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The Outlier Social Innovation Challenge stands apart from traditional case competitions by offering a deeply impactful experience centered around this year’s theme of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
Unlike other competitions that focus solely on business cases, we encourage participants to engage with real social issues related to DEI, fostering a sense of ownership and empathy towards those affected. Teams collaborate to develop innovative, trailblazing solutions, supported by a design thinking bootcamp, rigorous training, cutting-edge workshops, and inspiring keynotes.
This event transcends the typical competition format, providing a comprehensive and enriching experience aimed at driving meaningful progress in our society.
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There are cash prizes which are to-be-announced during our info sessions, stay tuned!
03
This year, we are excited to host a hybrid event that will finally allow us to see participants face-to-face!
The Design Thinking Bootcamp will take place in person on Day 1, March 15, while Day 2 will be held virtually. The Pitching Finale will also be an in-person event on March 22.
After two years of virtual formats due to COVID-19, we can’t wait to connect with everyone in person!
04
Yes. As long as you are an undergraduate studying in a university in Hong Kong, you can join the Outlier 2025 Social Innovation Challenge, regardless of your major, academic curriculum, nationality and background.
The event will be conducted entirely in English, so there will be no language barriers for non-local students to join.
05
Of course! Our Social Innovation Challenge is not a typical case competition; it is a platform to hack solutions that can tackle pressing social issues in Hong Kong. It doesn’t matter which faculty you are from and what academic curriculum you are enrolled in, as long as you have the passion to participate inside the event and drive meaningful change.
The event is definitely NOT exclusive to business students; so if you are from other faculties or studying other subjects, you are more than welcome to join!
06
Yes, participants should join the Challenge in groups of 4-5, as you will need a sufficient number of people in your team to have the capacity to brainstorm and execute your business model.
You can either:
Self-form a group of 4-5 members; or
Apply as an individual. Individual applicants will be grouped into teams of 3-5 based on the actual application situation and timestamp of application.
There are no restrictions on team composition. We welcome a diverse mix of undergraduates from any local university, regardless of discipline or year of study.
07
We require all participants to stay committed and be fully present during the event, unless there are special reasons or unforeseen circumstances. You can inform our organising committee in advance about your availability, in case you need to leave early or join late on a certain day.
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Once you submit the form and your application is valid, you will receive a confirmation email. We will wait until the application deadline to process all applications. Once that’s done, you will receive an email notifying you about the success of your application. More details regarding the event will be communicated through you by emails further down the line.
09
In this case, we will review the quality of applications and shortlist the best ones. Our maximum target number of participants is 250 in total.