Competitions, hackathons, programs and volunteering.
151 hand-picked opportunities for school and university students in 30 countries, from UN online volunteering to the UAE Hackathon. Pick your country to see what's local first; every link goes to the organiser.
List checked 3 Nov 2026. Dates change every year, so confirm on the organiser's site.
18 hackathons
Code Battle
Code BattleUAESchoolTech / SoftwareCoding contest for Grades 1–12 with online eliminators and a live final at Heriot-Watt University Dubai.
Closes 10 Nov 2026Visit the Code Battle page on the organiser's siteHumAIne UAE AI Hackathon
HumAIneUAESchool and universityTech / SoftwareFree 48-hour AI hackathon for high school and university students; you can register without a full team.
Students in the UAE
Takes place 27 Nov 2026Visit the HumAIne UAE AI Hackathon page on the organiser's siteSmart India Hackathon
Ministry of Education Innovation Cell and AICTEIndiaUniversityTech / SoftwareNational hackathon where college teams solve problem statements from ministries and companies. Colleges pick teams in September.
Students at Indian colleges
Usually closes in SeptemberVisit the Smart India Hackathon page on the organiser's siteNASA Space Apps Challenge
NASAWorldwideSchool and universityTech / SoftwareGlobal hackathon on NASA's open data, held each October online and at local events in cities around the world.
Usually closes in OctoberVisit the NASA Space Apps Challenge page on the organiser's siteDevpost hackathons
DevpostOnline, worldwideSchool and universityTech / SoftwareDirectory of open hackathons, many online and sponsored by companies, filterable by theme and prize.
Major League Hacking events
MLHWorldwideSchool and universityTech / SoftwareThe season calendar of student hackathons run by MLH and its member events, online and on campuses.
GovHack
GovHackAustraliaSchool and universityData / AIOpen-data hackathon held across Australia and New Zealand.
Dates on organiser's siteVisit the GovHack page on the organiser's siteHack the North
University of Waterloo studentsCanada, open worldwideUniversityTech / SoftwareLarge student hackathon at the University of Waterloo, usually in September; students apply from around the world.
Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Hack the North page on the organiser's siteHack&Roll
NUS HackersSingaporeUniversityTech / Software24-hour student hackathon run by NUS Hackers, usually in January.
Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Hack&Roll page on the organiser's siteHackaTUM
Technical University of MunichGermanyUniversityTech / SoftwareStudent hackathon at the Technical University of Munich, usually in November.
Dates on organiser's siteVisit the HackaTUM page on the organiser's siteHackMIT
MITUnited StatesUniversityTech / SoftwareMIT's student hackathon, usually held in the autumn.
Dates on organiser's siteVisit the HackMIT page on the organiser's siteHackUPC
Universitat Politècnica de CatalunyaSpain, open worldwideUniversityTech / SoftwareStudent hackathon in Barcelona; students apply from across Europe and beyond.
Dates on organiser's siteVisit the HackUPC page on the organiser's siteHackZurich
HackZurichSwitzerland, open worldwideUniversityTech / SoftwareLarge in-person hackathon in Zurich; students and developers apply from around the world.
Dates on organiser's siteVisit the HackZurich page on the organiser's siteIC Hack
Imperial College LondonUnited KingdomUniversityTech / SoftwareImperial College London's student-run hackathon, usually held in early spring.
Dates on organiser's siteVisit the IC Hack page on the organiser's siteJPHACKS
JPHACKSJapanUniversityTech / SoftwareStudent hackathon held in several Japanese cities each autumn.
Dates on organiser's siteVisit the JPHACKS page on the organiser's siteNYU Abu Dhabi Hackathon for Social Good in the Arab World
NYU Abu DhabiUAE, open worldwideUniversityTech / SoftwareInternational hackathon at NYU Abu Dhabi, usually in April, where students build tech for social challenges in the Arab world.
Computer science students apply to take part
Dates on organiser's siteVisit the NYU Abu Dhabi Hackathon for Social Good in the Arab World page on the organiser's siteUAE Hackathon
TDRAUAESchool and universityTech / SoftwareNational hackathon with a youth track for school and university students, held in several emirates. You sign up with UAE PASS.
UAE residents with a valid Emirates ID
Dates on organiser's siteVisit the UAE Hackathon page on the organiser's siteUNIHACK
UNIHACKAustraliaUniversityTech / SoftwareStudent-run hackathon in Australia.
Dates on organiser's siteVisit the UNIHACK page on the organiser's site
Know one we should add, especially in your country? Email hello@cvfi.site.