Microsoft joins UQ to ‘hack’ business student potential

In a solutions-focused world, it requires a huge perspective shift to “fall in love” with a problem. But that’s what 177 UQ Master of Business students were asked to do during an in-class hackathon.

What is the hackathon?

Students completing the Business Information Systems capstone course competed in a 5-week hackathon in partnership with industry heavyweight Microsoft. The hackathon challenged students to identify a business problem and develop a digital solution, addressing the theme of ‘innovating and optimising in the era of AI’.

The students formed 36 teams and chose hackathon ideas covering different industry contexts, from healthcare, retail and education to manufacturing and the environment. Each team had access to Microsoft mentors and Microsoft AI software to ideate, create and present functional projects before a judging panel.

Master of Business student Rahithya Sampathi presenting at the hackathon

Sonia’s hackathon student experience

UQ Master of Business student Sonia Lara Chavez says the course challenged her to adopt a different approach to problem-solving.

“In the first week, UQ Ventures Program Officer Mayumi Komukai told us, ‘The idea of the hackathon is to fall in love with the problem, not with the solution’ ... that blew my mind," says Sonia.

“When you change the way you think, you can create a solution with a very high impact.”

Sonia’s hackathon group focused on the recycling industry. They used Microsoft Power BI to design a system that analyses trends and processing volume. Through machine learning and image recognition, their system can identify and analyse materials in real time.

“Australia needs easy, affordable software to use in the recycling industry, so it became a very real business model opportunity,” she says.

Sonia says Microsoft provides the tools to realise ideas without the time and expense of designing an app, managing complex data or developing specific software from scratch.

“The main objective of the idea is not in the software – the software is the tool to make the idea possible," she says.

"You only have to worry about designing a profitable business model.”

Rahithya’s hackathon student experience

Rahithya Sampathi says the hackathon bridged the gap between classroom learning and practical application. It also ignited her curiosity to visualise the future through new technologies.

Rahithya’s hackathon team consisted of 5 different nationalities, cultures and backgrounds. She believes each team member brought unique perspectives to the business prototype.

Tapping into lived experiences, global trends and Google search data analysis, her team designed a business model to help secondary and tertiary students identify potential career paths based on interests and skills.

Rahithya says Microsoft brought credibility to the hackathon experience as an industry partner, encouraging the team to think outside the box and work collaboratively.

“The hackathon allowed us to interact with Microsoft professionals who helped us identify the complexities associated with the data, redefine our problem and come up with other solutions,” she says.

“From analysing the problem and brainstorming solutions to creating a prototype and executing while collaborating in a team, this hackathon experience mirrored real challenges faced in professional settings.”

Rahithya says the process gave her the confidence to apply course knowledge, identify additional opportunities and focus on new ideas.

“The hackathon offered something far beyond the team presentation event," she says.

"It offered a multitude of valuable experiences, from exposure to industry partners and the latest tools and technologies to practical skills application.”

Why UQ partners with industry to craft unique student experiences

Course lecturer Dr Alex Pudmenzsky is instrumental in building relationships and networking opportunities between Business School students and industry collaborators like Microsoft. Previously, the Business School has joined forces with Dell and Oracle to guide hackathon students.

“These practical experiences allow students to apply the theoretical concepts of digital transformation and innovation they learn in the first weeks of the course to the hackathon,” Alex says.

“Students value the hands-on experience with industry leaders. I’m always surprised by the innovative ideas they come up with every year.”

Microsoft Account Technology Strategist Emily Lait helped judge the top 3 hackathon presentations.

“We are at the beginning of a technology shift,” she says.

“The era of AI may be the most significant technology inflection point of our lifetimes and will help define how the world learns, works and lives. So, we were keen to see what our next generation of students could do with AI across multiple industries.

“It was fantastic to see each student group collaborating and coming up with wonderful ideas on how AI could impact different industries. I loved the out-of-the-box thinking and how varied their business models were.

“The top presentations were thoroughly researched ideas – all real possibilities with real potential to use AI to have an impact. You could see each group’s care in their project.”

Microsoft hackathon judges Emily Lait and Mark Heilbronn with Dr Alex Pudmenzsky

Alex says experiential learning opportunities like hackathons and UQ’s industry partnerships are essential to preparing students for their future careers.

“Having a chance to work with an industry partner and develop real solutions means our students graduate career-ready and trained in all the industry requirements.”