ASU participates in world record-breaking AI hackathon
Participants of the HackAlem AI hackathon pose with Guinness World Records adjudicator Glenn Pollard in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Sept. 23. Photo courtesy of ASU Global Academic Initiatives
What happens when thousands of students and young professionals come together from around the world to tackle a shared challenge using one of the world’s fastest-evolving technologies? The HackAlem AI hackathon, held in Astana, Kazakhstan, put that question into practice, bringing participants together to learn, build and collaborate through artificial intelligence.
Held on Sept. 23 as part of Kazakhstan’s AI Month, created by the AI and Digital Ministry of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the hackathon brought together students and young professionals from 21 countries and 219 universities in Kazakhstan, including ASU-Cintana Alliance partners Innotech University and Mukhtar Auezov South Kazakhstan Research University.
The five-hour event drew 2,415 participants, setting a new Guinness World Record title for the largest number of participants in an agentic AI hackathon.
The previous record was set Dec. 21, 2025, in Hyderabad, India, when Google developers brought together 2,089 participants.
The record was verified on site by Guinness World Records adjudicator Glenn Pollard.
Collectively, participants received access to technology and educational resources valued at up to $1.5 million.
“For Kazakhstan, it is essential not only to adopt ready-made solutions, but also to build its own ecosystem of developers, researchers and technology entrepreneurs,” said Sayasat Nurbek, minister of science and higher education for the Republic of Kazakhstan. “HackAlem AI gives our young people an opportunity to work on real-world challenges, develop their own solutions and gain practical experience. It is particularly important that university students from across the country have actively joined the initiative as we are developing a new generation of specialists capable of creating the technologies of the future here in Kazakhstan."
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HackAlem AI hackathon participants engage with each other in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Photo courtesy of Silkroad Innovation Hub
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The HackAlem AI hackathon bought participants together to learn, build and collaborate through artificial intelligence.
Photo courtesy of Silkroad Innovation Hub
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Participants celebrate at HackAlem AI hackathon in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Photo courtesy of Silkroad Innovation Hub
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Chris Johnson (center), senior director and head of global partnerships for ASU’s Global Academic Initiatives, sits with Sayasat Nurbek (left), minister of science and higher education for the Republic of Kazakhstan, during the HackAlem AI hackathon.
Photo courtesy of Silkroad Innovation Hub
Connecting AI innovation with education
Arizona State University served as a partner and sponsor of HackAlem AI alongside global technology organizations including OpenAI, as well as organizations like Silkroad Innovation Hub and the Astana Hub, which connect entrepreneurs in Central Asia to the companies that need them.
For ASU, the event also offered an opportunity to connect its academic resources with a global community of emerging innovators. As part of their experience, all hackathon participants received ASU digital badges and have the opportunity to enroll in a free entrepreneurship course through the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, extending the learning experience beyond the competition.
The combination of hands-on problem-solving and academic learning aligns with ASU’s approach to create opportunities for learners to develop practical skills while connecting education to the challenges facing communities, industries and society.
“Today’s students need to develop three key competencies in order to stay competitive in the global market: technical literacy, an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to communicate their ideas effectively — and they’re demonstrating that here today,” said Chris Johnson, senior director and head of global partnerships for ASU’s Global Academic Initiatives, who attended the hackathon.
ASU’s participation in HackAlem AI builds upon ASU’s active engagements in Kazakhstan while opening new doors to connect with the country’s next generation of innovators and expand opportunities for collaboration, learning and discovery in the region.
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