Successful Opening Ceremony of 2025 Lingnan - Yuanpei STEM Summer Academy

Jointly organised by Yuanpei College (Yuanpei) of Peking University (PKU) and Lingnan University, the 2025 Lingnan - Yuanpei STEM Summer Academy (LYSSA) performed the opening ceremony on 28 April 2025 online with a hybrid venue at the PKU Russian Building. Over 50 leaders, experts, and students from both universities attended the event, officiated by Prof Li Donghui, Associate Vice-President (Experiential Learning Projects), Prof Chen Xi, Dean of School of Interdisciplinary Studies of Lingnan University, Mr Li Boqiao, Vice Dean of Yuanpei and Ms Qi Liping, Manager of Office of General Affairs of Yuanpei of PKU. The ceremony was moderated by Mr Cao Yijian, residential education tutor of Yuanpei of PKU.

Before the opening ceremony, a flashback video of last year’s programme highlights was played showing students from both universities’ most memorable experiences at Lingnan University. The video captured vivid moments of discussions, competitions, and exchanges, and illustrated the students' continuous growth through exploration and practice. This year, LYSSA will be held at Peking University, and aims to inspire more young minds beginning their journeys of innovation and entrepreneurship.

In his opening speech, Mr Li Boqiao emphasised that LYSSA is not only scientific and technological exploration, but also a cross-disciplinary learning experience that unlocks potential. He encouraged students to make the most of this invaluable learning opportunity, sow the seeds of their aspirations, and cultivate personal growth on the Academy platform.

Speaking online from Hong Kong, Prof Li Donghui said that in an era where technology empowers education, this initiative serves as a platform integrating liberal arts education and technological innovation. It will help students from both universities enhance their knowledge of innovation and entrepreneurship, improve their project management skills, and strengthen their future competitiveness in the job market. Prof Li also expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Lingnan Foundation for its generous support, and introduced Lingnan’s team members, who will be helping students throughout the programme.

Ms Jia Yueru, residential education tutor of Yuanpei of PKU, talked about participating in the 2024 LYSSA, where she was a member of the winning team, and believes the programme strengthened her entrepreneurial mindset and coordination skills considerably. This year, in PKU’s dynamic and open climate of innovation, she hopes to use this experience to support the advancement of creative projects. Mr Liu Chun-hei, a student representative from Lingnan University taking part in the LYSSA for the first time, said how excited he is by the prospects of innovation and entrepreneurship, and looks forward to making new friends at Peking University, and achieving further design breakthroughs in his drone project.

Mr Li Boqiao, and Prof Li Donghui jointly announced the official launch of the 2025 Lingnan - Yuanpei STEM Summer Academy in Beijing and Hong Kong, and expressed their hopes that the innovative projects and services developed by participants will take root, flourish, and thrive.

Ms Qi Liping introduced this year’s six competing teams: Drones for Wastewater Sampling and Air Sampling, the Green Building and Energy-Saving Design Competition, the Intelligent Education System, the AI Productivity Revolution Track, the Smart Teaching Platform for Choral Music, and AI Educational Products. Ms Qi looks forward to seeing the teams’ creative ideas come to life under the mentors’ guidance.

Following the opening ceremony, Ms Belinda Lau, Programme Manager of Office of Service-Learning of Lingnan University, conducted the first online training session, titled "Ideation through Design Thinking", which provided students with a systematic understanding of the practical application of design thinking in innovation, and developed their ability to respond to complex problems with multiple perspectives and creative thinking.

The LYSSA is a nurturing ground for innovation and entrepreneurship in Beijing and Hong Kong. By assisting students from both universities to transform their original ideas into award-winning business plans, the Academy fosters liberal arts qualities and an entrepreneurial spirit. Both Yuanpei of PKU and Lingnan University value the Summer Academy highly, and plan to make it a key platform for developing and supplying innovative talent in the digital age. The Academy will be hosted alternately by Lingnan University and Peking University each year, and use this opportunity to increase collaboration and interaction between faculty and students from both institutions in technology innovation and cultural exchange.

Following last year's success at Lingnan University, this year's LYSSA will take place at Peking University from 4 to 12 July. Forty outstanding students from both universities will attend, forming six competing teams with expertise in artificial intelligence, data science, psychology, medicine, and philosophy. Under the guidance of mentors, experienced entrepreneurs, and leading scientists, each team will develop feasible business plans based on their projects, and compete in the final pitch. Through comprehensive entrepreneurship training, hands-on challenges, and expert mentorship, 2025 LYSSA aims to further ignite students' passions for scientific research and innovation in order to make future contributions to technological advancement and social impact.