Thammasat University hosts regional U2T HACKATHON for central Thailand

Thammasat University hosted the regional U2T Hackathon for the central Thailand to promote brainstorming skills to find innovative solutions that respond to the local context according to the integrated sub-district economic and social upgrading project (University to Sub-district, with an Aim to Strengthen the Country’s Taproots) at the regional level for 2021 under the theme “Solutions to drive the foundation economy” in 4 areas: 1) Creative Economy 2) Technology/Health Care 3) Circular Economy and 4) Art. and Culture.

Assoc.Prof. Gasinee Witoonchart, Rector of Thammasat University, said that The competition for the central region hosted by Thammasat University allows cooperation of institutional network in the central region among the employees to brainstorm and deliver creative ideas based on the actual problems and practical needs for innovative solutions that meet the local context through Community-integrated Learning. These activities are considered excellent activities in the digital society that allows new innovations. Besides competition, it is also a good opportunity to help participants to share knowledge, learn and receive advice from experts with experience in both technology development and business in each subject area. This is a great opportunity to improve and develop the obtained skills for the real use.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sasitorn Taptagaporn, Dean of the Faculty of Public Health Thammasat University, added that the objective of U2T Hackathon 2021 is to develop employee skills to be able to understand problems, think analytically, and brainstorm and deliver creative ideas through the Design Thinking process based on problems or needs in the central region of Thailand and through the Problem-based Learning process. In addition, this will enable them to develop innovative solutions through Hackathon activities in the Educational Institutions Network for central Thailand and lastly, to support and promote the integration of cooperation between higher education institutions and communities in the central region.

The competition was open for applications and the first round of selection during May-June 2021. A total of 112 teams from 18 educational institutions have applied for this competition within 753 sub-districts of 18 provinces of the operational area. Each team consists of graduates, students, general persons, representatives of community enterprises/entrepreneurs, wisdom inheritor and community leaders. In addition, coaching activities were organized so that participants could apply their knowledge to enhance the project for the qualifying phase of 40 teams. The final round is the best teams in the central region was held during 7 – 9 July 2021 via online application, Zoom, and through live broadcasts on FACEBOOK LIVE STREAM : FPH Thammasat to represent the central region in the next national competition.

5 teams that have been selected as the representatives of the central region will participate in the national round and received the honor plaque and a prize money 50,000 baht per team. 5 teams consist of 1) Plant Pot from Samut Sakhon Community College 2) Transformed Fruit from the National Institute of Development Administration 3) Ban Tontan Handicraft: Giant Fishing Trap from Rajamangala University of Technology Suvarnabhumi 4) Ab Zab Kang Krajan from Phetchaburi Rajabhat University 5) See U Banglamphu Lang from Chulalongkorn University. This allows them to use their ideas as the guide for the site development according to the guidance of mentors and community leaders for 3 months to develop a “prototype” or to study the possibility of the project before selecting top 5 ideas to drive the foundation economy in the national competition in November 2021 to further expand project and develop as the community innovative entrepreneur. The winners will win the prize of 100,000 baht per team and receive honor plaque.