The University of Lynchburg is partnering with Garage48, Startup Wise Guys, and the U.S. embassies in Tallinn, Copenhagen, Vilnius, and Riga for an online global hackathon Dec. 3-6.
“We’re proud to lead among higher education institutions in navigating the pandemic and pleased to partner with the U.S. embassies and creative problem-solvers from around the world to help build a stronger post-crisis economy,” President Dr. Alison Morrison-Shetlar said.
Lynchburg’s Director of Institutional Giving Erika Mork will serve as a mentor in the hackathon along with Dr. Sabita Manian, professor of international relations and political science, and Dr. David Richards, chair of the international relations and security studies department.
“It’s great for our faculty, students, and alumni to have the chance to participate in something solutions-oriented with such a global perspective,” Mork said.
Participants will work in teams with the necessary expertise to build the prototype of their product or service during the hackathon. Registration, team formation, ideas submission, and all hackathon processes will happen online, primarily via Slack and Zoom.
The goal of the 48-hour event is “to build a stronger, more resilient, and trusted post-crisis economy.” The event is free and anyone can take part by registering as an individual or as a team by Dec. 1. Teams can submit an idea or join in a matchmaking event where individuals with an idea can find team members and teams can find more team members.
The best teams in the hackathon will be awarded follow-up mentoring. For more information on the hackathon or to register, visit the hackathon’s website.
