At IE University, we encourage students to learn in a more hands-on manner. To that end, our students participated in the Sui x BSA Hackathon 2024, a premier event that invites learners from all over the world to address interesting, real-world challenges using Web3 innovations like blockchain technology and token-based economies. Where they could get some experience tackling actual problems—all while competing for various prizes.
Behind the scenes at the Sui x BSA Hackathon
The annual Sui x BSA Hackathon is organized by the Sui Foundation alongside the Blockchain Student Association (BSA). The Foundation fosters the adoption of Sui, the world’s first-ever Layer 1 blockchain and smart contract platform. This was the event’s second edition, and it took contestants to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in the lakeshore city of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Over the course of two days, 22 participating teams materialized their best and techiest ideas incorporating new coding languages and complex blockchain technology. This grueling experience was filled with learning, team building and, most importantly, coding. But for our student team—and most participants in general—the biggest challenge was working with Move, the Hackathon’s programming language of choice.
What is Move, and why haven’t I heard of it before?
Move is an open-source programming language that allows developers to build platforms to manage and transfer assets and validate smart contracts quickly and securely. Sui has successfully enhanced the language to integrate with the Sui blockchain.
As a newcomer to the industry, many professionals are still figuring out this unique language. However, it’s already clear that Move has opened up a new world of possibilities.
Learning on the go in Lausanne
After enjoying leisurely strolls and hearty meals in the swiss city, it was time to get coding. But before, our student delegation needed to learn the language. A detailed crash course on Move was taken by our team, with members from a wide array of disciplines and programs. It included:
- Ismail Lahlou, fourth-year Bachelor in Business Administration student.
- Ahmad ElBaba, third-year Bachelor in Data and Business Analytics student.
- Lareen Barghouthi, third-year Bachelor in Data and Business Analytics student.
- Iuri Ilheu, third-year Bachelor in Business Administration student.
- Paul-François Semidei, third-year Bachelor in Business Administration student.
- Micah Obiang Nguema, Exchange student.
But, as we recently found out from Ahmad and Lareen, the obstacles they faced both before and during the Sui x BSA Hackathon offered a one-of-a-kind opportunity for growth:
“The Sui x BSA Hackathon has opened up a lot of opportunities. Now, I’m sure I can actually apply this knowledge in other areas, and that’s pretty cool.”
–Ahmad ElBaba, Bachelor in Data and Business Analytics
Was this your first time using Move?
Ahmad: Yes—and we managed to learn it within a couple of days. We found out about the Hackathon on a Wednesday and were on the plane by Friday night. In those few days, we squeezed in a lot of reading and watched several videos to learn how it works.
Lareen: When they told me about the requirement to use Move, I was very stressed. I asked around, but nobody had heard about it before! At first, I was so overwhelmed because I knew nothing about the language. But once I started learning more, I found out that Move is actually pretty cool and you can do a lot of interesting things with it.
How did your team prepare for the Sui x BSA Hackathon 2024?
Ahmad: The organizers provided several pre-Hackathon workshops to help us get into Move. They held a few before we joined the team, but everything had been pre-recorded and was available on their YouTube channel. Those videos were my main source, combined with their PowerPoint presentation, which allowed me to work at my own pace.
Lareen: Their workshops were invaluable. Basically, they had everything we needed to learn a new programming language in just two days. It was challenging, but the quality of materials they provided—and the amount of work they put into them—is simply amazing.
Tell us more about your idea
Lareen: We called our idea SUISEATS. It’s a website you can use to buy tickets for concerts, sporting events, museums, or anything you can think of. If you want to enter somewhere you can get your ticket in SUISEATS. We’ve included smart contracts powered by blockchain technology, which is what we do differently from every other website out there.
Ahmad: Our website also works against bots, giving everyone a fair chance to get their tickets. We implemented features like native randomness that ensure it is a bit like a lottery, where people can pre-order tickets and win if they are lucky. In that case, they would receive an NFT ticket or a congratulatory message; if they don’t win, they get a full refund. This way, it is completely random and unbiased.
How did each team member contribute to the project?
Lareen: On our six-person team, Ismail Lahlou handled the business side of things. He helped us develop a business plan, create a project timeline and market our website. Iuri Ilheu and Ahmad Elbaba worked with Move on the back end, and I partnered with Paul and Micah on the front end. We had a pretty organized system going from the start, but remained flexible in case anyone needed help.
What was it like working on the blockchain side of things?
Ahmad: It was both exciting and challenging. Obviously, there had to be a bit of suffering—it was a two-day, intensive competition, after all. We started on Saturday morning and had to submit everything by 2 p.m. the next day. On the first day, we stayed up until 4 a.m. and were awake by 8 a.m. the following morning. It definitely was a bit of a time crunch, but in terms of actual coding, we had everything ready by the deadline.
But most importantly, it was an enjoyable experience in which we also learned a lot along the way, so all-in-all this was I’d say this was a great opportunity for us.
What challenges did you face during the Sui x BSA Hackathon 2024?
Lareen: Coding an actual, functional website was very hard, even with all we’ve already learned. Connecting the front end and back end was horrifying because we needed to integrate Move into the site. We also had to incorporate a Wallet, which was necessary in order to do anything on the website. I faced a lot of problems, but my team and I came together to figure it out.
Supporting paths into innovation
Through their collective efforts, this student team built and delivered SUISEATS in just over 48 hours. It was a remarkable show of quick-thinking, resilience and advanced tech skills. In the end, they walked away from the Sui x BSA Hackathon with the Honors Prize for their innovative project.
At IE University, we’re dedicated to supporting student teams who want to push the limits of excellence. We’re proud of their achievements and are always looking forward to what they’ll do next!