Join the Arqus Hackathon Series 2024!

Are you ready to tackle pressing challenges and foster a culture of innovation and collaboration? Join the Arqus Hackathon Series, where creativity meets purpose. Organized by the Arqus Living Lab on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation at the University of Graz, this series welcomes all Arqus university members, including academic staff, administrative staff and students.

The Hackathon Series is designed to tackle pressing challenges facing Arqus institutions, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. Engaging with these challenges is vital for the Alliance network’s growth and impact.

We will run two hackathons:

• Hackathon 1: October 2024 (exact date TBC).
• Hackathon 2: November 2024 (exact date TBC).

Each Hackathon will provide a set of challenges. The challenges will be defined in collaboration with the representatives of the different participating universities. Participants will get a chance to view the challenges, propose refinements or propose their challenges. Participants will choose their favorite challenge to be working with. The following challenges are proposed for the hackathons and feedback is welcomed for adaptations and additional suggestions:

• Challenge 1: Basic AI Literacy for Faculty
• Challenge 2: Developing Basic Online Collaboration Skills
• Challenge 3: Adapting to Digital Transformation and E-learning
• Challenge 4: Eco-Friendly Campus Practices
• Challenge 5: Improving Student Mental Health and Well-being
• Challenge 6: Ensuring Accessibility and Inclusivity
• Challenge 7: Digital Tools for Administrative Efficiency
• Challenge 8: Addressing Sustainable Development and Environmental Impact
• Challenge 9: Sustainability in Curriculum
• Challenge 10: Enhancing Societal Engagement and Relevance

Each hackathon spans over four weeks, structured as follows:

1. Week 1: Kick-off Event

• A one-hour synchronous online event (video recorded for later viewing)
• Introduction to the event, challenge selection and team formation

2. Weeks 2-3: Hackathon

• Teams work in a virtual environment on their chosen challenge
• Preparation of presentations showcasing their innovative ideas

3. Week 4: Closing & Awards

• A one-hour synchronous online event (video recorded for later viewing)
• Final solution presentations, evaluation and decision by a jury

The hackathon will be supported through Moodle as a platform to house all information and resources for participants and a virtual world that will be used for the actual time spent on working on the hackathon challenge.

How to Register

Fill out this survey by 15 September 2024, to register for the Arqus Hackathon 2024. We will contact you shortly after this date to confirm your registration and provide further details.