UniHack Timișoara: Pupin’s Challenge Connecting the Region. The Cirkuliranje association proudly highlights its contribution to this year’s international programming competition, UniHack in Timișoara, which saw increased participation from Serbia, accompanied by notable success of our teams. This achievement was largely driven by the Pupin’s Challenge project, which served as a catalyst for these activities.
UniHack is one of the most prestigious programming competitions, bringing together over 400 students from across Europe annually. The event is organized by Romania’s IT community, led by AC Liga, Politehnica University, and the Faculty of Automation and Computers. Beyond the competitive aspect, the event features conferences, workshops, and networking sessions, enabling participants to enhance their skills, expand their knowledge, and connect with industry leaders.
This year’s competition opened with the conference “Civil Activism Meets Digital Innovation”, which served as an inspiration for participants. The competition categories focused on creating technological solutions with a strong emphasis on social responsibility, giving students the opportunity to work on innovative ideas with practical applications. More on that here.
Success of Teams from Serbia
Serbia’s participation at UniHack was further strengthened by a team of junior mentors from Pupin’s Challenge: Milica Jovičić, Žarko Hajder, and Despot Maksimović, along with participants Milan Marković and Strahinja Pantović. Their project, related to practical exercises in physics, presented a modern solution that captured the attention of both the jury and the audience.
A team of master’s students from the Faculty of Organizational Sciences – Matea Lukić, Luka Krstić, Maja Miljanić, Pavle Gašić, and Stefan Jovanović – achieved remarkable success with their project ExamDucky, which won the award for Best AI Project with Databricks Open Source. ExamDucky is an innovative system based on IoT technologies, designed to optimize the examination process in universities. More on this read here.
The Nikola Tesla School of Electrical Engineering from Pančevo also made a significant contribution with two teams. The Serbian Delegation team (Stefan Marić, Stefan Sofronijević, Stefan Mizdrak, and Natalija Stojčić) competed in the Digital Administration category, while the NoName team (Nemanja Jović, Nikola Cvetković, Filip Pjević, and Milica Davidović) participated in the Unity in Community category.
Engagement, Networking, and New Partnerships
During this year’s UniHack competition, the Cirkuliranje team was actively involved in supporting participants and establishing important connections. In addition to assisting Serbian teams, the event provided a platform to connect with organizers, professors, and IT professionals, further strengthening our regional network of collaborators.
Special recognition goes to Radu Ticiu, a partner of Cirkuliranje and a leading expert in informal ICT education. His invaluable experience and guidance greatly enriched our participation, while his connections with key stakeholders enhanced our collaboration with the UniHack community. Politehnica University proved to be an exceptional organizer, ensuring a satisfying experience for all participants.
Collaboration with Academic and Professional Institutions
Cirkuliranje and the Faculty of Organizational Sciences continued their successful collaboration at this event. The FON delegation, organised by Vice Dean Dušan Barać, was led by mentors Tamara Naumović and Milica Simić, who provided strong support to the student teams and demonstrated how synergy between academic and professional organizations can significantly enhance participant outcomes.
We also confirmed excellent cooperation with the Nikola Tesla School of Electrical Engineering in Pančevo, whose mentors Aurel Gava, Miloš Radonjić, and Jelena Radović provided invaluable guidance to their teams. Their participation added significant value to the event, and the achievements of their participants represent a major success for joint projects.
Conclusion – UniHack 2024: Regional Collaboration and Inspiration for the Future
UniHack 2024 was much more than a competition – it provided participants with the opportunity to gain knowledge, develop skills, and connect with peers and industry leaders from across the region. The event served as a platform for idea exchange, strengthened collaboration, and inspiration for future projects like Pupin’s Challenge. These partnerships have not only enhanced participant knowledge but also reinforced the mission of promoting ICT education and innovation.
Cirkuliranje as a Key Partner
Represented by Vladislav Petković and Gabriel Gašpar, Cirkuliranje actively supported participants and worked on establishing connections with organizers and mentors. Through its engagement, Cirkuliranje reaffirms its commitment to fostering regional collaboration and innovation in the ICT sector, paving the way for future successful initiatives.
