On February 6, the grand finale of the first annual Hong Kong Economic Policy Challenge (HKEPC) successfully concluded. Organized by HKUST undergraduate students and supported by faculty advisor Professor Wooyoung LIM (Associate Professor of Economics), the event was hosted by the Department of Economics and the Center for Economic Policy, and sponsored by Ernst & Young (EY) Hong Kong and Bloomberg.
This year, the theme of the challenge was housing. Attracting strong participation from leading universities in Hong Kong, 140 student teams, comprising 486 individuals, submitted innovative policy solutions to solve the housing crisis in Hong Kong. Proposals were initially assessed by eight economics faculty volunteers. Six teams competed in the grand finale in front of a panel of judges from HKUST, the University of Hong Kong (HKU), James Law Cybertecture, and EY. Competing proposals explored such solutions as unique tax proposals, discouraging land hoarding, and designing floating container homes that utilize Hong Kong's inner harbors.
The winning team comprised students from HKUST and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). The first and second runner-up teams featured students from HKUST and HKU respectively.
Learn more about HKEPC at www.hkepc.ust.hk/, and watch the final presentations of the winning teams here.