AUA Encourages Entrepreneurship and Collaborative Thinking with 8-Hour Hackathon

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On March 27, 2015, the American University of Armenia (AUA) College of Science and Engineering hosted an 8-hour intense Ultralight Hackathon in an effort to support the technological startup scene at AUA and in the community at large. The event included brainstorming sessions, talks by local startups, public idea pitching and judging sessions, and more. Many AUA students from different degree programs participated in the event.

The event was sponsored by AltCity, a startup community and one of the leading entrepreneurship hubs in Lebanon that is helping aspiring entrepreneurs go from idea to launch and investment. Designed to help facilitate, mobilize, encourage, and support high impact entrepreneurship and innovation in Lebanon and the Middle East region, AltCity is now expanding its operations to Armenia.

To do this, AltCity hopes to enable and support a strong and dynamic social innovation and entrepreneurship community in Armenia, especially around core themes such as media, technology, and design. They work to adapt business practices and align the objectives of profitability, social impact, and economic development. 

AltCity has worked with many local, regional, and international corporate leaders, including Beirut Digital District, Middle East Venture Partners, Cisco, Mercy Corps, the Netherlands Embassy in Lebanon, Apstrata, MIT Enterprise Forum, Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship, Synergos, Canal France International, and the American University of Beirut.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.