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FoS Organizes First Programming Hackathon for School Students

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FoS Organizes First Programming Hackathon for School Students

The Faculty of Sciences (FoS) at Al Maaref University (MU) organized its first programming competition, “HackathonTech 2026,” for students from Al Mahdi Schools in Lebanon. The final round and award ceremony were held on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the university campus in Beirut, in the presence of the University President, Prof. Ali Alaaeddine; the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Fouad Al-Hajj Hassan; the Director General of the Islamic Institution for Education and Teaching (IIET), Dr. Hussein Youssef; in addition to a large number of students, teachers, and guests.

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During the ceremony, the Head of the Computer Science Department, Dr. El Abed El Safadi, highlighted the students’ achievement. In just five hours, the participants were able to build three artificial intelligence models from scratch addressing community-related challenges. The projects included breast cancer risk prediction, air pollution level forecasting, and data classification. He noted that these were not only ideas or prototypes, but working models supported by data and designed with user interfaces that allow practical use.

Dr. El Safadi explained that the initiative aimed not only to develop students’ skills in programming and artificial intelligence, but also to strengthen their confidence and encourage them to believe in their abilities. He also thanked the University President, the Dean of the Faculty, and the Director General of the Institution for their support and their commitment to investing in students’ talents. Appreciation was also extended to the judging committees, the organizing team, participating alumni, and all contributors from Al Mahdi Schools.

The competition results were announced as follows:

  • First Place: Hussein Assaf and Mohammad Ali Monzer (Shahed Secondary School) – University scholarship

  • Second Place: Ali Kourani and Ali Abdullah

  • Third Place: Nasrallah Sharara and Mahdi Barakat

In addition, Special Recognition Awards and Distinguished Achievement Awards were presented, along with certificates of participation for all students.

Hackathons are intensive events that bring together programmers and innovators to develop creative technological solutions within a limited time and a challenging work environment. They aim to encourage innovation, teamwork, and the use of modern technologies to address real-world problems.