UNESCO, in partnership with IBM and SAP, has launched the CodeTheCurve hackathon platform to support young innovators, data scientists and designers across the world to develop digital solutions to counter the Covid-19 pandemic.

UNESCO’s Programme Officer Leav Kimlay said CodeTheCurve is a global, virtual hackathon for students, educators, teachers, and the research community to build tech skills, the entrepreneurial spirit, and professional competencies to build digital creativity and cooperation to mobilise the world.

He said young developers, designers and data scientists are invited to join the hackathon to come up with digital solutions to the global pandemic. He encouraged innovators in Cambodia to join in and provide feasible solutions.

Kimlay told The Post on Tuesday that the platform encourages innovators in Cambodia to join by enabling them to build tech skills, the entrepreneurial spirit and professional competencies with a lens on digital creativity and cooperation.

“CodeTheCurve aims to inspire youth with new skills in a virtual, immersive environment in collaboration with other students, experts, and mentors while creating deployable solutions and digital prototypes prepared by citizen developers, data scientists, and innovators with youth at the centre.

“The CodeTheCurve learning and hackathon journey will be practical, hands-on, and a ton of virtual fun,” he said.

Kimlay said the initiative counters the pandemic by engaging young developers, designers and data scientists to come up with digital solutions to explore an innovative learning paradigm by focusing mainly on access to learning, information and data management, and present and future post-pandemic social and health issues.

Last month, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport ordered the closure of schools ranging from kindergartens to higher educational institutions in a bid to prevent Covid-19 from spreading.

Students have been encouraged to self-study and study online on the ministry’s and its partners’ e-learning platforms.

At least 1.5 billion young people around the world are currently at home due to school closures relating to the global Covid-19 pandemic. One hundred and eighty-three countries have been disrupted, UNESCO said.

“Students, parents, and communities continue to cope with social isolation while exploring how to maintain normal relations and activities in a myriad of online learning content, collaboration tools, and social media platforms available for the world to consume,” it said.