The Entrepreneurship Initiative at the Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture in partnership with the Freidrich Naumann Foundation - FNF Lebanon and Syria and USJ are proud to present "Hack the Fake: Fighting Disinformation" Virtual Hackathon for AUB and non-AUB university students from all majors and levels. 

Disinformation, Propaganda, and Fake News have always existed. What sets today apart from earlier times is the rapid dissemination and global reach via the internet and especially through social media platforms. In the short-term disinformation can be used to distract, to obscure the truth, or to inspire its readers to take a certain course of action. In the long-term disinformation can be part of a strategy to shape the information environment in which individuals, governments, and other actors form beliefs and take decisions. It is also used to degrade public trust in media and democratic and state institutions, and to amplify social division, resentment, and fear. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the problem of disinformation given the significant amount of fake news that was being spread throughout the crisis. Based on our responsibility towards Lebanon and the region in combatting COVID-19 and its effects and our commitment to better equip the youth with leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation skills that help them create a positive change in their societies, we provide this opportunity for university students to learn more about the topic of disinformation and sharpen their entrepreneurship and technical skills by creating effective and sustainable solutions to various aspects of this problem.  

The two and a half-day hackathon will provide a unique opportunity for university students to spend a weekend of their time looking at effective solutions related to specific problems related to the fake news and disinformation topic. Students will work in preferably inter-disciplinary teams that have complementary skills such as technical skills, design skills, business and entrepreneurship skills and public speaking skills to name a few.

Preliminary Schedule: 

Friday, July 3, 2020 from 5.30 pm - 9.30 pm

Saturday, July 4, 2020 from 9 am - 11 pm (flexible)

Sunday, July 5, 2020 from 9 am - 6 pm

Location: Remote (Joining details will be sent to registered participants by email)

Fill in the form below before June 25, 2020 to participate in the hackathon. Open to all majors and all levels! 

If you have any questions you can send an email to mi34@aub.edu.lb

Link for registration: https://forms.gle/GZAK2a6FNHrHpsDU8

 IEEE Lebanon Section is  a community partner of this Hackathon

Best Regards,