The Apps Lab of City University of Hong Kong (CityU) and DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited (DBS Bank) announced the formation of a new strategic alliance today (19 February) to accelerate research and innovation in the banking sector among CityU students. The alliance will also provide students with a unique opportunity to engage in projects with professionals from DBS Bank across Asia.

 

Mr David Lynch, Managing Director and Head of Technology & Operations HK & Mainland China, DBS Bank, Mr. David Backley, Managing Director, Head of Consumer Banking Group - Technology, DBS Bank, Professor Arthur Ellis, Provost of CityU, Professor Man Kim-fung, Head of the Department of Electronic Engineering of CityU, and Dr Ray Cheung Chak-chung, Director of the CityU Apps Lab and Assistant Professor of the Department of Electronic Engineering officiated at a ceremony held today to mark the commencement of the alliance.

 

“CityU stands at the frontier of exploring and developing information technology. DBS, as a caring bank in Hong Kong, is eager to take the responsibility to nurture the new generation to create new knowledge which can be beneficial to society,” said Mr Lynch. “We hope that our support to CityU will help students prepare themselves better to contribute to the globalised, hi-tech world.”

 

“The Apps Lab is a visionary creation from CityU and we are really pleased to be a part of developing the next generation of software engineers, designers and data scientists. We see tremendous potential in harnessing the energy and enthusiasm of the Apps Lab students. Combined with the resources and research capabilities of CityU, we’re aiming to accelerate innovation in Hong Kong and beyond. There are exciting new capabilities we will create for our customers. We want to equip the students with banking and IT knowledge to fast-track their careers,” he continued.

 

Professor Ellis said the alliance would help instill an innovative learning atmosphere on campus that would coincide with the aims of CityU’s curriculum. “With support from DBS Bank, the Apps Lab can organise activities that encourage students to think creatively and to turn their innovative ideas into real-life applications that are useful to the business world. This initiative is well aligned with our Discovery-enriched Curriculum (DEC) that seeks to give all CityU students the chance to make an original discovery. The DEC helps students learn how to create new knowledge, communicate it, curate it, and cultivate it to benefit society,” he said.

 

Under the agreement, CityU students will be offered opportunities to participate in a placement programme in Hong Kong and potentially in other markets. CityU students will interact directly with the IT development team at DBS Bank. They will have the chance to contribute their research, expertise and ideas to a number of challenging projects that DBS Bank will create. Students will also be able to pursue their own ideas for creating digital banking products and services of the future.

 

In addition, DBS Bank will sponsor a new forum created by the CityU Apps Lab (CAL) titled “DBS x CAL Talk”. These presentations will provide a platform for students and dynamic industry speakers to share their inventive project ideas. The talks will be recorded and uploaded to YouTube, providing the opportunity for worldwide viewing.

 

Professor Man said the placement opportunities would enhance the future career development of CityU students. “The alliance provides students with training opportunities to adapt to the business world before they graduate. Students can gain experience in solving problems and developing new products for the IT sector in real-life situations,” he said.

 

Since the launch of the CityU Apps Lab in August last year, students have successfully transformed several innovative ideas into reality. For example, a student invented an app called the “Fast Print Connect” which allows students off-campus to submit print jobs to printers on campus. Inspiration for the idea came from the CAL Talks. The app, which works by connecting students via their mobile phones to a computer gateway located on campus, was launched in September last year. It is currently undergoing tests for security enhancement.

 

“We are creating something here that will inspire our students to develop commercially viable mobile applications. We’re confident the collaboration with DBS Bank will further motivate our students to pursue their ideas and take the banking industry forward into the era of digital banking,” said Dr Cheung.

 

 

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