Addressing social problems using the SDG framework
with and entrepreneurial approach

The SOCIALIMPACTLAB incubation program, founded  in 2018, provides a unique opportunity for students and aspiring entrepreneurs to address social problems using the SDG framework with an entrepreneurial approach whilst pursuing their passion for innovation and acquiring an overall understanding of the startup journey.  With a core focus on social impact, the program will enable a thorough understanding of the work being done at a global level by governments, civil society and entrepreneurs towards the United Nations 2030 agenda.

The 2018 edition of the SOCIALIMPACTLAB will run at the Common Core Hong Kong University - a series of courses across areas of inquiry that is required of all HKU undergraduates. As with similar programmes at other world-class universities, the Common Core supports students to build friendships across the Faculties; broaden intellectual and social perspectives and to develop innovative skills  graduates need to address the complexities of 21st century life.

Tags: #labsocialimpact | #connectyet | #commoncorehku | #hku 

HOW MANY SOCIAL-RELATED PROBLEMS
CAN YOU FIND IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD, CITY, COUNTRY?

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

1) Incubate social impact concepts through an SDG framework and using an entrepreneurial approach
2) Promote problem‐solving capabilities within a dynamic setting
3) Provide awareness, exposure and understanding to a variety of impact themes being addressed globally
4) Provide ready‐to‐use methodologies for entrepreneurial and social innovation
5) Enable students to have a better understanding of the current social directives from local governments 
6) Convey key fundamental factors that enhance project sustainability/viability
7) Encourage systematic and focused thinking whilst encouraging system-level perspective to transform entire areas, sectors or markets 
8) Provide the opportunity to interact with industry professionals whilst creating space for experimentation
​

TEACHING & LEARNING ACTIVITIES

A combination of themed‐based interactive lectures, discussion of real-life examples, project workshops and ongoing presentations will be the core of the learning activities for this module. Slides, start‐up pitch videos, innovation case studies and experts’ presentations will be critical to provide useful and applicable insights and to promote constructive discussions. Each project will align with a cluster of the Sustainable Development Goals and focus on a problem topic. The iterative process follows an entrepreneurial approach  and its output should contribute to present and future social ecosystems. 

"“DEVELOPMENT THAT MEETS THE PRESENT NEEDS WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE ABILITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS TO MEET THEIR OWN NEEDS”
OUR COMMON FUTURE-UNITED NATIONS WORLD COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENT & DEVELOPMENT 1987 REPORT 

Join the SOCIALIMPACTLAB

The course aims to cut across the boundaries of disciplines, industries, and academic interests whilst bringing together a diverse community to encourage multidisciplinary dialogue, cross-sector discussions and social-focused creativity in addressing social problems.  HKU Undergraduates / Exchange Students & GLADE Partner Students are invited to join the 2018 Edition of the SOCIALIMPACTLAB. 

​Registration: September 18 to October 31st 2018
Application Confirmation: up to November 8 2018
Onboarding: November 9 to November 13th 2018
Program Duration: Nov 14th - December 7th 2018
Total Program Hours: 25.5 hours (In-class: 14.5 hours; Virtual Sprints: 11 hours)
Location: HKU Common Core & Admiralty

Sessions: 
Nov 14 (6pm - 7:30pm), Nov 16 (6:30pm - 9:30pm) Nov 17 - 22 (virtual - project sprint), Nov 23 (6:30pm - 9:30pm), Nov 30 (6:30pm - 9:30pm), Dec 1 (11am - 12:30pm), Dec 2 to Dec 6 (virtual - project sprint), Dec 7 (11am - 12:30pm)

Register & FAQ
Interested to join the Lab? Register your interest on the form below (click here)
For questions regarding enrollment please refer to Common Core FAQ page

"IT IS DANGEROUSLY DESTABILIZING TO HAVE HALF OF THE POPULATION LIVING IN THE CUTING EDGE OF TECHNOLOGY WHILE THE OTHER HALF STRUGGLES
ON THE BARE EDGE OF SURVIVAL"

Bill Clinton

SDG FRAMEWORK

On 19 July 2014, the UN General Assembly's Open Working Group (OWG) forwarded a proposal for the SDGs Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ​ to the Assembly. The proposal contained 17 goals with 169 targets covering a broad range of sustainable development issues. These included ending poverty and hunger, improving health and education, making cities more sustainable, combating climate change, and protecting oceans and forests.

The UN ESCAP resolution 72/6 ‘Committing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific’ requests the Executive Secretary to “strengthen support to member States in an integrated approach, with analytical products, technical services and capacity-building initiatives through knowledge-sharing products and platforms, and to enhance data and statistical capacities”.  The Sustainable Business Network of UN ESCAP and its 7 taskforces were setup to promote inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development through public-private partnerships, the launch and implementation of activities and projects that enable the adoption, practice, and implementation of the SDGs. The SOCIALIMPACTLAB has the collaboration of the Youth & Women Entrepreneurship Taskforce of the UN ESCAP Sustainable Business Network

ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS & STUDENT FEEDBACK ON RELATED PROGRAMS

• "Thank you for the program, it was an unforgettable entrepreneurial experience."
•  "For me personally this class has helped me in equipping myself to take the entrepreneurial journey also with another venture am about to purse separately. Thanks again for the great course content and delivery of the businesslab  Program."
• "We had an exceptional year in 2017 and everything would become impossible without your enlightenment in the businesslab."
• "We would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to you for guiding us throughout the entrepreneurship journey and connecting many professional and experienced talents with us. We gathered today to incorporate our project!"
• "Thanks for everything! What a great collaboration experience to work with the UXAthon team. Honestly, the whole businesslab program is so inspiring and it did bring much value to us."
• "A great conclusion to the one week SDG BIZathon between HKUST MBA and HKU MBA. Great entrepreneurial ideas from the HKU MBA students through their businesslab program, which I believe benefited from this BIZathon by digging deep when considering CSR and UN SDGs goals to be incorporated into business models. Starting a company with CSR and UN SDGs in its DNA will undoubtedly have a bigger impact on the company's future and to the wider society and environment."
• "I found the entrepreneurial energy from the HKU students to be very palpable and infectious. It's absolutely lovely to see that responsible leadership and sustainability are becoming increasingly important in business. It is due to the efforts of inspirational people such as yourself that are changing mindsets and spearheading this paradigm shift."
• “I am very happy to be a part of the BIZathon and was very impressed with the incubation projects and the nurturing provided to the participating entrepreneurs. It will be a wonderful learning opportunity and platform to make a meaningful contribution. I am so happy to get this opportunity. Thank you for everything"
• "I had a really great time working with the students in Hong Kong, it was a pleasure."
• "Congratulations on a great kickoff event for the SDG BIZathon last Friday. We believe that the project we worked on can be a vehicle of change and a source of good for Hong Kong and its communities."
• "I was very glad to participate in the BIZathon program! I worked at a technology startup focusing on offering smart, green sharing electric scooter platform before my MBA. CSR and sustainability are the topics that I was exposed to frequently at that time. Not only we can share diversified opinions, but also we can understand CSR better and help the business in the future."
• "I really enjoyed the UXAthon and hope to do more cross-University collaborations like this."
• "The 2017 edition of the businesslab program truly exceeded expectations."​​

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​Related Programs
BusinessLab | UXAthon | SDGBizathon | Incubate - Microsoft Imagine Cup | Cybersocieties | UX Workshop

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