Two Bangladeshi teams—Team Nurix and Team SmartEndo—win the Dhaka hub of the 2025 Harvard HSIL Hackathon hosted by UIU, earning global recognition.
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| Winners from UIU's Dhaka hub of the Harvard Health Hackathon 2025 will advance to a global incubation program to develop their AI healthcare innovations. |
DHAKA, Bangladesh — April 14, 2025:
The Dhaka hub of the Harvard Health Systems Innovation Lab (HSIL) Hackathon 2025 concluded with a major milestone for Bangladesh, as United International University (UIU) hosted the country's first-ever regional round of this globally recognized event. Organized by UIU’s Institute for Research, Innovation, Incubation, and Commercialization (IRIIC), the two-day hackathon wrapped up on April 12, spotlighting two winning teams—Team Nurix and Team SmartEndo—for their cutting-edge innovations in healthcare.
Now in its sixth edition, the Harvard HSIL Hackathon ran under the theme “Building High-Value Health Systems: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence,” and attracted over 3,000 participants from 19 countries. Alongside hubs at Harvard University in the United States, University of Sydney in Australia, King’s College London in the UK, Koç University in Turkey, Tsinghua University in China, and NTU Singapore, Bangladesh's inclusion through UIU positions the nation prominently in the global health innovation landscape.
The two winning teams from the Dhaka round demonstrated exceptional problem-solving using AI technologies. Team Nurix impressed judges with a brain-computer interface-based solution aimed at improving mental health care, while Team SmartEndo offered a data-driven, AI-powered platform to deliver personalized support for endometriosis patients. Both teams were awarded honorary prize money and certification, and will now join the Harvard HSIL Venture Incubation Program—a prestigious four-week global initiative offering expert mentorship, strategic funding guidance, and pathways to international market access.
The hackathon saw robust participation from both students and professionals across the country. It was organized in partnership with the Digital Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem Development Project (DEIED) of the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, in collaboration with the ICT Division and the Management Information System (MIS) unit of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The final pitching session was judged by a distinguished panel composed of leaders from international development, healthcare, academia, and private enterprise. The program was presided over by UIU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Abul Kashem Mia, PhD. Guests of honor included Md Saidur Rahman, Secretary of the Health Services Division at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Prof. Dr. Md. Abu Jafor, Director General of DGHS; and Monjur Mohammad Shahriar, Project Director of DEIED, Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority.
Over the years, the Harvard HSIL Hackathon has catalyzed transformative health solutions across the globe. Previous editions have addressed digital health challenges in Africa and tackled diabetes care in regions across Asia and Latin America, leading to the launch of scalable, impactful startups.
This year’s inclusion of Bangladesh as an official regional hub underscores UIU and IRIIC’s commitment to driving research-based innovation and expanding the country’s role in solving global health challenges. As part of an elite global network, UIU’s successful hosting of the 2025 edition further strengthens its position as a regional leader in health tech, while empowering Bangladeshi innovators to create meaningful impact on an international stage.