NYUAD Hackathon Encourages Use Of Tech For Social Change In The Arab World
NYUAD
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Are you a computer science student who strives to apply your technology skills to make a difference to your society? That’s precisely the kind of people that the 2018 Annual NYUAD International Hackathon for Social Good in the Arab World to be held on April 27-29, is looking for, to nurture.
The three-day “programming marathon” (in its seventh edition) will see computer science professors, founders of startups, technology professionals, and even venture capitalists from across the globe come together at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) to lead teams of skilled computer science students to create mobile and web applications relating to diverse fields such as health, education, film, music, business, and science- all for social good in the Arab World.
To be held at NYUAD campus, the three-day hackathon begins with an orientation and “API Talks” session, and will then move on to pitching sessions for ideas and team selections by the end of day 1. Over the next two days, teams will develop their applications, and the event concludes with the teams presenting their applications to a panel of experts in a public event at NYUAD Conference Center.
Hiat app creators winning the 2017 edition of NYUAD Hackathon. Image credit: NYUAD.
NYUAD
The hackathon is said to receive an average of 600 applications from around the world, nominated by professors from top computer science departments such as MIT, Stanford, NYU, American University of Cairo, Jordan University, and NYUAD, among many others. “We receive applications from all over the world, but we accept the one-third from UAE, one-third Arab applications from the Arab World (outside the UAE) and rest from the world (outside the UAE),” explains Odeh, adding that almost 50% of the participants are female.
Incidentally, the winner of the 2017 edition of the hackathon –Planet Homes [Hiat]- is a platform to connect skilled refugees and the local community in a gig economy projects, and is co-developed by woman techie Radwa Hamed (Hiat is developed by a total of six students), a double major in computer engineering and electronics and communications engineering. “The hackathon has been a great portal for many ideas to bloom and gain mentorship and growth,” says Hamed. “From the ideation phase, the process of fine-tuning the idea, designing a product that is socially aware and profitable, the mentors, judges and facilitators have all been very helpful,” she adds.
Radwa Hamed and other developers of the Hiat app. Image credit: Radwa Hamed.
Related: Women Hackathons: A Gateway To The Evolution Of A More Equal World
Are you a computer science student who strives to apply your technology skills to make a difference to your society? That’s precisely the kind of people that the 2018 Annual NYUAD International Hackathon for Social Good in the Arab World to be held on April 27-29, is looking for, to nurture.
The three-day “programming marathon” (in its seventh edition) will see computer science professors, founders of startups, technology professionals, and even venture capitalists from across the globe come together at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) to lead teams of skilled computer science students to create mobile and web applications relating to diverse fields such as health, education, film, music, business, and science- all for social good in the Arab World.
To be held at NYUAD campus, the three-day hackathon begins with an orientation and “API Talks” session, and will then move on to pitching sessions for ideas and team selections by the end of day 1. Over the next two days, teams will develop their applications, and the event concludes with the teams presenting their applications to a panel of experts in a public event at NYUAD Conference Center.
