AUK Hosts First-Ever Coding Hackathon: Empowering Students to Innovate for Social Change

2024-10-17
American university of Kurdistan Hackathon coding compitiion

On October 10, 2024, the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) hosted its inaugural Coding Hackathon, organized by the Department of Computer Science & Information Technology in collaboration with the Office of Student Affairs. Led by sophomore Balen Abdalla, President of the HacAUK Club and Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador, the event gathered regional universities for a day of panel discussions, coding, innovation, and teamwork.

Teams of three students from six universities participated: The American University of Kurdistan, Duhok Polytechnic University, University of Duhok, University of Sulaimani, Komar University of Science and Technology, and University of Zakho.

Themed “Tech for Good,” the Hackathon challenged participants to create solutions addressing societal challenges. Teams had six hours to brainstorm, code, and present their projects. A panel of judges, including representatives from event sponsors Moonline and Azadi Coin, along with Mr. Muhammad Nawzad Abdullah from the Government’s Department of Information Technology (DIT), evaluated the projects for their innovation and impact.

AUK’s team claimed first place, winning $1,000 and free AzadiCoin for developing “E-Darman,” an app that connects patients with local pharmacies, streamlining access to medications and reducing the need to visit multiple locations.

The University of Zakho team took second place with $500 and free AzadiCoin for their “Community Service Interaction Platform” (CSIP), which improves communication between citizens and local service providers to enhance community response.

Komar University secured third place, winning $300 and free AzadiCoin with “Shifaa,” a Kurdish AI assistant designed to help the elderly and illiterate with health-related queries, increasing healthcare accessibility.

Throughout the event, panel presentations tackled emerging tech topics such as AI and the future of human-machine collaboration, cybersecurity in the connected era, and how cryptocurrencies are reshaping finance and other industries.

The 2024 AUK Coding Hackathon showcased the technical creativity and collaborative spirit of students across the region, emphasizing the critical role of technology in addressing societal issues.