PromptUp School 2026

About PromptUp School

📅 19-25 January 2026
📍 University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa
🎯 Hackathon-based for BSc students (with MSc exceptions)
💰 No participation fee, accredited 5 ECTS (UiS)

PromptUp School is a one-week programme designed for Bachelor (BSc) students eager to explore the power of Generative AI in engineering. Blending crash courses with a hackathon sprint, it’s your chance to learn, build, and compete in Cape Town’s vibrant academic setting.

You’ll move from learning the basics of GenAI to teaming up and prototyping solutions, and finally showcasing your ideas to mentors and industry experts.

The programme combines short tutorials with a hackathon sprint where international teams will prototype creative AI-driven solutions to real engineering challenges.

Open primarily to BSc students, but MSc students are welcome if their program has no bachelor-level track.

Collaboration & Project Context

PromptUp School is part of the UTFORSK PromptUp project, a collaborative initiative between:

• University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa
• University of Stavanger (UiS), Norway
• Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet), Norway
• Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech), Korea

This partnership ensures a truly international and interdisciplinary learning environment.

We expect participation from:

• 10 students from Norway (University of Stavanger and OsloMet)
• 10-15 students from University of Cape Town
• 2 students from SeoulTech (Korea)

This ensures a diverse, international cohort working side by side.

Coverage includes

• No participation fee
• Flights: covered for all students from Norway and Korea
• Accommodation: covered for all participants in UCT student dormitories
• Local transportation within Cape Town: covered for all participants
• Visa fee (if needed): reimbursed for international participants

This ensures that every selected student can participate without financial barriers.

What You’ll Do

• Learn: Quick tutorials on prompting, GenAI tools, and engineering applications
• Hack: Form teams to solve real engineering challenges with AI
• Build: Create prototypes that show how GenAI can improve design, simulation, and decision-making
• Showcase: Present your ideas in a Hackathon Finale with awards

Programme Flow

• 19 Jan: Arrival & check-in at UCT dormitories
• 20 Jan: GenAI Bootcamp + team formation
• 21-22 Jan: Hackathon sprint (mentored teamwork)
• 23 Jan: Final presentations + jury evaluation
• 24 Jan: Awards, reflections, and networking
• 25 Jan: Departure

Who Can Apply

• Open to Bachelor (BSc) students
• Open to Master (MSc) students in programmes without a bachelor track
• Backgrounds: Mechanical, Civil and Maintenance engineering, or related fields
• No prior AI experience required — just bring curiosity and creativity

Recognition & Awards

• Certificate of Participation
• 5 ECTS credits from the University of Stavanger (UiS) upon completion
• Prizes for: Best Prototype, Most Creative Use of AI, Greatest Impact

Application Details

• Apply here
• Submit short CV + 200-word motivation
• Deadline: 10 September 2025
• Results: 30 September 2025

Selection will ensure balance across gender, engineering disciplines and academic programmes (BSc/MSc eligibility). This guarantees a diverse and inclusive learning environment.