The second “Smart Consumption Academy” (SCA), co-organised by the Consumer Council and the Education Bureau (EDB), with the support of approximately 30 co-organisers and supporting organisations, concluded with an Award Presentation Ceremony today (8 July 2025) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The ceremony was officiated by Dr the Honourable Lam Ching-choi, GBS, JP, Non-official Member of the Executive Council of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
The SCA employs a diverse and fun approach to promote practical consumer knowledge to secondary school students under 3 key themes: “Rational Consumption”, “Sustainable Consumption and Green Lifestyle”, and “Consumption and Caring for the Community”, aiming to instil responsible consumption values among students and nurture a new generation of “smart” consumers. This year’s programme witnessed participation from 163 secondary schools and over 29,000 students, reflecting a 16% increase from the previous year (141 schools and over 25,000 students). Notably, 60 schools participated in the SCA for the first time, including 1 Hong Kong children school from the Greater Bay Area, marking a significant achievement.
Mr Clement Chan Kam-wing, BBS, MH, JP, Chairman of the Consumer Council, expressed gratitude for the community’s support and encouragement during his welcome speech, “Youths are the pillars of our society’s future, and helping them establish positive values and attitudes is of utmost importance. Through the new ambassador initiative to be launched in the coming school year, we hope to pass the torch to the next generation, cultivating rational and responsible consumers. Together with all stakeholders, we aim to inspire more young people to become all-rounded, aspiring and committed ‘smart’ consumers.”
Dr the Honourable Lam Ching-choi, the Officiating Guest, remarked in his speech, “The SCA is a very engaging programme that closely connects with the daily life of our youth, and its ‘My Unique Project Study’ competition leaves the deepest impression on me. If we imagine the future applications, it could evolve into a research and development project. I am delighted to see so many young people in Hong Kong with innate potential for innovation and development. I hope the programme will continue to nurture more young people in building the right consumption values and further promote the concepts of ‘rational consumption’, ‘sustainable consumption’, and ‘green living’ in the society.”
To further extend the influence of the SCA and consumer education in schools, in addition to the programme’s existing project study, online quiz, and social media competitions, the Council officially launched the new “My Best Ambassador Scheme" for the upcoming 2025/26 school year during today’s ceremony. The scheme seeks to recruit enthusiastic and proactive students from schools that have participated in the SCA or the previous “Consumer Culture Study Award” (CCSA) to serve as ambassadors, who will undergo training and engage in various services to support the Council in promoting consumer education within their schools and the community, ultimately passing the torch to the next generations (see Annex 1, only available in Chinese). To inspire students to actively contribute to the community, Mr Dave Yau Shu-fung KStJ, Commissioner of the Hong Kong St. John Ambulance, shared his experiences in volunteer work, providing valuable insights and motivation to the students present.
To convey positive messages about smart consumption and green living in a relatable manner for young audiences, the Council invited the St. John Band, formed by a group of medical specialists, to compose a theme song for the SCA titled “Smart Choices, Responsible Consumption” (see Annex 2, only available in Chinese) and premiere at today’s ceremony. With its upbeat rhythm and spot-on lyrics, the song impeccably captures consumer attitudes while encouraging rational consumption and waste reduction. The sharing by band members and their live performance alongside students who participated in the music video production received enthusiastic applause from the audience who sang along together in creating a joyous atmosphere.
Throughout the 2024/25 school year, the SCA hosted 3 fabulous competitions: “My Witty Online Quiz”, “My Fun IG Post Creation” and “My Unique Project Study”. The “My Witty Online Quiz” Final Live Competition took place on 30 June 2025 at the Hong Kong Productivity Council, with highlights showcased during today’s ceremony to allow attendees to relive the excitement. The 3 winners of the “Most Influential Post” award from the “My Fun IG Post Creation” competition were also selected today through live audience voting, who impressed the attendees with their creative uses of a social media platform popular among young people to address consumer issues in daily life through short videos, illustrations or comics, thereby promoting rational and sustainable consumption.
This year’s “My Unique Project Study” competition featured a wide range of consumption topics. For instance, the champion in the senior division examined funeral consumption in the hope of stimulating discussions on life and death education, while other teams investigated recent consumption trends such as the “she economy” and “pet economy”. Several notable projects also expressed concern for community welfare and sustainable consumption, such as the challenges faced by wheelchair users and visually impaired consumers, as well as promoting green consumption through mobile applications. In addition, a number of teams leveraged artificial intelligence (AI) and big data on their winning projects. For instance, the champion of the junior division proposed a mobile application utilising RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology and AI analysis to scan food packaging and identify allergenic ingredients to assist consumers with food allergies in making informed decisions. Another team suggested using big data to train AI models in creating customised local travel itineraries and touring experiences for the elderly.
All SCA competitions underwent rigorous selection and adjudication processes. The screening panel and final adjudication for both the “My Unique Project Study” and “My Fun IG Post Creation” competitions included approximately 40 judges, comprising Consumer Council Members, university professors, professionals from various sectors, and experienced educators. The “My Witty Online Quiz” Final Live Competition was adjudicated on-site by Mr Tony Pang Chor-fu, Vice-Chairman of the Consumer Council; Mr Francis Ho Ying-foo, Acting Chief Executive of the Consumer Council; and Mr Rochester Wong Wang-fai, Chief Curriculum Development Officer (Personal, Social and Humanities Education) of the EDB, ensuring fairness and impartiality throughout the process.
Photo Captions
- Consumer Council Chairman Mr Clement Chan Kam-wing,Vice-Chairman Mr Tony Pang Chor-fu, and Acting Chief Executive Mr Francis Ho Ying-foo view the exhibition featuring the main award-winning entries.
- Guests vote for the “Most Influential Post” award from the “My Fun IG Post Creation” competition.
- Mr Clement Chan Kam-wing, Chairman of the Consumer Council, delivers a welcome speech.
- The Officiating Guest, Dr the Honourable Lam Ching-choi, Non-official Member of the Executive Council of the Government of the HKSAR, delivers a speech.
- Mr Clement Chan Kam-wing, Chairman of the Consumer Council, presents a souvenir to the Officiating Guest, Dr the Honourable Lam Ching-choi, Non-official Member of the Executive Council of the Government of the HKSAR.
- The St. John Band, formed by medical specialists, performs the SCA theme song titled “Smart Choices, Responsible Consumption” live at the ceremony.
- From left to right: Mr Francis Ho Ying-foo, Acting Chief Executive of the Consumer Council; Mr Dave Yau Shu-fung KStJ, Commissioner of the Hong Kong St. John Ambulance; Mr Clement Chan Kam-wing, Chairman of the Consumer Council; Mr Chan Hong, Senior Curriculum Development Officer of the Curriculum and Quality Assurance Branch of the EDB; and Mr Tony Pang Chor-fu, Vice-Chairman of the Consumer Council, officiate the launch of the new “My Best Ambassador Scheme”.
- Mr Dave Yau Shu-fung KStJ, Commissioner of the Hong Kong St. John Ambulance, shares volunteering experiences with students.
- Group photo with the Officiating Guest, Dr the Honourable Lam Ching-choi, Non-official Member of the Executive Council of the Government of the HKSAR, members of the Consumer Council, EDB representatives, co-organisers, and students and teachers from participating schools.
- Junior and senior champion teams from the “My Unique Project Study” competition introduce their winning projects.
- Group photo of all guests, teachers and students.
