World Engineering Day Hackathon: a global challenge for students

Students from around the world are invited to team up to solve a real-world problem, by participating in the 2024 World Engineering Day Hackathon.  

This competition is a fast-paced simulation of a real-world project. Teams are to work collaboratively on a problem to provide a set of deliverables within a short timeframe. Utilising their theoretical knowledge, students gain first-hand experience to develop their critical thinking, build new skill sets, push themselves out of their comfort zone and build lasting relationships. The top three winning teams will receive prizes of 1,000 to 4,000€. 

Engineering has always had an essential role in development and human welfare. Ensuring that future generations of engineers and scientists will be able to design solutions for local and global challenges is critical. Organised each year in celebration of World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, this Hackathon aims to foster innovation and equip the next generation with the necessary skills to tackle global challenges.

This year, the hackathon highlights the extreme climate challenges faced by today’s engineers. The disruptions caused by climate change are already part of our daily lives and threaten the sustainable development of our societies. Engineering, with its vast expanse of expertise and innovation, stands at the forefront of devising solutions to mitigate and adapt to these climate-induced challenges.

The World Engineering Day Hackathon will be open to any student attending any university or engineering school, for the entirety of 2023. Written elements of submissions must be provided in English. Video elements can be in any language, but they must include English subtitles.

The hackathon is organised each year in celebration of World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development by the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) in collaboration with UNESCO.