LAHORE : The Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences (ASSMS) at Government College University (GCU) here on Saturday inaugurated a two-day national youth hackathon.
From a pool of over 2,100 applicants nationwide, only 42 undergraduate students were shortlisted, reflecting a highly competitive acceptance rate of approximately two per cent.
The selected participants hail from geographically diverse regions across Pakistan, travelling from cities as distant as Skardu, Mansehra, Sukkur, and Karachi. They represent several of the country’s leading higher education institutions.
During the two-day event, the students are divided into four thematic groups. They are tasked with developing quantitative frameworks to address critical societal issues: education inequality, gender disparity in STEM, the rural-urban divide, and data-driven social inclusion. GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Omer Chaudhry noted that the hackathon reflects the university’s continued commitment to academic excellence, inclusivity, and international collaboration.
The hackathon is organised in collaboration with the International Mathematics Master (IMM), Trieste, Italy. To oversee the academic activities and team-based challenges, representatives from IMM Italy—Ms Celeste Luciano and Giacomo Umer—are physically present at the venue to ensure direct interaction between Pakistan’s emerging talent and global experts.
Addressing the inaugural session, ASSMS Prof Dr Khurram Shabbir highlighted the intersection of quantitative sciences and public administration.
