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IMPACT LAB
Impact Lab (formerly known as Social Venture Management Course) is a 6-credit experiential learning course that allows students to work directly with social enterprises under the guidance of faculty instructors and professional mentors.
Students have opportunities to manage teams, solve real-life problems, and gain hands-on business experience, which strengthens their soft skills, helps them practically implement academic concepts, and greatly improves their ability to compete in the job market.
The course is offered at The University of Hong Kong in both semesters (Fall & Spring) and it has its own recruitment process and timeline.
About the course
How Does the course work?
Students commit to work 10 hours per week for their respective company which starts and ends at the same time as the semester. There is no class time or final exam but there are some orientation sessions, 3 seminars and some optional talks throughout the semester that the students are encouraged to attend to make the best out of their time in Impact Lab. Students might or might not be required to work from an office (some social enterprises are micro-businesses and have no office space). See the course syllabus for more information on assessment & grading.
Course timeline
The course timeline below is orientational, and the actual dates and weeks depend on the semester start/end and relevant holidays. The actual timeline may slightly differ based on the particular dates of the semester and public holidays/major festivals. Students are provided with exact dates and deadlines of all semester seminars and deliverables through an internal Student Guide.
WEEK 1-2:
Recruitment & Onboarding
week3-4:
start weekly reflection
WEEK 7:
Reading week
WEEK 6:
1st Evaluation
& 1st seminar
& Longer reflection
WEEK 8-9:
2nd seminar
& Longer reflection
week 2-3:
Action plan
& first Tasks
WEEK 15-16:
(1 WEEK AFTER THE SEMESTER ENDS)
final evaluation
WEEK 11-12:
3rd seminar
& Longer reflection
WEEK 10-12:
2nd Evaluation
WEEK 10-11:
final project consultation
WEEK 14:
final
weekly
reflection
WEEK 16:
(2 WEEKS AFTER THE SEMESTER ENDS)
final project
Done!
course components
In close collaboration with the supervisor, students will produce an Action Plan with activities and goals for the semester, based on the role and the description provided by the company and their own ideas.
action
plan
Students will receive 3 written evaluations from their supervisor. The first 2 aim to help students understand their shortcomings and how to improve their performance. Only the last evaluation will count towards the final grade.
supervisor feedback
Students will be asked to submit a report summarising what they did in each week of their engagement with the company and a reflection about the challenges and learnings each week.
weekly REFLECTIONS
Students will attend 3 seminars that will provide insights into societal issues and what it takes to build an impactful business. These seminars will also allow students to connect with their peers working at different companies.
seminar
PARTICIPATION
Students will write 3 longer reflections on their experience and showcase the application of concepts learned in the seminars and through the practice.
longer REFLECTIONS
Students will be asked to submit a final project, which will constitute an idea related to their experience at Impact Lab that can benefit their placement company or be an idea on its own.
final
project
student experience
By participating in the Impact Lab course you will get to test-drive your knowledge and skills; find a myriad of professionals and potential role models; strengthen your CV, develop a network, and importantly you will get to do good and have a positive social impact in the progress. Overall, it can be the experience of a lifetime and set the foundation for your future career.
Students learn to be proactive and actively engage in meetings and in workplace dynamics while taking full ownership of their tasks and projects.
Leadership
Students are continuously encouraged to use critical thinking and to innovate for change and social good. Our course specifically invites students to use different technological tools, AI and innovative approaches to adapt to a fast-changing business environment.
innovation
Students are mentored by professionals, getting regular feedback, which allows them to develop relevant skills before graduation and improve students' competitiveness in the job market.
mentoring
Through our diverse cohort of students, the course brings together diverse minds in order to drive and catalyze new ways of thinking, new ideas and concepts, and new ways of doing things. Each student cohort sees over 15 different nationalities and represents almost all of HKU faculties and variety of study programs.
diversity
Students can connect with peers from across different faculties and programs, as well as Impact Lab Alumni from different countries and cultural backgrounds, creating an initial professional network and foundation of a purpose-driven community.
community
Students work directly with organisations that utilise technology to uplift the marginalised, promote oral hygiene in developing countries, or build AR for nature conservation. The course embeds impact into all of the academic and educational outcomes.
impact
student testimonies
MICHAELA FORTE
HK
Placement with Soap Cycling
2013 Fall
"Soap Cycling gave me the opportunity to build my confidence, communication skills, and my work ethic. It motivated me to continue to apply for internships in the NGO sector both locally and internationally."
Current role: Strategic Capital Management at Goldman Sachs
Course Instructors
David Bishop
Lucia Loposova
