Education Replaces Climate As The Lead ThemeUNU launched the competition in 2025 around ecological protection and green transition. That first brief divided entries across climate adaptation, environmental conservation, clean energy and technology for less developed countries. The 2026 edition places education at the centre while keeping social inclusion and lower-resource communities inside the programme.Sources: United Nations University competition pages for and Field2025 edition2026 editionLead themeEnvironment and green transitionEducation and AI literacyTracksFourThreeFinal23–25 October 2025, Macau26 November 2026, MacauPublished finalist or winner supportUS$1,000 for each category winner plus a pilot opportunity in ChinaFinalist hotel stay plus limited travel allowances up to US$1,000 per teamThree Tracks Define The 2026 BriefAI for Education accepts intelligent tutoring systems, adaptive learning platforms, curriculum tools, automated assessment, predictive analytics, language technology, accessibility tools and teacher-development systems. UNU connects this track to SDG 4 on quality education.AI for Social Innovation widens the brief to educational access, the digital divide, workforce reskilling, digital citizenship, misinformation detection, gender equality and policy tools. Its SDG references span education, gender equality, reduced inequalities and strong institutions.AI for Less Developed Countries seeks affordable systems for resource-constrained settings. The official examples include offline learning tools, mobile-first services, teacher training, local-language content and infrastructure-light delivery through SMS or voice.TRL 6 Creates A Serious Entry BarrierThe competition expects working technology and sets the entry bar above an idea deck. Its eligibility section requires TRL 6 or higher and describes projects that have moved beyond laboratory work, can enter real-world validation and sit close to commercial readiness.