KUCHING, Aug 24: Sarawak will be hosting a local edition of the world’s largest global hackathon for the first time this year.
The Education, Science and Technological Research (MESTR) Ministry in a statement today said all students in the State are encouraged to participate in the Space Apps Sarawak hackathon, which will be organised by the ministry in partnership with Realfun Learning Centre.
It disclosed that Space Apps Sarawak will give participants from throughout Sarawak the opportunity to bring projects to life for a wide range of applications.
MESTR said the hackathon is open to all students and is divided into two categories: senior category (aged 18 and above) or the junior category (ages 13-17).
“This challenge is not restricted to students with technical backgrounds. Any student with an interest in solving real world problems is welcomed to join.
“Upon joining the competition, each participant will receive a free swag pack, a certificate, a collectible, and also access to various bootcamps to prepare them for the challenge,” said MESTR.
The ministry added Space Apps Sarawak will feature an attractive prize pool of RM20,000 for the top three winners.
If a team is selected as the global winner, they will get a sponsored trip to watch a spaceship launch in the US when travelling is allowed.
MESTR said Microsoft Corporation will also be giving out US$500 worth of Azure credit for the Best Azure Award as well as Azure Swag for each team member.
It added only qualified projects from the local event will be nominated to be judged by the global judges to compete for the global win.
MESTR said participants may find out more about the event or register for the challenge at
https://www.spaceappssarawak.com/.
The ministry said registration for the hackathon will close on September 1, 2021.
A live briefing will be conducted on August 27, 2021 to explain the event in more detail. Participants may sign up for the briefing at https://www.spaceappssarawak.com/briefing.
Meanwhile, MESTR said the NASA International Space Apps Challenge (or Space Apps) is the world’s leading hackathon led by US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that will take place over a 48-hour period virtually in cities around the world between October 2 and 3.
Every year, MESTR noted, thousands of bright-minded individuals from diverse backgrounds such as students, professionals, technologists, scientists, designers, entrepreneurs and others engage with NASA’s free and open data to come up with solutions to challenges on earth and in space.
It added the NASA Space Hackathon provides an excellent platform for students to build innovative solutions to challenges that mankind faces on earth and in space. — DayakDaily
