Three university students will represent Hong Kong at the national final of the 15th National Marine Knowledge Competition this May after emerging victorious at Sunday’s regional contest.
Huang Changbin from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Liu Runjie from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), and Wu Chun-hung from City University of Hong Kong (City U) clinched the top three positions at the competition final held at CUHK, which drew over 300 spectators.
The finalists were tested on their marine knowledge, agility, and mental fortitude through three demanding segments: mandatory questions, rapid-fire questions, and challenge questions. The winners will now compete against elite contestants from across the country for the opportunity to join national polar scientific expeditions.
CUHK vice-chancellor and president Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, director general of the International Cooperation Department at China’s Ministry of Natural Resources Chen Danhong, and director of the publicity and education center at the Ministry of Natural Resources Xia Jun attended the award ceremony.
In his welcome remarks, Lo emphasized the ocean’s potential for innovation and technological advancement. “The vast expanse of the ocean presents boundless opportunities for innovation, including interdisciplinary integration, and requires cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence to achieve breakthroughs in critical fields such as deep-sea exploration, biomedicine and energy development,” he said.
Lo added that CUHK is committed to advancing marine education and research, reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as an international innovation and technology hub while contributing to national economic development.
Established in 2008, the National Marine Knowledge Competition is a significant nationwide initiative jointly presented by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People’s Republic of China, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League and the Political Department of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, aimed at promoting marine knowledge.
The inaugural Hong Kong regional final attracted significant interest since its launch last September, with over 400 students from 20 local tertiary institutions participating.
The selection process spanned several months, featuring online preliminaries followed by two rounds of in-person semi-finals. Eight contestants from CUHK, HKUST, City U, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Poly U) advanced to Sunday’s final.
A public online quiz component attracted nearly 90,000 attempts and over 20,000 registrations, including students from nearly 80 primary and secondary schools and members of the general public.
