From October 30 to November 1, 2025, a hackathon at the DSI brought together people from tech, design, and humanitarian practice to work on digital solutions for crisis response. The focus was on the Government as a Platform (GaaP) approach, developing modular and scalable digital foundations to enable faster and more effective action in humanitarian contexts.
Over three intensive days, participants collaborated in a simulated crisis environment, encouraging rapid problem solving and cross sector teamwork.
Three challenges were addressed in close collaboration with institutional partners:
- UNHCR: tools to support pro bono lawyers in determining refugees’ legal status more quickly and accurately
- SEET: improvements to mentor mentee matching to help scale education programs for displaced persons
- AOZ: a coordination system for purchasing and storing emergency supplies to reduce response times during migration surges
The UZH media team documented the process and final presentations, highlighting both the technical depth of the work and the collaborative spirit of the community.
