aid of technology. Joining hands with a group of experts from academia and industry, Prof. YIU Man Lung Ken, Professor and Associate Head (Teaching & Learning), and Prof. SHI Jieming, Assistant Professor, served on the judging panel of the AI Track to evaluate the students' innovative projects and provided invaluable, real-world feedback.
Another highlight of the event was the talk presented by Dr LUI Wing Cheung Richard, Senior Lecturer. He shared insights from his pioneering AI education project titled “AI Literacy to Workplace Excellence: Transforming Education for Next-Generation Professionals.” The project was honoured with the Silver Award in the “AI in Education” category at the QS Reimagine Education Awards 2025 (Read More).
As part of its commitment to nurturing young talent, COMP provided internship opportunities to the awardees. This initiative will allow outstanding secondary school students to gain hands-on research experience, providing them with a significant head start in their future STEM careers.
