603 participants from 22 African countries and India participated in the 36 hours nonstop UNESCO India Africa Hackathon
The Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar addressed the valedictory session of UNESCO India Africa Hackathon as a Chief Guest at Gautam Buddha University, Uttar Pradesh. Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Anandiben Patel; Union Education & Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan; Surya Pratap Shahi, Agriculture Minister, UP, Vishal Sharma, Ambassador & Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO, Firmin Edouard Matoko, Ast Director General (PAX), UNESCO, Dr Abhay Jere, Chief Innovation Officer, Ministers from 13 African countries, students and other dignitaries were present during the program.
The Vice President underscored the civilizational connect and shared historical bond between India and Africa, and said that “we are neighbours across the Indian ocean”.
Addressing the valedictory session, he said that the event reflects close relations cherished by India and its African counterparts and embodies the spirit of collaboration – bringing them together to solve problems for the betterment of human kind. “This global Hackathon conveys the message that youth can come together to make a better world,” he added.
In his address, Dhankhar referred to Mahatma Gandhi Ji’s close relationship with Africa and said that our age old civilizational ethos of “Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam” continue to guide India’s engagement with the world.
Describing India as a favoured global destination for opportunities and investments, the Vice President said that a new culture of innovation based entrepreneurship is taking roots in India. Mentioning various initiatives such as Start-up India, Digital India, Bharat Net, PM Gatishakti Mission, and the Vice President commended the Government for creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurship and innovation to thrive.
Observing that technology has truly democratized governance by ushering in transparency and accountability in the system, Dhankhar said that it helps us in achieving the ideal of inclusive and sustainable growth.
The Vice President gave away the prizes to the winners of Hackathon and told the young innovators that they are as much trustees to this planet as the people older to them. “Your proactive stance will secure everyone a better future,” he added.
Ministry of Education, External of Affairs, UNESCO and AICTE jointly organized UNESCO India Africa Hackathon from 22nd Nov to 25th Nov 2022 at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. The one of its kind UNESCO India Africa Hackathon started at 8:00 AM on 23rd November and concluded at 8:00 PM on 24th November, 2022.
The UNESCO INDIA – AFRICA Hackathon is an annual 36 hours event that brings together students, educators, teachers, and the research community of India and its African partners to tackle the common challenges faced by their countries and serves as a facilitator for cultural amalgamation. The participating African countries were- Botswana, Cameroon, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Sierra-Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Under the central theme LiFE; the five sub themes chosen for the UIAH 2022 were- Education, Renewable Energy/Sustainability, Drinking water & Sanitation, Agriculture and Health & Hygiene. 603 participants from 22 African nations and the host country India, worked to provide solutions to the problems in these 5 areas of concern. 100 teams, with each team being a mix of African and Indian participants worked on the solutions for a total of 20 problem statements. The event was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath. While welcoming the African students, he beckoned them to be a part of startups and innovation culture here in India. He also invited students to study in India and be India’s innovation partners. The highlight of the inaugural ceremony was, ‘Vande Mataram’ sung by African students that won the hearts of one and all.