Cross-institutional team wins championship with “SenseShield” at the 3rd Lingnan-Yuanpei STEM Summer Academy

Jointly organised by Lingnan University and Yuanpei College of Peking University (PKU), the on-site, seven-day, intensive training camp was held from 2 to 8 July 2026 at the third Lingnan-Yuanpei STEM Summer Academy, and ended on the Lingnan University campus, showing how the next generation of Beijing-Hong Kong talent seamlessly blends cutting-edge scientific innovation with a generous humanistic spirit, helping student entrepreneurs to transform creative ideas into socially responsible and real-world business solutions.

Ending with the STEM Roadshow Competition, about 30 students formed five teams to pitch viable, tech-driven business models that put social values alongside commercial feasibility. 

After several rounds of prototyping, pitching, and assessments, the team “SenseShield” won the championship. SenseShield is an inclusively designed pioneering menstrual leak emergency system. The 3-in-1 emergency kit is the size of a mini-tissue pack, and holds three innovative essentials for women: a stylish emergency camouflage half-skirt, a leak-proof sanitary seat mat, and an odour-resistant disposable sealable bag. By addressing this previously unmet market need for “post-leak self-rescue”, the project aims to alleviate women’s hidden anxieties and advance equality through accessible products. The team were mentored by Mr Adrian Lo Chun-kwong, Chief Design Lead of the UNU Hub on Humanitarian Innovation and Technology at Lingnan University.

Overjoyed at winning the award, Leta Li Xinying, leader of the successful team and a Lingnan graduating student from the Master of Arts in Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management programme, said, “We are all incredibly thrilled to have won this competition, and delighted that our hard work has been recognised. I believe the key to our success was teamwork - every team member approached the competition with dedication, and actively shared ideas with one another. Moving forward, we hope to obtain international standards and certifications for our product, find investment partners, and bring this project to fruition.” The winning team received a cash prize of HK$50,000 sponsored by the Lingnan Foundation, along with eligibility for up to HK$500,000 from the Lingnan Foundation Prototype Fund to productise their idea.

Other award-winning projects were:

·        First runner-up – the Fluency Auditor: A Multimodal AI-Driven Linguistic Assessment Platform

·        Second runner-up – an AI Cognitive Training Device for the Elderly with a Mild Cognitive Impairment

·        Merit awards - Darlink (AI Matching)

       A Low-Cost Intelligent Device and System for Real-Time Mosquito Monitoring

Embodying Lingnan’s motto, “Education for Service”, this year’s summer academy focused heavily on human-centric technology. Elite students from diverse academic backgrounds, including artificial intelligence, data science, arts, business, social sciences, and interdisciplinary studies, formed inter-institutional teams to tackle pressing community, health, and environmental challenges. The academy was attended by Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Vice-President (Academics) cum Provost and Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Scientific Computing at Lingnan University, and Mr Chai Teng, Executive Deputy Secretary of the CYL Committee of PKU’s Yuanpei College, and the judging panel comprised Dr Daniel Chun, Vice President of the Smart City Consortium, Ms Lillian Li, Executive Director of the Social Impact Partners, and Mr Edmond Lam, Senior Manager (AI & Data) of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation.

Commenting on the overall performance of participants, the judges said, “What set this year’s cohorts apart was their ability to look past pure profitability and code for a cause. We were thoroughly impressed by how these young innovators didn’t just demonstrate technical brilliance, but researched the human element of their chosen problems meticulously. The synergy between Lingnan University and PKU was palpable, and they combined high-level data intelligence with a practical and community-first mindset.”

Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Vice-President (Academics) cum Provost and Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Scientific Computing at Lingnan University, commended the participants and organisers in his closing remarks: “It has been a privilege to witness the dedication, creativity, and perseverance of every participant. This cross-institutional collaboration between Lingnan University and Peking University’s Yuanpei College succeeds because of the seamless coordination of our staff and project advisors. To our students: you are all winners in our eyes. You have demonstrated how to harness technology and human values for the betterment of our world. Go forward and become the socially responsible leaders of tomorrow.”

Addressing the competition’s closing ceremony with a pre-recorded message, Mr Li Zhe, Chair of the PKU’s Yuanpei College Council, said that over the past week students from both universities had integrated their appreciation of naturalism and human-centric liberal arts philosophy brilliantly. They proved that true innovation is never just about piling up technologies; it is a direct response to the practical needs of humanity. Mr Li hopes that the friendship between these two cities continues to sow seeds of innovation, and looks forward to seeing students evolve into visionary leaders equipped with both technological prowess and humanistic literacy.

Since its inception in 2024, the Lingnan-Yuanpei STEM Summer Academy has grown into an important platform for fruitful cross-institutional collaboration and expertise development. It plans to further combine education, technology, and high-calibre talent proficiency, and actively promote the “Study in Hong Kong” brand. The winning projects address real social pain points, proving our students’ ability to use STEM knowledge in a real-world scenario.