11 students, official for UNESCO India Africa hackathon
MBABANE – A total of 11 students and one official from the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) will leave the kingdom to attend the first of its kind UNESCO India Africa hackathon in Uttah Pradesh, India.
Already seven students left yesterday morning and the rest will depart today. Initially, 20 scholars were scheduled to participate in the India hackathon programme, but others were unable to secure international passports in time.
The word ‘hack’ means; ‘a novel creation or solution to a problem’, and the purpose of a hackathon is to generate solutions to a problem or situation. The students will be joining over 600 others from 24 African countries in India, where they are supposed to solve not just theoretical problems but problems that affect the development of Africa at the moment.
A farewell function was held on behalf of the students at UNESWA Kwaluseni campus yesterday.
The Minister of Education and Training, Lady Mabuza, and the acting High Commissioner to India Susan Joseph were among the dignitaries who attended the event. She was represented by the Principal Secretary (PS) in the ministry Bhekithemba Gama.
In her address, the minister thanked the Government of India for inviting Eswatini to participate in the hackathon.
According to Mabuza, the acting Indian High Commissioner in the country facilitated the participation of the students.
Mabuza said the hackathon would encourage grassroots innovation to address some of the most pressing challenges faced by communities in meeting the sustainable development goals. She added that the three main sustainable development goals (SDGs), being education, energy (sustainability) and climate change (environment) were the focus of the hackathon.
Furthermore, she thanked UNESWA for volunteering to be the Nodal Agency for the hackathon and coordinating the country’s participation in the hackathon.
The Indian High Commissioner Joseph said the hackathon was a collaboration that would encourage teamwork to solve problems that Africa was facing, especially the thematic areas. Joseph wished the team well.
Meanwhile, Pro-Vice Chancellor,
Professor Henry Gadaga, said the UNESCO-Africa Hackathon was a 36-hour event that brought together students, educators, teachers and the research community of India and its African partners to tackle the common challenges faced by their countries.
Platform
Professor Gadaga said the hackathon served as a facilitator for cultural amalgamation. “It provides a suitable platform, allowing young innovators to come together and find solutions for social, environmental and technical problems faced by the collaborating nations.”
Gadaga stated that the hackathon also served as the foundation for creating potential start-ups with the potential to transform the world.
He said the programme allowed the participating students to unleash their creativity and explore new technologies to solve real-world problems under the guidance of experts - thus, spearheading business innovation in the modern world.
Gadaga also highlighted that the hackathon also served as a symbol of the close relation cherished by India and its African counterparts and embodied the spirit of collaboration, bringing them together to solve problems for the betterment of humankind.