NYUAD Hackathon Brings Together Global Innovators to Tackle Social Good through Quantum Computing, AI, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Over 200 students from 50 countries and 50 mentors from around the world will gather in Abu Dhabi to solve regional and global challenges
• Students will utilize their acquired quantum computing and artificial intelligence skills to generate a positive regional and global impact in line with the UAE’s Year of Community and the UN’s declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology
• Now in its 13th edition, the event has acquired a globally significant reputation for youth excellence in the field of technology
• The public is invited to attend the final presentations and award ceremony on April 27, free of charge

This unique event offers a platform for interdisciplinary teams to explore cutting-edge technologies and develop innovative solutions with a focus on contributing to the advancement of the GCC region. Students will hone their skills in QC, AI, software development, data science, machine learning, security, privacy, and entrepreneurship, applying these learnings to create sustainable technology with a strong impact.

Students will also get a rare opportunity to be mentored by top leaders in both industry and academia. This includes Yale, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford, NYU’s Center for Quantum Phenomena (CQP), CERN’s Open Quantum Institute (OQI), Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator(GESDA), Google, and Microsoft, ADIA Lab, along with QC researchers from ETH Zurich in Quantum Information and Computation, Zurich EPFL Center for Quantum Science and Engineering (QSE Center), Google, Microsoft, Sandbox  AQ, IBM, Qbraid, QWorld, and TTI.

Through pre-event virtual workshops, QC certification courses, keynote addresses, lightning talks, and hands-on mentoring, world-renowned experts will provide participants with invaluable insights into the applications of quantum computing across diverse fields, from machine learning and AI to physics, chemistry, healthcare, mathematics, online gaming, security, social sciences, and the arts.

The opening ceremony on April 25 will feature a keynote address by Amir Karamlou, Research Scientist at Google Quantum AI / MIT. The final presentations and award ceremony on April 27 are open to the public and will include a keynote by Matthias Troyer, Technical Fellow and Corporate Vice President at Microsoft Quantum.  A panel discussion will include prominent figures from UNESCO, IBM, Quantum Leap Africa, TTI, The Beyond Lab at UN Geneva, and other leading organizations.

The NYUAD Hackathon is supported by a consortium of global quantum computing leaders from industry and academia, including Technology Innovation Institute (TII), Google, Sandbox AQ, CERN’s Open Quantum Institute, GESDA, NYUAD Center for Quantum and Topological Systems, Microsoft, ETH Zurich, Zurich EPFL QSE Center, IBM, qBraid, QWorld, NIEW, MIT’s iQuHACK, and QC Hack (Yale, Stanford, and Berkeley QC Hackathon).

This three-day event builds on a legacy of fostering social good in the Arab world and globally. With over 1,000 participants from more than 50 countries since its inception, the NYUAD Hackathon has served as a springboard for careers, scholarships, and startups.