International Hackathon 2026

EUNICE-UFV International Hackathon 2026: Women in STEM – Challenges, Ideas and Solutions

The Federal University of Viçosa (UFV, Brazil) is launching an international online hackathon for students from UFV and the EUNICE partner universities. It is organised with the EUNICE European University Alliance and supported by tecnoPARQ – Viçosa Technology Park. From 13 to 15 October 2026, international teams will work together on one of today’s key questions in science and innovation: how to strengthen the participation, inclusion and advancement of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

The hackathon is part of the official programme of the 2026 Academic Integration Symposium at UFV (SIA UFV 2026). This year the symposium’s theme is «Ciência Delas» – Science by Women.

Who can participate?

• Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD students enrolled at UFV or at a EUNICE partner university
• Students from any field of study, because different perspectives make stronger solutions
• Participants with good English who can take part on all three days

How does it work?

Participants register individually. The organisers then form teams of four, mixing students from different universities, countries and disciplines. Over three days, each team goes through a structured innovation journey:

Challenge → Validation → Business Model Canvas → MVP → Pitch → Demo Day

Expert talks and workshops take place on Google Meet. Teamwork and mentoring happen in a dedicated Discord community.

Programme

• Tuesday 13 October: opening, presentation of the challenges, and validating the problem
• Wednesday 14 October: business model, from concept to MVP (a first prototype), and pitch preparation
• Thursday 15 October: Demo Day with final team pitches at 15:30 CEST, followed by the evaluation and announcement of results

Live sessions start at 15:00 CEST (11:00 in Brazil). The detailed programme and links will be shared with registered participants.

Evaluation and awards

An international judging committee will assess the solutions on eight criteria: relevance of the challenge, validation, innovation, value proposition, impact on women in STEM, feasibility, quality of the solution and MVP, and the pitch.

Awards

• For all contestants: Certificate of participation, and the participation in this activity carries a value of 2 ECTS credits.
• For winners: Winner’s certificate, a dedicated article on the EUNICE and UFV websites, and covered participation in the EUNICE Synergy Congress.

Why join?

• Work on real challenges with peers from Europe and Brazil
• Learn practical innovation methods, from problem validation to pitching
• Build your international network across the EUNICE Alliance
• Help create a more inclusive future in STEM