UIU hosted the Harvard HSIL Hackathon 2026 in Dhaka, highlighting Bangladesh’s growing role in global AI-driven healthcare innovation through youth-led solutions and international collaboration.
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| The event highlighted AI-driven healthcare solutions from Bangladesh, connecting academia, government, and global partners in a competitive innovation platform. Image: UIU/ CH |
Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 19, 2026:
United International University (UIU) successfully hosted the 7th Harvard Health Systems Innovation Lab (HSIL) Hackathon 2026 at its Institute of Research, Innovation, Incubation, and Commercialization (IRIIC) in Dhaka. The event marked the second consecutive year Bangladesh served as the only official national hub, reinforcing its growing presence in global health innovation networks.
The HSIL Hackathon is one of the world’s largest healthcare innovation competitions, spanning over 50 hubs across 46 countries and engaging more than 14,000 participants globally. In Bangladesh, the competition drew significant attention, receiving over 650 applications nationwide. After a rigorous selection process, 22 teams and 4 individual innovators were shortlisted, with 17 teams advancing to the final round.
This year’s theme, “Building High-Value Health Systems: Leveraging AI,” emphasized the increasing role of artificial intelligence in transforming healthcare systems, particularly in improving diagnosis, efficiency, and accessibility in resource-limited settings.
The event was attended by distinguished guests including Prof. Dr. Sayeba Akhter (BMRC) and Prof. Dr. Jalal Uddin Mohammad Rumi (DGHS), alongside UIU leadership, highlighting strong institutional and policy-level support for innovation in healthcare.
Two teams emerged as winners of the Bangladesh hub. Team Maverick (MIST & UIU) developed an AI-powered platform for early detection and intervention of dyslexia in children, integrating personalized learning tools and performance analytics to support long-term developmental progress. Meanwhile, ShigellaAI Diagnostics Bangladesh (icddr,b) created an AI-based clinical decision support system to improve diagnosis and treatment of Shigella-related diarrhoeal diseases using real-time clinical risk scoring.
Both teams will proceed to the HSIL Global Bootcamp, where they will refine their innovations and compete with international winners for incubation opportunities.
The final evaluation panel included experts from academia, public health institutions, government bodies, and industry leaders, reflecting strong cross-sector collaboration. Strategic support came from partners including Prime Bank, United Healthcare Services Limited, the Embassy of Sweden, CMED Health, and media organizations such as The Business Standard and Bonik Barta.
The event underscores a growing trend: Bangladesh is increasingly becoming a regional hub for AI-driven healthcare innovation, where young talent, academic institutions, and global networks converge to address real-world health challenges through technology.