The second in the School of Engineering's thought-provoking Starting from Technology Seminar Series took place in September 2012. The event encouraged students to connect their future work to the community and to develop their "heartware", or compassion, integrity and values, alongside their technological skills in order to create useful, people-oriented products.

At the talk, Mr Erwin Huang, CEO of WebOrganic and a founder of the SCHSA social enterprise which has pioneered the use of technology for senior citizens' safety, and Mr Andrew Ma, TEDxMongKok 2012 speaker, discussed "The 'Heartware' Required to Excel in the 21C Technology-centric World". The seminar series, which forms part of the School's Global & Community Engagement (GCE) Program, seeks to broaden awareness of the role engineers play in society.

Mr Huang brought two types of heartware products to show students: Safety Bell assists elderly people who live alone while Nike Fuel makes people more self-aware of their health as it tracks physical activity. Mr Ma pointed out that people often do not really communicate even with the latest hi-tech gadgets. However, heartware provides a way to transfer hope, love and wisdom, and through this they may alter their lives.

Mr Huang ended the seminar by giving tips on learning how to learn and how students can identify what they want to learn.

As further encouragement to participate in community work and local and international contests, 80 students received achievement certificates for excellence at a presentation ceremony organized by the GCE Program in October 2012. It was the first time such certificates had been awarded.

At the ceremony, Prof Kam Tim Woo, Director of Global & Community Engagement Program, also announced the launch of the GCE Student Enrichment Grant Scheme and GCE Student Initiated & Organized Projects Fund. Both schemes provide sponsorship for full-time undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students to join local and international activities.