Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Hackathon

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Hackathon

We are excited to announce our participation in Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) from November 18th to 24th, celebrating and empowering entrepreneurs worldwide. In previous years, we have hosted virtual events that invited students to hear entrepreneurs share their stories and experiences. Our partner institutions—the University of Salford (UK), GEA College (Slovenia), and Humber College (Canada)—have all participated, contributing to a vibrant international exchange of entrepreneurial knowledge.

This year, we’re expanding our GEW initiative by hosting a virtual hackathon, offering a more interactive experience where students tackle real-world business challenges. The theme of the hackathon is internationalization, reflecting our institutions' global reach and the importance of navigating international markets. We have also invited Mehran from CBS, an expert in internationalization.

The hackathon will feature teams from each institution, plus an international team, competing to develop innovative solutions for a company looking to expand globally. The event will kick off on November 18th at 14:00 BST (9:00 a.m. Toronto time), with Katia Kraskovic, Director of GEA College, as the Master of Ceremonies. Mehran will lead an introductory session on internationalization, followed by a presentation from the product partner, who will outline the challenge and expectations for the students.

Students will have until Thursday at 14:00 BST (9:00 a.m. Toronto Time) to complete their presentations and will then pitch their solutions to a panel of expert judges. The judging panel will provide feedback and select the team that offers the most innovative and viable solution. However, all students will benefit from exploring internationalization challenges from their country's perspective and gaining insight into the complexities of global expansion.