Equipping myself, Embarking on my start-up adventure!


Hannah CHENG
BSc in Data Science and Technology, 2021 graduate

Glad that the all-round learning support offered by the university and my program was abundant, which can take care of the practical needs among me and peers. Together with a great group of friends helping one another like a family, we were able to learn and grow with each other.

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My starting point
Description

Data Science and Technology was a brand-new major at HKUST back in my Year 1. It’s a mixture of Mathematics and Computer Science. What an excellent match for my passion towards technology! Although I did not have any programming background back then, I decided to follow my aspirations and challenge myself. !'m glad that the all-round learning support offered by the University and my program was abundant, which can take care of the practical needs among me and peers. Together with a great group of friends helping one another like a family, we were able to learn and grow with each other.

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More than study life, go on exchange!
Description

The overseas exchange opportunities provided by HKUST took me to Singapore and Denmark. One of the most remarkable memories during my exchange is winning a hackathon organized by Microsoft by forming an all-girls’ team with local engineering students. Our mission was to design a solution with AI tools for tackling food shortage in Africa. This amazing contest allowed me to apply what I have learned at school and see the world through a different lens, as well as broadened my social network.

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Imagining a bright future
Description

To better equip myself, I participated in the HeadStart@HKUST program to learn from our alumni and mentors. Besides, being an intern at a startup company and an investment bank provided me hands-on opportunities to apply knowledge in real life situation. It was truly satisfying and fulfilling when my suggestions were adopted by my seniors and put into action. What’s more, many successful startup alumni founders also returned to the university and shared their triumphant stories. Hearing about how much they had been through, the hurdles they overcame and survived from, and eventually founded their own businesses inspired me to consider a similar path to explore different opportunities.

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Embarking on my startup adventure
Description

The startup course I took in my final year showed me how to make the best use of HKUST’s resources and began developing my own business idea. I realized how much the knowledge I had acquired along the way had prepared me to capitalize on the opportunities awaiting me. Soon I will graduate, and hope that someday, I can come back to my dearest HKUST and share my own success story.

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