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The final of the 15th National Marine Knowledge Competition concluded recently in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. The competition highlights were broadcast today (8 June), World Oceans Day, on China Southeast Television. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), as the organiser of the Hong Kong contest, was honoured with both the Outstanding Organisation Award and the Outstanding Instructor Award by the national organisers. Dr Lin Huangquan, Director of CUHK’s Office of Greater Bay Area Developments, accepted the awards on behalf of the Hong Kong organising unit.

The competition was jointly organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People’s Republic of China, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League and the Political Work Department of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy. Distinguished guests attended the final, including Ms Zhou Xing, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People’s Republic of China; Mr Wang Jinfu, Vice Governor of Fujian Province; Academician Zhu Beiwei of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Mr Yue Wei, Minister of the Youth Development Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League; Mr Dai Zongfeng, Deputy Director of the Political Work Department of the People’s Liberation Army Navy Unit 92403,  Professor Isabella Poon Wai-yin, Provost of CUHK, as well as representatives from various partner organisations. Professor Poon also served as a presenter at the award ceremony.

Hong Kong Contest inaugurated – CUHK honoured with dual awards

This year marked the first time the competition included a Hong Kong Contest, hosted by CUHK. The selection process ran from September last year to January this year, and attracted over 400 students from 20 local tertiary institutions. In addition, a public online quiz engaged nearly 80 primary and secondary schools as well as the wider public, drawing over 20,000 registrations and over 90,000 attempts. This underscores the powerful enthusiasm among Hong Kong’s youth and other members of the public for marine conservation and scientific knowledge.

The Outstanding Organisation Award and Outstanding Instructor Award are recognition of CUHK’s outstanding organisational work and remarkable achievements in promoting marine science education.

Hong Kong team uniting four universities debuts in National Competition

Over 200 universities nationwide participated in the competition, with students selected through three channels – school-level, regional and naval academy – with 15 teams qualifying for the national semi-finals. Following multiple rounds of selection in the Hong Kong contest, a representative team comprising Huang Changbin from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Liu Runjie from CUHK, Wu Chun-hung from City University of Hong Kong and Kan Tsz-man from Hong Kong Baptist University travelled to Fuzhou to compete in the national semi-final and final against elite contestants from across the country.

Confronted with fierce competition, the Hong Kong team delivered a steady performance and demonstrated strong teamwork, earning the third-class award in the semi-final. Team member Liu said: “It is a great honour to take part in the National Marine Knowledge Competition. Although we did not advance to the final, our love for the ocean and our aspirations for the blue planet will never change.”

Hong Kong expert invited to pose questions in National Final for first time

For the National Final, experts from diverse fields, such as manned deep-sea diving operations, polar scientific expeditions and Austronesian culture, were invited to pose questions to the contestants based on their own experiences. Professor Ho Kin-chung, the representative member of the Hong Kong Contest Academic Committee and Chair Professor of Environmental and Polar Research of the Education University of Hong Kong, served as the first question setter from Hong Kong. He posed questions highlighting the Greater Bay Area’s contributions to China’s polar scientific expeditions.

GBA Youth unite to advocate for ocean protection

Coinciding with today’s (June 8) World Oceans Day, the Office of the Department of Natural Resources of Guangdong Province hosted the “2026 Guangdong Province World Oceans Day and National Ocean Publicity Day Series Activities” in Shanwei City, under the theme “Protecting the Deep Blue, Forging Strength Towards the Sea”. Ms Yeung Sum-sze, Assistant Director of the CUHK’s Office of Greater Bay Area Developments, and Liu Runjie, a member of the Hong Kong team, were invited to attend the event. Together with university representatives from Guangdong and Macao, they jointly released the “Protecting the Deep Blue, Forging Strength Towards the Sea” Initiative, proclaiming their unwavering determination to safeguard the oceans, effectively translating their academic pursuit of marine knowledge into concrete actions to protect the deep blue ocean.

About the 15th National Marine Knowledge Competition

Established in 2008, the National Marine Knowledge Competition is a significant nationwide initiative aimed at promoting marine knowledge. This year marked the introduction of the Hong Kong Contest. CUHK is honoured to receive support from national ministries as the organiser. It collaborates with universities and social organisations in Hong Kong to advance marine technology innovation and conservation education, contributing to the development of the next generation of marine talents.

For more competition details, please visit: https://hkmarinecompetition.com.