UIU became first-ever Bangladesh Hub for Harvard HSIL Hackathon 2025

United International University's Institute for Research, Innovation, Incubation, and Commercialisation (IRIIC) has reached a significant milestone, becoming the first-ever Regional Hub in Bangladesh, supported by the Digital Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem Development Project (DEIED) of Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority and ICT ministry, for the prestigious 2025 Harvard Health Systems Innovation Hackathon.

UIU became the first-ever Bangladesh to achieve this recognition through an official announcement by Harvard HSIL on March 04, 2025. In collaboration with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Health Systems Innovation Lab (HSIL), IRIIC joins an elite network of global institutions hosting the 6th edition of this renowned hackathon. This international event brings together top innovators to develop AI-driven solutions for high-value health systems. Over the years, the HSIL Hackathon has been critical in shaping transformative healthcare solutions worldwide. Previous editions have tackled challenges such as digital health in Africa and diabetes care in Asia and Latin America, leading to the incubation of impactful startups that continue to drive change.

The 2025 theme—'Building High-Value Health Systems: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence'—will engage leading universities and research institutions worldwide. Notable hubs this year include Harvard University (USA), the University of Sydney (Australia), King's College London (UK), Koç University (Turkey), Tsinghua University (China), and NTU Singapore. 

Participants will participate in an immersive two-day event on 11-12 April 2025, forming teams to develop AI-driven healthcare solutions. With guidance from expert mentors, teams will refine their ideas and present them to a panel of judges. Beyond the competition, participants will gain global exposure, mentorship from leading experts, and potential access to venture incubation opportunities. Winning teams will receive guidance on transforming their ideas into real-world solutions, with pathways to funding, commercialisation, and international collaboration through the HSIL Venture Incubation Programme—a four-week initiative providing mentorship, funding strategies, and market access support.

The hackathon is open to students, postdocs, young professionals, and early-stage startups from diverse backgrounds, including healthcare, public health, medicine, engineering, computer science, and business. Teams of 3-5 members are encouraged to join, emphasising developing early-stage ideas rather than fully mature innovations. The registration deadline for teams from Bangladesh is March 21, 2025.

This milestone underscores IRIIC and UIU's commitment to driving innovation and fostering collaboration. Through this partnership with Harvard HSIL, IRIIC continues its journey toward transforming Bangladesh's healthcare system.