GBU Noida to host a 4-day international hackathon, PM Narendra Modi to address finale

Gautam Buddha University (GBU), Noida is set to host UNESCO-India-Africa (UIA) hackathon. It will start on November 22nd and end on November 25th. As per reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be invited as the chief guest for the prize distribution ceremony, i.e scheduled for November 25. The event will be organized by the Union ministry of education, also collaborating with the ministry of external affairs.

4-day international hackathon by GBU Noida

The university will be hosting around 800 participants, mostly engineering students along with a few from technical departments from almost 25 African countries. They will be involved in computer programming to solve the problems. The hackathon will also strengthen the Indo-African relationship. GBU authorities have said. “Prime Minister Modi has kindly accepted our invitation to be the chief guest on November 25 for the prize distribution ceremony of the UNESCO-India-Africa Hackathon,” said K Sanjay Murthy, secretary, of the Union ministry of education.

“The UIA is a first-of-its-kind initiative that will have 25 African nations who have confirmed their participation. The ministry of external affairs is also planning to invite the ministers for education or ministers for science and technology of all the participating nations as special guests for this event,” he said. 

In the hackathon, the conducting team, led by industrial development secretary Sujata Sharma, also visited GBU Noida six months ago to check the practicability of conducting such a large-scale international event. “The university has all the infrastructure required for this event, including a centralized auditorium of around 1,700 sitting capacity as well as accommodation in hostels for about 800 participants,” said Dr Vishwas Tripathi, registrar of GBU. Prof Ravindra Sinha, the vice-chancellor of GBU, said, “The event is also projected as a platform for strengthening the exchange of ideas in technology between India and the 25 countries. It will definitely strengthen bilateral ties between India and Africa.”