Kelera Ditaiki 
[Senior Director of Digital Transformation and Innovation Nazia Taylor - Source: Investment Fiji/ Facebook]
Fijian students are set to gain hands-on experience in artificial intelligence as Honeywell Aerospace hosts a four-day AI Hackathon at the University of the South Pacific next week.
Senior Director of Digital Transformation and Innovation Nazia Taylor states the program is designed to give participants practical insight into how AI solutions are built and used in real-world industry settings.
She adds the event offers a safe environment for students to experiment, make mistakes and learn from experts, skills not usually taught in classrooms.
The hackathon is open to high school students, university students, graduates and IT professionals.
Participants will work with Honeywell Aerospace, Tata Consultancy Services and Pacific Technologies to solve a specific AI use case, learn teamwork processes, testing, deployment and how to present solutions to industry stakeholders.
“This will give students an insight on how AI solutions are built. So, people use ChatGPT, they learn Python coding, they don’t really use it in their regular day-to-day life use cases. Um, our Hackathon is tailored to provide a specific use case, and then we’ll have the students how to solve it.”
Taylor said AI was becoming essential in global aviation, particularly for predictive maintenance and improving aircraft safety and Fijian talent can contribute to this growing field.
She adds the event also allows industry partners to identify potential talent and helps universities understand gaps in digital and AI readiness.
Honeywell said the initiative brings global aerospace expertise to Fiji, opening new opportunities for students interested in aviation, IT and AI.
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