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The most exhilarating aspect is witnessing the transformation of our ideas into tangible actions. I never anticipated that our perspectives would hold such immense value, and I am genuinely grateful for it. Our CEOs, founders, and staff consistently demonstrate their recognition of our worth and contributions. I am not merely collaborating on a project with the CEOs, but also co-creating the Melo Program alongside the participants. Witnessing the tremendous growth and expansion of Project Melo within a span of fewer than five years fills me with immense pride.Thanks to Project Melo, I have gained a newfound confidence in expressing my opinions. Prior to joining the program, I would never have the courage to share my fledgling thoughts in front of such influential leaders. Moreover, I have become more at ease when faced with conflicting ideas. Previously, I would have been terrified of any disagreements within a group, but now I perceive them as opportunities for my team to better identify our needs and realign our course.
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Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you will land among the stars.
I am always excited to see how the CEOs are willing and wanting to hear more from the younger generations. Their genuineness and authenticity really brought the experience in Melo to another level. Most unpredictable part will definitely be the fact that me and my teammates "accidentally" became the author and illustrator of a kid's gamebook. I am pleasantly surprised on how far we could go with our potentials, and it allowed me to believe in my own strength more!
There were a lot that I have gained along the journey, especially from the sharings of CEOs and other guests. Their wisdom, and vision towards issues around did provoked my thoughts and reminded me to think deeper. I also have became more comfort- able in sharing my opinions. Although there definitely is still some room of improvement, I am thankful that I have took my first baby steps throughout the journey.
Looking back, Melo has brought me some of the most memorable experiences in my university days:) I realized how powerful we could be when working together to do good for the community. Seeing how big Melo has grown in these few years, I'm just sooooo proud to be an OG Melo 2021 fellow:) Thank you all for letting me be a part of the journey!
I really appreciated the tight community we have built in Project Melo. I was pleasantly surprised to experience cross-generational bonding and idea sharing, especially between some notable experts in their field in Hong Kong. Previously, I imagined CEOs to be hard-headed and unapproachable, but what I experienced in Melo was the complete opposite. These CEOs were some of the kindest and friendliest people I have ever met, and that gave me a great sense of belonging within the community. Besides that, I thoroughly enjoyed mingling with open-minded and driven peers during the Joint Discovery events. These were some of the most genuine, humble and down-to-earth people I have met, which made the atmosphere much more vibrant and enjoyable. The thought of designing and launching an ecotour as an inexperienced year 1 proved highly intimidating. Self-doubt echoed through my mind while undertaking this impactful project. However, my teammates were kind enough to understand my position, noting that this was an excellent learning opportunity for all of us. They would have felt the same in Year 1 too. Their compassion and empathy were incredibly helpful for me to get into my stride and contribute. Gradually, I became more self-assured and confident in my abilities. I realised the importance of having good team dynamics. The diversity in our group allowed for one’s strengths to complement the weaknesses of others. Although launching an ecotour was filled with hiccups and challenges, I learned to take the next obvious step forward and trust the process.
“This is truly a community effort....And I’m honored to be part of this new initiative.Yes, there are challenges ahead, for both our students and corporates... but I remain confident that our Melo Fellows and Peers together with the CEOs can learn from each other how best to weather the uncharted journey ahead.”
“I am deeply impressed by the organisers’ commitment to create a differentiated program for Youth. I hope all Melo students always believe in themselves and the society, and always be brave to think differently and take actions.”
“I really enjoyed the anticipation before each meeting with the students -- you never knew what they would present or what topics would be discussed! Every meeting was refreshing because I felt like I was getting a glimpse of the same world, but through different eyes. Besides the project on hand, we had the chance to discuss a wide range of issues that I normally wouldn't get to discuss with young people, and that was very rewarding for me.”
Who can apply?
Any full-time university undergraduates from these six universities can apply - Baptist U, City U, Chinese U, HKU, HKUST, and PolyU. We will select 20 Melo Fellows from this pool of applicants. Our selection criteria is simple - we are looking for high calibre students with a passion and track record of leadership and impact on the society. We look for authentic stories and real passion.
The program will kick off at the end of January 2025 and end with a graduation in June 2025. The Fellowship has two main components - Co-Creation and Joint Discovery.
In Co-Creation, 20 Melo Fellows will be divided into 5 teams of 4. Each team will be paired with two leading CEOs / social leaders. Each will work towards a proposal on delivering the most impact on their topic for Hong Kong society. One of the leading region VC firms and its managing partner will seed one or more of their proposed programs for implementation.
In Joint Discovery, these are events for the entire fellowship where Melo Fellows will experience and learn from leaders of our society on a few key themes, in the most intimate and engaging way.
In terms of time commitment, each Fellow will be asked to:
Melo Fellows will go through a one-of-a-kind journey of learning and mindset growth. They will learn hard and soft skills and have direct exposure to leading CEOs, social leaders and thought leaders. The Fellowship includes project based learning as well as group-based interactive learning.
For the first time ever, two Fellows will be selected and be awarded the SHK x Melo Scholarship, which will cover the full tuition fee of the remaining years of undergraduate studies of the awardee.
1. Background details
Your name, mobile number, email contact and your year and degree in HKUST.
2. Choose a topic
Choose from one of the five themes we listed as your preferred topic of interest or you can write to us what one other topic you are interested in
3. Tell us your story
Share why you want to join this program and why you are passionate about the topic you choose in one of three formats (A 500-word essay, a 90-second video, or a PowerPoint of fewer than 10 slides). We care a lot about authenticity. We would love to hear stories that come from your personal experience.
