Human library in a virtual world, winner of the Arqus Hackathon 2024!

The Arqus Hackathon 2024 brought together participants from five Arqus universities to develop innovative solutions focused on AI literacy and societal engagement. Participants came from diverse backgrounds, including students, academic staff and administrative staff. Teams worked collaboratively in SPOT Virtual, an online Makerspace designed to encourage creative problem-solving and interdisciplinary exchange.

The winning project, Human library in a virtual world, was developed by students from Graz, Minho and Padua, who reimagined the traditional human library concept by moving it to a virtual space. This transition aimed to enhance inclusivity by overcoming geographical, physical and other limitations, making the human library accessible to a broader audience. The project fostered meaningful connections and knowledge-sharing through digital storytelling, offering a forward-thinking approach with significant societal potential. The project also aligned with the Hackathon’s key themes, addressing the challenges of artificial intelligence and digital transformation, climate change and sustainability, and European identity and heritage.

The judges evaluated the projects based on creativity, feasibility, societal relevance, sustainability and alignment with these themes. The winning team’s solution stood out for its innovative approach, its focus on inclusivity and its commitment to sustainable practices.

The Hackathon’s format was inspired by the Hacking Innovative Pedagogies (HIP) project, led by the University of Graz. This project developed resources, such as the virtual Makerspace used in the Hackathon, to support innovative teaching and learning. For more information about the HIP project, visit: https://hip-project.uni-graz.at/en/about-the-project/

The hackathon was organized by the Artificial Intelligence & Digital Transformation Living Lab and professors Otrel-Cass and Andrea Holzer, in collaboration with COLIBRI.