More than 200 students from 50 countries gathered at NYU Abu Dhabi to explore the social impact of quantum computing and artificial intelligence through hands-on innovation and mentorship from top global experts.
During this year’s NYUAD International Hackathon for Social Good, held from April 25-27, participants spent three intensive days designing and prototyping impactful tech solutions aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with guidance from over 50 mentors from leading institutions including MIT, CERN’s Open Quantum Institute, ETH Zurich, IBM, Google, Microsoft, and Stanford University.
In first place was Team 14 (MohituQ), whose project tackled optimizing trash barrier placement in oceans using Decoded Quantum Interferometry. Second place went to Team 7 (EnergetiQ), Team 5 (canQr), and Team 16 (Q-quake). Third place went to Team 6 (SAWTY), whose work focused on building a fully quantum-secure electronic voting system that redefines trust in decision-making.
The winning team will be invited for direct interviews to participate in six-month paid fellowships at the Womanium Quantum Solutions Launchpad, a paid internship program that offers hands-on experience on high-impact quantum computing projects, collaborating with leading national labs and industries. Additionally, all hackathon participants will receive a full scholarship for the Womanium Quantum summer 2025 program. Womanium is a US-based organization created to empower young women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects.
NYU Abu Dhabi Affiliated Faculty and Clinical Professor of Computer Science Sana Odeh, founder and organizer of the event, said: “This year’s Hackathon has reaffirmed the critical role of interdisciplinary collaboration in unlocking the potential of emerging technologies for global good. From tackling urgent social challenges to driving innovation in sustainability and healthcare, our participants demonstrated extraordinary creativity, passion, and resilience.
“We are especially proud that this year’s event contributes to the UAE’s Year of Community and the UN’s International Year of Quantum Science and Technology – two milestones that underscore the global significance of collaboration and innovation. The strength and vision of the winning teams highlight why the Hackathon continues to earn international recognition for youth excellence in technology. These powerful ideas reflect the UAE’s ambitious vision for tech, and the next generation of quantum pioneers poised to shape our shared future,” she added.
The event featured keynote remarks by Amir Karamlou, Research Scientist at Google Quantum AI/MIT, and Matthias Troyer, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft Quantum, alongside a high-level panel discussion with leaders from UNESCO, The Beyond Lab, IBM, and Quantum Leap Africa.
Supported by a wide consortium of academic and industry leaders — including the NYUAD Center for Quantum and Topological Systems, Google, Beyond Lab at UN Geneva, Microsoft, Technology Innovation Institute, Open Quantum Institute, GESDA, CERN, ADIA LAB, Core 42, qBraid, Sandbox AQ, Zurich’s ETH, ETH Zurich in Quantum Information and Computation, QWorld, and Zurich EPFL Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, Womanium Quantum, MIT’s iQuHACK and more — the NYUAD Hackathon continues to expand its global impact as a launchpad for ideas and careers in quantum computing, AI, and sustainable development.
Since its inception, the Hackathon, now in its 13th year, has trained over 1,200 students from across the globe, empowering a new generation of innovators to lead transformational change. The internationally recognized event is organized by NYU Abu Dhabi in collaboration with Tamkeen.