Social Data Science Student Hackathon 2023
Published on December 19, 2023
My experience at the Central European University's hackathon
Last December, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the second annual 48-hour online hackathon organized by the Department of Network and Data Science at Central European University in Vienna, Austria. This event was open to BA/BSc and high school students from around the world, and it was a fantastic opportunity to use my coding skills to solve socially important problems.
The Challenge
The hackathon presented two challenges: creating an infographic that tells a story about a provided dataset, and developing a machine learning pipeline to solve a data classification task. My team, consisting of two other talented individuals and myself, chose the first challenge.
Our task was to explore the dataset, identify patterns, and create a data visualization or an infographic highlighting features of the data. The core dataset provided by the organizers was the focus of our visualization, but we were allowed to combine it with data from other sources.
The Process
We spent the first few hours of the hackathon getting familiar with the dataset and brainstorming ideas. We then divided the tasks among ourselves and started working on our respective parts. Throughout the process, we kept reminding ourselves of the golden rule in data science: correlation is not causation!
The Result
After 48 hours of coding, debugging, and visualizing, we finally had our infographic ready. It was a proud moment for all of us when we submitted our work. Although the hackathon was challenging, it was also incredibly rewarding. We not only honed our data analysis and visualization skills but also learned valuable lessons in teamwork and time management.
The Takeaway
Participating in the CEU’s hackathon was an enriching experience. It was inspiring to see so many young minds from around the world come together to use their coding skills for social good. I am grateful to the organizers for providing this platform and to my team members for their hard work and collaboration.
I am already looking forward to participating in the next hackathon and further improving my data science skills. If you’re a student interested in data science and social issues, I highly recommend participating in events like this. Remember, every challenge is an opportunity to learn and grow!