Wadji Ben Rejeb & David Anderson
In November 2024, we launched a cross-continental virtual hackathon that brought together undergraduate Business Strategy students from Lincoln International Business School (LIBS) and Communication Management students from North-West University (NWU), South Africa. This teaching innovation reimagined how we deliver strategic thinking skills by swapping traditional case studies for real-time collaborative problem-solving.
Working in diverse teams, students tackled a real-world strategic challenge presented by Mosaic SA, a non-profit serving marginalised communities in South Africa. Using a Nonprofit Strategy Canvas, co-developed for this project, students ideated practical solutions and pitched them in front of the NGO’s representative. This fusion of experiential learning, intercultural exchange, and social impact cultivated creativity, empathy, and transferable skills that employers demand.
The hackathon’s structure, short, intensive, and team-based, encouraged students to collaborate across disciplines, navigate cultural differences, and co-create under pressure. It’s a model that scales and adapts well to various educational contexts. Participants gained certificates but most importantly confidence and global competence.
This initiative aligns with LIBS’s strategic vision for challenge-led education and internationalised learning. If you’re interested in running your own hackathon, we are developing a resource pack with templates, session formats, and student-ready materials. We’d love to help you bring virtual hackathon experiences into your classroom, if you need any support please contact us at:
Wajdi Ben Rejeb: wbenrejeb@lincoln.ac.uk
David Anderson: danderson@lincoln.ac.uk