KOTA SAMARAHAN: The Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology (FSKTM), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), further strengthened its regional visibility and inbound mobility agenda through the successful organisation of BorNEO HackWknd 2026, an ASEAN-level artificial intelligence hackathon held at DeTAR Putra, UNIMAS.
The programme was spearheaded by Persatuan Teknologi Maklumat (PERTEKMA), FSKTM UNIMAS, under the leadership of Avinaash Loganathan, Project Director of BorNEO HackWknd 2026.
Avinaash, together with the PERTEKMA organising committee, played an important role in bringing together youth innovators and university students from across ASEAN to Sarawak.
BorNEO HackWknd 2026 marked an important milestone for PERTEKMA as its first and largest youth-driven regional ASEAN initiative.
Based on the official press release, the hackathon received registrations from 10 ASEAN countries, with the physical grand final featuring participants from seven ASEAN countries, namely Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and Myanmar.
This strong ASEAN participation positioned the programme as an important inbound mobility platform for FSKTM UNIMAS.
Beyond being a competition, the event enabled international students and youth innovators to experience UNIMAS’ academic environment, collaborate with local students, and engage in cross-border innovation in Sarawak.
Existing media reports also highlighted the scale of the programme, with more than 450 participants from across ASEAN taking part in BorNEO HackWknd 2026.
The programme was reported as contributing to Sarawak’s digital ecosystem through cross-border collaboration, while also gathering ASEAN youth to develop AI-based solutions with social impact.
The closing ceremony, held on 10 May 2026 at Gallery DeTAR, UNIMAS, was attended by distinguished guests, including the Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia, Ibu Ely Syafitri Handayani; the Deputy Consul of Brunei Darussalam, Mohamad Nur’Izzuddin bin Haji Osman; the Chief Executive Officer of Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation Berhad (SDEC), Dato’ Ir. Ts. Sudarnoto Osman; and the Dean of FSKTM UNIMAS, Professor Dr Jane Labadin.
In his address, Dato’ Ir. Ts. Sudarnoto Osman emphasised the importance of platforms such as BorNEO HackWknd in strengthening Sarawak’s digital ecosystem. He noted that cross-border collaboration allows diverse ideas, cultures, experiences and perspectives to come together in developing more inclusive and impactful solutions.
Professor Dr Jane Labadin said BorNEO HackWknd 2026 reflected FSKTM UNIMAS’ commitment to empowering students beyond the classroom through innovation-based learning, regional exposure and meaningful international engagement. She also highlighted that the programme demonstrated how student-led initiatives such as PERTEKMA can contribute to the faculty’s internationalisation and student development agenda.
Avinaash stated that the programme received strong participation from ASEAN youth, reflecting the growing interest among young innovators in applying AI to solve real-world challenges. Media reports noted that the event received more than 450 participants, with 103 successful submissions from 250 registered teams, while 18 finalist teams advanced to the final stage.
The hackathon featured a 24-hour physical grand final, where participants developed AI-driven solutions in areas such as digital inclusion, indigenous language preservation, education, climate action, disaster resilience, finance and inclusive MSME growth.
The programme was supported by the ASEAN Foundation and co-organised with SDEC, with the involvement of various industry sponsors and programme partners. This collaboration between the university, industry and regional stakeholders reflected a shared commitment to advancing digital innovation and talent development in Southeast Asia.
For the final results, AyoKeMalAI from Indonesia emerged as champion, followed by Five42 from Malaysia in second place and Samsom from Cambodia in third place. Their success reflected the quality of ideas produced by ASEAN youth and the potential of regional collaboration in shaping technology-based solutions for community and industry needs.
The success of BorNEO HackWknd 2026 reflected the strong commitment of PERTEKMA FSKTM UNIMAS, led by Project Director Avinaash, in empowering student leadership, regional collaboration and AI-driven innovation. More importantly, the programme marked a significant achievement for FSKTM UNIMAS in strengthening international student engagement, ASEAN inbound mobility and regional visibility through technology-driven collaboration.