CTBE hosted a workshop about Web3 and AI for tertiary students across Hong Kong

On November 22, 2025, the HKUST Center for Technology and Business Ecosystem (CTBE), in collaboration with the Investor and Financial Education Council (IFEC) and Cyberport Hong Kong, hosted a Web3 workshop at Cyberport. Prof. Zhaoli MENG (Associate Director of CTBE), Ms. Michelle YEUNG (Head of Investor Education and Stakeholder Engagements at IFEC), and Ms. Rachel LEE (Director of Blockchain & Digital Asset at Cyberport) attended the event.

Over 200 tertiary students from 11 local institutions attended the half-day workshop, where experts shared their insights about (1) “Introduction to Web3 and Its Applications in FinTech”, (2) “How are blockchain and AI reshaping the global finance market?”, (3) “Web3 rapid prototyping”, and (4) “pitching and storytelling”. Speakers in academia and industry include:

(1) Prof. Bo TANG, Head & Assistant Director of HKUST Institute for Financial Research;
(2) Mr. Bill QIAN, Co-Founder of Cypher Capital/ CIO of Phoenix Group;
(3) Mr. Jason CHAN, Founder, CEO and AI Architect of OlaXBT;
(4) Prof. Carrie LING, Director of HKUST Entrepreneurship Center.

As noted by CTBE's assistant manager, Mr. Dongwei Lin, this workshop marks the kickoff for the 2026 Hong Kong Web3 Ideathon: AI, FinTech, and Financial Literacy, where students team up and pitch proposals leveraging Web3 technology to address key issues across three tracks: (1) Developing FinTech Solutions for Personal Spending and Savings; (2) Enhancing Financial Knowledge in Investment and Insurance; (3) Safeguarding Against Financial Scams and Frauds.

The deadline for proposal submission is January 11, 2026. Students need to form a team of 2-4 members and submit proposals after their teams are verified. For more information, please visit https://web3ideathon.hkust.edu.hk/.