On February 19, 2026, a hackathon titled “Social Entrepreneurship and Income Growth” was held at Mingachevir State University, organized by the Department of Business and Management. During the event, students from various academic programs of the university participated and worked in teams on business ideas aimed at solving social problems.

The main aim of the hackathon was to promote the concept of social entrepreneurship among students, support the development of innovative and sustainable business solutions to the social challenges faced by society, and at the same time enhance young people’s entrepreneurial and project management skills.

Within the framework of the event, participants identified socially and economically relevant problems within a limited period of time and developed innovative business models aimed at addressing those challenges. The proposed ideas mainly covered areas such as increasing employment opportunities, engaging youth and women in economic activities, making efficient use of local resources, addressing environmental issues, improving access to social services, and creating socially oriented startup initiatives.

During the hackathon, participants had the opportunity to further improve their projects through discussions with mentors and industry experts. The teams presented their ideas to the jury, explaining the business model, market potential, social impact, and revenue-generating opportunities of their projects. The presented projects were evaluated according to criteria such as innovative approach, level of social impact, economic sustainability, applicability, and presentation quality.

It was emphasized during the event that social entrepreneurship is considered one of the important tools for both economic development and solving social problems in the modern era. In this regard, the implementation of such initiatives at the university contributes significantly to the development of students’ creative and analytical thinking skills, their ability to propose practical solutions to real-life problems, and the emergence of socially oriented business initiatives in the future.

It was also noted that the hackathon served not only as a competition platform for students but also as a valuable experience environment for generating new ideas, developing teamwork skills, and strengthening entrepreneurial thinking. Within a short period of time, participants practically carried out all stages of project development—from the formation of the idea to building the business model and presenting the project.

At the end of the event, the best projects were selected by the decision of the jury, and the winning teams were awarded. It was also announced that methodological and advisory support would be provided to help the selected projects further develop and potentially transform into real business initiatives.

It should be noted that such initiatives implemented at Mingachevir State University contribute significantly to revealing students’ entrepreneurial potential, fostering the development of innovative ideas, and promoting sustainable solutions aimed at addressing the socio-economic challenges faced by society.