The Dataviz Hackathon did not come from a top-down brief. It was built from the ground up, after academic and administrative staff from across Europe met during the International Week hosted at Sorbonne Paris Nord University in May 2025.
Out of those collective discussions, a new idea took shape: a hackathon entirely dedicated to Data Visualization, designed to introduce students to Decision Information Systems and Business Intelligence tools for data-driven decision-making. From one international week to the next, the project became real.
A hybrid programme, from screen to campus
The Dataviz Hackathon was structured in two phases. Long before the students set foot in Villetaneuse, the learning had already begun.
Online - February 2026
Data warehouses, ETL and multidimensional modelling; Power BI and Power Query fundamentals; dashboard design, data visualization and DAX basics
On-site - 6-10 April 2026
Real-life BI challenge, simplified data warehouse design, interactive dashboards and an institution's actual data needs
By the time students arrived in Paris, they were not starting from zero. The online phase ensured everyone shared a common foundation, so the week on campus could go further, faster.
The learning was great because I had the chance to put everything I learned about Power BI and analytics into actual real-life practice — with real databases from a real company.
What students took away
We asked participants to describe their experience at the Hackathon. The answers came quickly — and unanimously.
I discovered a lot of things about Paris — even though I live just around the corner. It's interesting to see the insight of strangers.
I actually learned a lot about how the education system operates here, as well as information about Power BI and databases. I'm thrilled to be part of this project.
My advice would be to just go for it and apply — it's going to be a really fun experience. Just do it.
I had to improvise a lot because I lacked vocabulary in English. But I did it — and that was a lesson in itself.
Beyond the technical skills — Power Query, DAX, multidimensional modelling — what students described most was the human experience: adapting to teammates from different countries, navigating language barriers, and building something together under real pressure. As one participant put it, a hackathon teaches you to improvise, in more ways than one.
Being a European citizen
Between sessions, students reflected on what it means to be part of a shared European space.
It feels really amazing being part of a diverse community where you can meet people from so many different places and cultures — and get so many different ideas, opinions, and viewpoints of life.
It's important to me that we can all be part of such a thing — to just share with everyone in Europe.
These were not abstract sentiments. They were spoken after five days of working side by side, across borders and time zones.
The Dataviz Hackathon at USPN was more than a technical exercise. It was proof that a project born out of a corridor conversation during an international week can grow into a full programme — and that the students who lived it will carry both the skills and the memory of it forward.
Thank you to all participants, to the teams at Sorbonne Paris Nord University and the IUT of Villetaneuse, and to every partner institution in the UNINOVIS alliance who made this week possible.