UCL Computer Science hosts pioneering hackathons for women and girls

University students from across the UK attended UCL's first women-only hackathon for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students. The event, which was open to undergraduates and postgraduates, took place over a weekend. On the Saturday, there was also an all-girls hackathon for A-level maths students studying at UK state schools. Both events were open to individuals who identify as female or non-binary. 

The university student hack

The hackathon, named Minerva's Hack, was organised by a team of female undergraduate students from UCL Computer Science. Minerva's Hack welcomed around 100 attendees. Students came from UCL, other London universities and universities across the UK, including Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick, Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester.

Participants chose between two challenges: a fintech stream focused on AI or a general stream seeking solutions for daily challenges faced by individuals or organisations.  In addition to the competitions, the weekend's activities included technical workshops, panel discussions, a careers fair, and networking with leading technology and financial organisations. The companies that presented were IMC Trading, MCD Capital, JP Morgan, Meta, Avanade, BNY and Quantinuum. The busy careers fair included Amazon, Chanel, PGIM Real Estate, IMC Trading, Amazon Web Services, Qube Research and Technologies and MCD Education. 

The hackathon culminated in the students' presentations, with prizes awarded to the winners. The team that won the general challenge were Tosin Fadahunsi, Gauri Desai, Sachi Lad and Chidinma Ezeji, who are all UCL students. Jiwoo Seo, Berra Dogan, Zhiya Yun and Aliya Ghafoor came first in the fintech challenge.

Third year UCL Computer Science undergraduates Sindi Gjonaj and Savani Sawaikar are the founders of Minerva's Hack. Sindi explained their inspiration: "I have attended many hackathons and every time, there was a marked contrast between the number of men and women participating. I wanted to redefine the 'traditional' hackathon experience, so we decided to start Minerva's Hack. We created an inclusive environment where women from across the UK came together to solve complex real-world problems."

Savani added: "A huge thank you to the companies for their support and to the inspirational women who generously shared their experiences and expertise. We were excited to see the ideas the participants came up with in just 24 hours. Some attendees also asked for guidance on running their own hackathons. We hope an event like this will encourage more women to attend hackathons and see it as a good opportunity to come together, build something cool and have fun."

The A level student hack

Around 30 girls from seven schools attended the half-day hackathon for A-level maths students. Their task was to devise an application to help women experiencing economic abuse. Divided into six teams, they had only one and a half hours to brainstorm a solution and write their presentations.

Elaine Pimental, a UCL Computer Science professor and the department's Schools Outreach Lead, said: "I was blown away by the quality of the girls' work. Not only did the concepts meet the brief, but they were original, and expertly and confidently presented. I predict a bright future for these young women!"

A commitment to supporting women

UCL Computer Science is the first computer science department in the UK to hold the prestigious Athena Swan Gold Award. This honour recognises the ongoing efforts to advance gender equality in science and education. The department is committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone.

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UCL Computer Science awarded Athena Swan Gold