NSU Hosts Future Builders Hackathon to Pioneer AI Innovation. The technological landscape at North South University reached a new peak this past December as the IEEE NSU Student Branch successfully executed “Future Builders: AI-Driven Cognitive Innovative Hackathon.” Held across December 28 and 29, 2025, the event served as a high-octane arena for the region’s most promising technical minds. Supported by the title sponsor Tanvir Constructions Ltd. and technical partner TCL Informatix Ltd., the competition was designed to bridge the gap between theoretical artificial intelligence and practical, real-world utility.
The journey to the podium was a rigorous three-stage gauntlet that tested both the technical coding skills and the strategic vision of the participants. From a massive pool of initial entries, only the top 20 teams earned the right to compete in the intensive on-site second round hosted at the North South University campus. Following two rounds of elimination based on functionality and innovation, the field was narrowed to five elite finalists: NerdHerd, IUT_CGPA_Doesn’t_Matter, NSU_MissionX, NSU_Zazabores, and NSU_BUET_AIUB.exe. These teams moved to the final stage to pitch their applications for a share of a 100,000 BDT prize pool.
The final presentations were scrutinized by a distinguished panel of industry experts and academics. The judging bench included Mohammad Shafayet Hossain, Lecturer at NSU and Co-Advisor of the IEEE NSU PES Student Branch; Shaikh Tariqul Islam, Founder and CEO of the Bangladesh Cyber Institute; and Umnoon Binta Ali, an AI Engineer at Astha.IT. Each team faced a challenging question-and-answer session where they had to defend their technical architecture and the commercial viability of their AI-driven solutions.
Ultimately, team NSU_MissionX secured the championship title, demonstrating a superior grasp of cognitive innovation. They were followed by IUT_CGPA_Doesn’t_Matter and NerdHerd, who took home the first and second runner-up awards, respectively. The event highlighted a sophisticated level of technical excellence and underscored the growing importance of developing AI tools that address tangible challenges in the modern world.
The closing ceremony was a prestigious affair, graced by prominent figures from both the academic and corporate sectors. Awards were presented by Mr. M.A. Kashem, NSU Board of Trustees member and Chairman of Southeast Bank PLC, alongside Lt Col. S.M Shahjalal (Retd) of Tanvir Constructions Ltd. Also in attendance were Dr. Shazzad Hossain, Dean of SEPS, and Dr. Mohammad Abdul Matin, Chair of the ECE Department. Saif Ahmed, Branch Counselor of IEEE NSU SB, joined the dignitaries in honoring the winners, marking the conclusion of an event that has set a new benchmark for student-led innovation in Bangladesh.