As we draw the curtain on the final day of the Lent term, I am reminded of the good times we students of DBIM had. All from different countries, study backgrounds and experiences learning under the same roof in a new country and having fun along the way.

During the learning terms, we were tasked with so many challenges such as essay writing, individual assignments, and group responsibilities. These tasks provided us with the opportunity to apply what we had learned over the months in solving real-life issues. Our ability to solve these problems creatively proved we were on the right path and that we had been harnessed with the right tools to face the real world.

One of the group challenges we carried out was the consulting hackathon for MSCI589 - Research and Professional Skills module. The hackathon was coordinated by Fujitsu the leading Japanese information technology company. I must confess that the workshop was exciting and provided an opportunity to push ourselves. Each team was tasked to pitch a proposal to a Utility company based on our understanding of the challenges it faced. (We had 24hrs to rise to the challenge!!!)

For this challenge, the cohort was divided into six groups comprising five students per group. The hackathon was over two days. On the first day of the challenge, we were joined by Chris Saunders the Associate Dean who delivered a welcome message followed by an introduction from senior members of Fujitsu. (It felt good having such people in our midst; it further reinforced the quality of the DBIM program). After the introduction, we were briefed on the task ahead (It was like nothing we had ever done, I could sense the excitement and anxiety amongst my coursemates).

After the brief, we were provided some time to ask questions to better understand the operating environment and other information we felt would aid our proposal.At the end of the Q and A, each team retired to their pre-assigned breakout rooms and the brainstorming began! As the hour went by, we received new updates about the case from the Fujitsu team, which made the scenario even more real (the real world is dynamic and ever-evolving anyway !!). New information meant new strategies… (We had to go back to the drawing boards. Sigh). The day ended with every one of us fatigued but with a sense of fulfilment because our proposal was beginning to take shape (Yippee).

On day 2, we had yet another guest that spoke on the cybersecurity challenges faced by Utility companies. This gave us an even clearer picture of how big a deal the hackathon was. After the session, we had 2 hours to put together the presentation. Each group went to their respective breakout rooms to wrap up their respective presentation slides due for submission at 12:00 noon.

Albeit with racing hearts we reconvened at 1:00 pm. Each group presented after the other followed by questions from the panel. One evident thing was how diverse our thought processes were, no two groups had the same presentation. Everything from the theme to the approach was completely different and radiated our strength and uniqueness. (It was indeed a proud moment).

After each group presented, we were given a break to allow the panel to decide on the winning team.

The time we had all been waiting for!Group 2 was announced the winner and I must agree they were my favourite team. They were presented with a certificate and a special photo session. After which we received a closing remark from Fujitsu on how difficult it was to select a winner because we all did extremely well.

We ended the day by taking group pictures, having some yummy sandwiches provided by LUMS, and an opportunity to chat individually with the Fujitsu team.

It was indeed a wonderful and fun learning experience that opened our minds and curiosity for a career path in cybersecurity.

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