The Helsinki Digital Humanities Hackathon 2026 offers an opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. As the 11th iteration of an international summer school, this event brings together a diverse group of participants from Finland and across Europe. It is designed for teams to conceive and execute a complete digital humanities research project within a ten-day timeframe, providing a unique, hands-on experience in a collaborative setting.
Program Overview
• Target Audience: The program is primarily aimed at master's students and beyond.
• Format: Participants will experience an interdisciplinary research project from start to finish, formulating research questions, developing methods, and presenting their work.
• Experience for Computer and Data Scientists: An opportunity to test abstract knowledge against complex, real-life problems.
• Experience for Humanities and Social Scientists: A showcase of what can be achieved through collaboration with computational methods.
• Core Skill Development: Participants gain experience working intensely as part of an interdisciplinary team with people from different backgrounds.
Hackathon Themes for #DHH26
• Parliaments Beyond Borders: Exploring the Role of Foreign Nations in National Policy Debates
• Crimes and Punishments: “True Crime” in Britain during the 19th century
• The Language of Profits: A Multi-Disciplinary Exploration of Corporate and Legal Rhetoric
• Knowledge Production through the Lens of 200 Million Books across 600 Years
• Decoding the System of Finnic Oral Poetry
Participation Details and Benefits
• Cost: Participation in #DHH26 is free for all accepted participants.
• Financial Support: A limited number of participants from outside Finland may be sponsored for flights and accommodation, with decisions to be made after the application period.
• Academic Credits: Students may gain 5 ECTS credits from participating in the hackathon.
• Professional Development: The event also functions as a staff training event for leadership and collaboration across disciplinary borders.
Application Schedule and Key Dates
• Themes Unveiled & Application Start: 17 March 2026
• Application Period Ends: 14 April 2026
• Registration Period Ends for Accepted Participants: 27 April 2026
• Pre-Hackathon Online Preparatory Sessions: 4 May & 11 May 2026
• Hackathon Dates: 20–29 May 2026
Event Logistics and Schedule
• Venue: Minerva Plaza, Siltavuorenpenger 5 A, University of Helsinki, Finland.
• Time Commitment: Participants must be able to commit to the full week of intensive work, as well as the preparatory sessions.
• Daily Schedule: Work takes place mainly between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM on weekdays, with the weekend free.
• Mandatory Pre-Sessions: Two online pre-sessions for orientation and group formation will be held on May 4 and May 11, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM UTC+03:00.
• Public Project Presentations: The final presentations will be held on 29 May 2026, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Minerva Plaza and will be streamed live.
Organization and Contact
• General Organizers: Mikko Tolonen, Eetu Mäkelä, Jukka Suomela, and Jouni Tuominen.
• Organizing Bodies: The event is organized by FIN-CLARIAH (DARIAH-FI) in collaboration with HELDIG, the Department of Digital Humanities at the University of Helsinki, and Aalto University.
• Supporters: The program is supported by CLARIN-EU, HIIT, the Helsinki Centre for Intellectual History, and Marie Curie Training Networks CASCADE & MECANO.
• Contact Information: The organizers can be reached via email at dhh-hackathon@helsinki.fi.
This program provides a structured and intensive environment for advancing research and fostering collaboration at the intersection of technology and the humanities. For further information on the nature of the event and its outcomes, details from previous hackathons, including #DHH25, #DHH24, and earlier iterations, are available for review.