As part of its Wellness and Mental Health Week, themed “Beyond War: Nurturing Your Well-being in an AI-driven World,” Antonine University (UA), in collaboration with Upscale Hub, hosted the multi-day hackathon “Hack Your Mind: Innovate for Wellness and Mental Health” from March 12 to 15, 2025, on the Hadat–Baabda Campus. This initiative contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 9 (SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), which focuses on building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation.

Supported by TICKET Lab and the UA IEEE Student Branch, the event brought together students from several Lebanese universities — particularly UA, the American University of Science and Technology (AUST), Notre Dame University - Louaize (NDU), Arab Open University, and the Lebanese University — to explore the intersection of mental health and technology. Over three intense days, participants worked side by side with dedicated mentors and technical experts, notably from Upscale Hub, who played a central role in guiding the teams as they transformed their bold ideas into functional prototypes. Throughout the hackathon, participants also engaged in mini-challenges issued by the mentors, with winners earning additional points that contributed to their final evaluations.

The final day featured an awards ceremony attended by Fr. Ziad Maatouk, Secretary General and Vice Rector for Administration, and Fr. Jean Al Alam, Vice Rector for Integral Human Development, both of whom praised the students for their commitment to impactful innovation.

Projects were presented to a jury of esteemed academics and industry professionals, including Dr. Chady Abou Jaoude, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology at UA; Dr. Jad Nassar, Director of TICKET Lab and Co-CEO of Upscale Hub; Ms. Miriam El Khoury Badran, Lecturer and Advisor at the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences at NDU; Dr. Mohamad Saleh Raha, Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Computer and Communications Engineering Department at AUST; Ms. Zeina Rizkallah, Senior Business Analyst at Upscale Hub; Dr. Youssef Keryakos, Technical Coordinator at Upscale Hub; Dr. Georges Jalkh, Director of the UA SEED Center; and Ms. Micheline Sammour, Psychotherapist and UA Counselor..

The team “Otters,” representing UA, claimed first place with a standout project that captured both innovation and social relevance. “Silent Silk,” also from UA, earned second place, while “Brainterpreter” (AUST) and “Mindspark” (NDU) shared third place. The winning solution will be co-developed with Upscale Hub, ensuring that the students’ work continues beyond the hackathon and evolves into a real-world product backed by technical and strategic expertise. Furthermore, the UA SEED Center will provide business mentorship to the first and second place teams, supporting the development of their entrepreneurial vision.

This initiative not only spotlighted student talent but also reflected UA’s commitment to nurturing collaboration between academia and industry, creating space for innovation with lasting social value.