Abstract

The poster will present the outcomes and educational insights from the inaugural joint Data Science Hackathon in 2025 and 2026, hosted by Imperial College London, University of Leeds, the University of Pretoria (South Africa), and the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), conducted as part of the ASA DataFest initiative. ASA DataFest is a 48-hour collaborative competition sponsored by the American Statistical Association (ASA).

The hackathon adopted a "learning by doing" approach, offering students the opportunity to engage with real-world data challenges under time constraints that simulate industry settings. Participants tackled complex, open-ended problems, enhancing not only their technical skills but also essential soft skills such as teamwork, communication, research question formulation, and problem-solving. Students from diverse disciplines, cultures, academic levels, and continents were exposed to a variety of perspectives, tools, and problem-solving methodologies. Industry panels were also organised to provide participants with immediate and insightful feedback on their work and presentations.

Participant feedback highlighted the effectiveness of hackathons as experiential learning platforms. Students reported significant improvements in data visualisation, communication, cultural exchange, critical thinking, formulating research questions, and working under pressure. Furthermore, the hackathon served as a catalyst for networking and professional development, bridging the gap between academic learning and industry expectations.

The Imperial–Leeds–Pretoria–Wits Data Science Hackathon exemplifies the power of experiential learning through international collaboration. By engaging students in solving real-world problems, the event not only enhanced their data science capabilities but also prepared them for the complexities of the modern workforce.

In recognition of these valuable benefits, starting in August 2026, Imperial will embed hackathon-style data challenges into the MSc Statistics curriculum. This poster presents the event preparation process, key lessons learned, observed impacts, and recommendations for integrating similar “learning-by-doing” initiatives into statistics curricula globally.