AICTE and Nanyang Tech University launch Singapore-India Hackathon 2023 to educe intellectual creativity of students
New Delhi : Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Union Ministry of Education's All India Council for Technical Education ( AICTE ) today launched the third edition of the Singapore - India Hackathon ( SI Hackathon ) 2023, marking its return since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the AICTE NTU press release.
Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan and Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong launched this year's Hackathon competition at The Imperial hotel in New Delhi today. The finals of the hackathon competition will be held in Gujarat's Gandhi Nagar on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Minister's meeting from August 3-4 in partnership with Singapore's High Commission in New Delhi, Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Enterprise Singapore, SGInnovate and NTUitive. Notably, the first SI Hackathon was initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 during his official visit to Singapore to harness and showcase the inventiveness of Indian and Singaporean students, AICTE and NTU said in the press release.
At the launch of the India-Singapore Hackathon, Dharmendra Pradhan said, “The SI Hackathon 2023 will enable students and start-ups to develop cross-country bonds, learn from each other's strengths. AICTE and NTU Singapore will handhold the substantive outcomes of SI Hackathon 2023 and help in monetizing out-of-the-box innovations converting them into start-ups creating value and jobs for society."
At today's launch, Gan Kim Yong said, "I am especially glad that each group in the Singapore-India Hackathon will be formed from three students from India and three from Singapore. Do seize this opportunity to learn from one another new ways of seeing and doing that stem from our diverse cultures, traditions and social experiences."
Professor Lam Khin Yong, NTU Vice President (Industry) and Co-Chair for SI Hackathon 2023, said that the event offers a unique opportunity for both nations to further "deepen their strong bilateral partnership in education, innovation, entrepreneurship, science & technology, according to the NTUAICTE press release.”
Dr. Abhay Jere, Vice Chairman, AICTE and CIO Innovation Cell, MHRD said, " Education is one of the priority areas of the G20 . Since , AICTE is an education centric body, Singapore-India Hackathon will provide a unique platform for youngsters to explore their innovative side and potential which will enable them to create an impactful mark in their respective occupations and career, thus bringing out the best in them.”
Dr Abhay Jere also praised PM Modi for promoting the culture of hackathons in India "All the credit goes to Prime Minister Modi for aggressively promoting the culture of hackathons in India. In the last five to six years, hackathons have become one of the biggest platforms for solving the problems of the country," Dr Abhay Jere said as per the press release. More than 150 leaders in corporations, start-ups, investors, policymakers, academics and students attended the launch event of SI Hackathon 2023 and participated in discussions on solutions around global fintech innovations, environmental, social and governance (ESG), and sustainability.
Senior officials from the private and public sectors, including Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Professor Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the government of India, Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief Fintech Officer of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), AICTE Vice Chairman Dr Abhay Jere attended the event, according to the press release. A total of 120 students participated in the first Singapore India Hackathon in 2018.
Singapore India Hackathon 2023 aims to foster collaboration between students and start-ups from both countries in the areas of fintech, sustainability and ESG.
Over 200 participants from both nations will collaborate and work together in teams to develop impactful solutions for addressing climate change, financial connectivity and inclusion. 24 start-ups and 12 student teams from both countries will compete in the final event where prizes will be awarded to the top four winners in each category. The winning teams will demonstrate their solutions to select global dignitaries in the grand finale of the hackathon in Gandhinagar.
Professor Louis Phee, NTU Vice President (Innovation & Entrepreneurship) and Dean, College of Engineering, and Co-Chair for SI Hackathon 2023 said, "Participants of the Hackathon will have access to cutting-edge technology and resources, including cloud computing platforms, data analytics tools and artificial intelligence frameworks. Mentors and experts who are highly regarded leaders in their fields from both nations will provide guidance and support throughout to students and start-ups of the Singapore India Hackathon 2023.
