University FAQ

Unfair Weekend is a four-day AI product-building hackathon at ISM University in Vilnius. It brings together 250 selected students and young professionals to form interdisciplinary teams and turn ideas into working digital products, supported by founders, engineers, product experts and investors.

Unfair Weekend takes place in person at ISM University in Vilnius on 12-15 November 2026.

We welcome students and young professionals from every discipline. Participants may come from business, marketing, design, technology, medicine, sport or any other field where they see a problem worth solving. Entrepreneurship and innovation programmes are a natural fit, but the event is deliberately interdisciplinary.

No. Students do not need a programming background. We provide the AI tools, practical guidance and technical mentorship they need to turn an idea into a working digital product.

Participants form interdisciplinary teams, choose or refine a real problem, build and test an MVP, and present the result to leading founders and investors. The emphasis is on shipping a working product in four days, not only discussing an idea.

The most promising teams may continue receiving introductions, mentorship and support as they explore turning their hackathon product into a startup.

Students apply individually through a short form at unfairweekend.com. The application asks a few questions about the product or app they want to build and their motivation for joining.

No. Students can apply and participate solo, apply with an existing team, or find teammates on Discord before the event or on-site in Vilnius. They do not need a finished product to apply. Every MVP presented at Unfair Weekend should be built from scratch during the event.

No. Universities do not need to nominate or pre-select students. Students apply independently, and the Unfair Weekend selection committee evaluates their applications.

The early application deadline is 30 September 2026, with results on 2 October 2026. The final deadline is 28 October 2026, with results on 30 October 2026. If a student has a genuine timing constraint, please contact us and we will do our best to help.

The event has space for 250 selected participants. Our committee reviews each applicant's idea, motivation and potential contribution. Universities can invite all relevant students to apply without needing to predict who will be selected.

Yes. Students selected for and participating in Unfair Weekend can receive 6 ECTS credits through ISM's course built around the event. Visiting students can complete the remaining course submissions remotely. The student's home institution decides whether and how to recognise the credits.

The credits come through ISM's Fundamentals of Digital Products Design course in the Entrepreneurship and Innovation programme. The course is built around Unfair Weekend.

No. Students may participate only in the four-day hackathon without taking the course. The 6 ECTS pathway is optional for students who want academic credit and whose home institution can recognise it.

The pre-hackathon workshops run from 21 September to 1 October 2026. Unfair Weekend takes place on 12-15 November, followed by a reflection workshop on 18 November.

No. International students coming specifically for Unfair Weekend do not need to attend the pre-hackathon workshops. They are welcome to join in person, but the essential in-person component is the hackathon in Vilnius on 12-15 November.

Yes. We can arrange the additional project submissions remotely, including an individual AI-built application and a reflection presentation. Students can complete the remaining work from home within one month after the hackathon.

The course is practical rather than exam-based. The hackathon MVP and demonstration form the main part of the assessment, supported by an individual AI-built application and a post-hackathon reflection. We can provide the detailed syllabus to interested universities.

No. There is no participation fee for the hackathon or for the optional 6 ECTS course.

Participants normally arrange and cover their own travel and accommodation. We are happy to share practical, affordable suggestions to help international students plan their visit.

No. Erasmus or short-mobility funding is not a condition for participation. Students may join independently and cover their own trip. If the home university can support the mobility through Erasmus or another scheme, ISM can discuss the host documentation required.

The event and international participant communication are in English.

Yes. Unfair Weekend recognises the strongest teams with prizes and further opportunities. The 2026 prize pool and individual awards will be announced closer to the event.

There is no fee or formal commitment. We simply ask the university to help share the opportunity with relevant students. With the university's agreement, we can also recognise it in the university Friends section of the Unfair Weekend website.

We can provide a ready-to-forward student invitation, a short event presentation, course information, the detailed syllabus and printable posters. We can also adapt posters for specific campuses where useful.

Yes. We can prepare campus-specific poster files when useful, including the relevant city and departure airport.

Yes. We would be happy to join a short online student, faculty or programme meeting, introduce the opportunity and answer questions. An in-person visit may also be possible where practical.

International-office colleagues can help share the opportunity broadly. Programme leads, lecturers, entrepreneurship and innovation teams, technology and design faculty, and relevant student clubs may also be valuable contacts. Because the event is interdisciplinary, collaboration does not need to be limited to business or entrepreneurship programmes.