Mahidol University International College (MUIC) launched the Mahidol Hackathon 2026 on January 7, 2026, at the Spectrum Screening Room on the fifth floor of Aditayathorn Building. The event, branded as Open Day@MUIC, drew approximately 60 participants, including students and academic officials.

The competition will run through March 2026, concluding alongside MUIC’s 40^th Anniversary celebration. Operating under the theme “DeepTech for the Smarter Campus: Driving Sustainable Innovation with Environmental Impact,” the hackathon represents a significant multi-faculty collaboration.

MUIC is partnering with three other units to make this landmark competition possible: the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, the Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, and the Institute for Technology and Innovation Management.

The hackathon aims to promote deep-technology innovations that offer practical applications and sustainable solutions to environmental challenges on campus. Beyond idea generation, the initiative will support promising projects toward commercialization, helping students transform creative concepts into tangible economic value.

Prof. Chulathida Chomchai, MD, Dean of MUIC, delivered welcome remarks at the opening ceremony. She was joined by Dr. Phatthanasak Mongkolwat, Dean of the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Noppol Arunrat, Deputy Dean for Research and Academic Services at the Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Viriya Taecharungroj, Director of the Institute for Technology and Innovation Management, and Assoc. Prof. Thanapat Wanichanon, PhD, Dean of Faculty of Engineering, were also in attendance during the event.

The program continued with detailed presentations on competition guidelines and activities. Asst. Prof. Dr. Allan Sriratana Tabucanon, Associate Dean for Education and International Relations at the Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, and Asst. Prof. Dr. Thanapon Noraset, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs at the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, led these briefings.

Following the formal presentations, students moved to the Exhibition Hall on the second floor for ice-breaking activities and a hackathon workshop. These sessions were designed to help participants understand the competition structure and begin forming collaborative relationships.

MUIC officials emphasized that Open Day@MUIC served a dual purpose. First, it provided comprehensive information about the competition’s objectives, activities, and challenges. Second, it created opportunities for networking and collaboration among students from different programs and faculties across Mahidol University.

The networking component proved particularly valuable, allowing students from diverse academic backgrounds to connect and form interdisciplinary teams for the competition. This cross-faculty approach aligns with the hackathon’s goal of fostering innovative solutions through collaborative thinking and diverse expertise.