This was an intense competition—twelve teams that had overcome multiple rounds of selection showcased their talents, vying for supremacy.
This was a dialogue of data—twelve ideas, each infused with data intelligence, collided and shone brightly.

On the afternoon of November 27, 2022, the finals of the “Government Affairs Focus: 2nd Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Student Public Governance Data Analysis Competition” were held online. This event was jointly organized by the School of Political Science and Public Administration at Sun Yat-sen University, the China Public Administration Research Center at Sun Yat-sen University, the Department of Public and International Affairs at City University of Hong Kong, and the Data Science Research Center at the University of Macau. Twelve enthusiastic teams showcased the confidence and charisma of the younger generation.

We were honored to invite several esteemed guests to the finals, including Professor Zhang Shuwei, Associate Professor Wang Haining, and Assistant Professor Chen Xin from the School of Public Administration at Sun Yat-sen University; Professor He Daji, Assistant Professor Liu Ning, and Assistant Professor Dong Liang from the Department of Public and International Affairs at City University of Hong Kong; Acting Director Professor Yu Lianghao and Assistant Professor Jiang Bo from the Data Science Research Center at the University of Macau; and Assistant Professor Wu Xiaowei from the National Key Laboratory of Smart City IoT at the University of Macau, who served as judges for the competition.

Guest Speeches

Before the competition began, Professor Tan Anqun, Professor He Daji, and Professor Yu Lianghao delivered speeches.

First to speak was Professor Tan Anqun, Dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration at Sun Yat-sen University and Director of the China Public Administration Research Center. He highlighted that the development of digital technology and artificial intelligence is driving profound changes in society and government management. For public governance, this presents not only technical application challenges but also multi-layered issues related to government regulation, industrial policy, public-private collaboration, and ethical reflection. Looking to the future, facing these challenges is precisely the motivation for promoting the continuous improvement of the university student public governance data analysis competition and expanding it to major universities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. He expressed sincere gratitude to the collaborating partners in Hong Kong and Macao, all guiding units, and the expert judges, and looked forward to high-level presentations from all participating teams.

Next, Professor He Daji from the Department of Public and International Affairs at City University of Hong Kong delivered his speech. He affirmed and supported the depth and breadth of interdisciplinary collaboration in public affairs research during the competition, emphasizing the significant implications of combining data analysis with public governance for finding effective solutions for governments and the people.

Finally, Professor Yu Lianghao, Acting Director of the Data Science Research Center at the University of Macau, shared his views on current data analysis in light of the pandemic situation and expressed anticipation for future competitions as well as the practical applications of digital technology in social management.

Team Presentations and Q&A Session

This competition aligned with important trends of the times, promoting the application of digital technology and concepts in public governance, social, and economic development. It encouraged students to think deeply and practice the effective integration of data and governance, stimulating their innovative and creative spirit. The twelve teams conducted in-depth data mining and interpretation on various hot topics, including social media, information silos, street quality, emergency medical systems, the “three-child” policy, and sentiment analysis of short videos.

The finals comprised team presentations followed by guest Q&A and evaluation. On stage, each team showcased their unique insights, having prepared thoroughly. Each member presented their data research systematically, using diverse data analysis tools to rethink social issues and propose their recommendations. The content was rich, creative, and engaging. During the Q&A session, the judges incisively pointed out data issues and offered suggestions for further improvement. The competition gradually moved towards its conclusion in a tense yet exciting atmosphere.

Judges’ Post-Competition Summary

After all participating teams completed their presentations, the judges delivered a consolidated speech. They first praised the unique thinking and outstanding performances of each team while also offering several suggestions:
1，Emphasize Real-Time Data: It’s important to reflect both the trends and issues of past social development through data while also connecting it to current realities, ensuring a focus on actual conditions.
2，Select Relevant Topics: Teams should maintain a problem awareness and problem-oriented approach, choosing meaningful and sustainable value issues to explore effective data-driven social governance models.
3，Further Follow-Up on Data Acquisition: Given the vast and complex nature of the data, analysis should go beyond surface phenomena and delve into the specific causes behind the data trends observed.
In closing, the judges encouraged all participants for their hard work and expressed their best wishes for the successful conclusion of the data analysis competition.

Award Presentation

After an intense and competitive event, the competition awarded one first prize, two second prizes, three third prizes, and several excellent innovation awards. The “回鍋肉隊” team won the first prize for their outstanding performance, while the “歡樂斗地組” and “澳帶狠人隊” received second prizes. The teams “恭喜我們隊,” “粵港澳聯隊,” and “跳粵合作小隊” were awarded third prizes. Additionally, the “有理數隊,” “RTX4090ti隊,” “明天就要截止對不隊,” “數治廣澳行,” “填溝小分隊,” and “IACC小分隊” received excellent innovation awards. Thus, the finals of the “Government Affairs Focus: 2nd Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Student Public Governance Data Analysis Competition” concluded successfully!

Insights and Future Outlook

With progress made, the future is bright—data shines in this era. Digital information technology provides vital technical support and rich data resources for decision-making in public governance in this new era, prompting reflections on the transformation of public governance models. Talented students from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao are aligning with the trends of the times, integrating data analysis with public governance to inject new ideas and energy into social development, aligning perfectly with the competition’s original intent.

We sincerely hope that every student passionate about public governance can leverage data analysis tools to unlock deeper insights into social governance. We look forward to the next competition and wish everyone limitless potential as they embark on their journeys!