Event highlight
28.01.2025

Hertie School and Data Science Lab host second Data4Good Festival

At a three-day hackathon, students from 20 European universities gather to network and create solutions to data challenges of the past and present.

The second edition of the Data4Good Festival, hosted by the Hertie School and Data Science Lab from 20 to 22 January, was a space where personal stories intertwined with data-driven solutions, fostering a profound connection between technology and humanity. 

Over three intensive days in Berlin, 70 students from 20 European universities united to address societal challenges through creativity and innovation. Supported by the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, the festival blended a hackathon, AI and data science workshops, and networking opportunities. Thirteen teams transformed data into knowledge platforms, humanised narratives, and solutions for real-world issues, making it a truly transformative experience. 

Opening the festival, the Hertie School’s leadership emphasised data’s critical role in public policy. President Cornelia Woll and Data Science Lab Director Simon Munzert highlighted how data science and AI are transforming policymaking, making it imperative to equip young researchers with skills to tackle complex societal challenges.

Innovate for impact: Personal stories unlocked 

The Data4Good Festival’s Hackathon for the Common Good saw 13 student teams develop data-driven solutions. Tackling Holocaust documentation and German municipal datasets provided by Accenture and Bertelsmann Stiftung, participants engaged in a dynamic, peer-learning challenge focussed on nurturing undergraduate data science talent. For Isaac Vélez, a London School of Economics student, the festival was a profound personal journey. Searching the Holocaust dataset, he uncovered details about his great-grandmother, bringing closure to his family’s hidden history and connecting generations through data.

A distinguished jury consisting of Simon Munzert (Professor of Data Science and Public Policy and Director of the Data Science Lab), Helena Bakic (Data Analyst, Bertelsmann Stiftung and graduate of the Master of Data Science for Public Policy (MDS) programme at the Hertie School), Hendrik Purwins (Senior Gen AI Architect, Accenture), and Johannes Halkenhäußer (Data Analyst, Accenture, and also an MDS alumnus) awarded prizes across three categories:

Technical excellence: The first-place award went to two teams: D Squared – Data Detectives (Sindre Veum, Leonardo Reche, Zsanett Frei, Amory Mayer, and Andrea Kojovic) from Forward College and Unconstrained (Ali Guliyev, Denis Hoti, Ruslan Tsibirov, Veronika Rybak, and Olga Ivanov) from Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. Data Detectives presented M3 – a Municipal Metrics Mapper, which visualises and summarises all the indexes that matter for a German municipality, from quality of life to eco-friendliness and economic success (link to prototype). Unconstrained created a mapping of journeys that Holocaust victims had to endure based on the dataset provided by the Arolsen Archives

Social impact: The first-place award went to Quantum Quack (Henry Oldroyd, Andre Mariucci, Polina Markova, and Shahar Dagan) from the University of Lancaster and to Crtl+Alt+Defeat (Dina Schaller, Oliver Solenský, Charlotte Dawson-Townsend, and Hanna Flügel) from Forward College. Quantum Quack presented a prototype that automates the detection of inconsistencies in Holocaust documents (link to prototype). Crtl+Alt+Defeat presented Wekomda, a platform for connecting and comparing different German municipalities based on their similar attributes for collaborative solutions. 

Data storytelling: The first-place award went to Change Byte by Byte (Jim Maar, Louis Henkel, Emil Rugenstein, and Merel Fiets) from the Hasso-Plattner Institute, Humbolt-Universität, and Leiden University. Their presentation featured Wegweising4Tomorrow, an interface for German politicians to analyse climate and socioeconomic metrics in their districts. The application provides data visualisation and insights to support informed decision-making (link to project).


Beyond data: Skills and connections

During the festival, specialised workshops featuring data experts explored cutting-edge insights. Sessions included Accenture’s talk on the EU AI Act, discussions on ethical innovation, and practical workshops on AI coding and agent development. Participants seized opportunities to socialise, network and learn from each other, guided by Hertie School master’s students who mentored teams throughout the festival. These interactions created a dynamic environment of collaborative learning and professional growth.

“Data science and AI are now critical in shaping policies and addressing societal challenges,” explained Simon Munzert. “This festival inspires the next generation to apply technological tools to real-world problems, developing collaborative skills and innovative approaches.”

Visit our webpage to find out more about the Data4Good Festival