Youth Engineers Alliance Launched “Sustainable Frontier” STEM + ECO Hackathon in Ashgabat

On Saturday, May 2, 2026, the Youth Engineers Alliance (YEA) officially launched a unique STEM + ECO Hackathon at the “Täsir” Education Center in Ashgabat.The four-week engineering marathon, titled “Sustainable Frontier,” has brought together over 20 participants aged 14 to 18. The program is designed to equip young innovators with the skills to develop functional technological solutions for the environmental challenges facing the Central Asian region.

The event was opened by Rahman and Rahim Garakhanovs, who welcomed the participants and guest speakers. They introduced the Youth Engineers Alliance, outlining its mission, objectives, and the comprehensive structure of the Sustainable Frontier program. Over the coming month, participants will evolve bold concepts into working engineering prototypes—offering students a tangible opportunity to showcase their talent while addressing global climate issues.

During the session, young environmentalist Gulshat Aidova led a climate-themed team-building exercise. Participants were divided into four teams to brainstorm and present their initial environmental solutions.

These teams will collaborate throughout the hackathon, focusing on three critical modern challenges:

Smart Agriculture and Water Security

Urban Thermal Management and Passive CoolingElectronics Recycling and the Circular Economy

Addressing the first track, Selbi Matvelieva delivered a presentation emphasizing the importance of tracking water consumption in agricultural production and highlighting innovative global approaches to water management.

For the second track, guest speaker Berkeli Atayev, Director of the Public Association Enterprise “Tebigy Kuwwat,” presented on “Urbanization in the Context of Climate Change.” He introduced the participants to UN-Habitat, the United Nations program responsible for sustainable urban development. B. Atayev highlighted the World Urban Forum (WUF), a biennial global gathering of officials and experts, noting that WUF13 is scheduled to take place from May 17–22 in Baku, Azerbaijan. His session also explored the “urban heat island” effect, its impact on public health, and modern passive cooling techniques, supported by examples of ecological transformations both in Turkmenistan and internationally.

Finally, organizers Rahman and Rahim Garakhanovs presented the third track, focusing on turning waste into valuable resources. Their session covered strategies for extracting value from obsolete gadgets, safe hardware restoration, and the vision of building a zero-waste world.

Upcoming Marathon Schedule:

– May 9: Technological Foundations and IT Tools

– May 16: Branding and the Art of Presentation

– May 23: Hackathon: Finalizing Prototypes

– May 24: Grand Finale and Demo Day: The Battle of Projects

Berkeli Atayev.