CAN Federation opens applications for UA Hackathon Nepal 2026

KATHMANDU: Federation of Computer Association Nepal (CAN Federation) has opened applications for the Universal Acceptance Hackathon Nepal 2026. The hackathon will coincide with the global Universal Acceptance campaign and National Information and Communication Technology Day.

To be organised in partnership with ICANN, UNESCO, APNIC and Sunway College Kathmandu, the hackathon aims to promote internet systems that fully support the Nepali language and Devanagari script. Organisers said the event’s primary goal is to advance an inclusive, multilingual internet in which domain names, email addresses and websites can be used and operated in Nepali and other local languages.

The hybrid event will invite developers, students and technology enthusiasts to build multilingual and UA-ready digital solutions that make online services accessible beyond the English-dominated internet.

Key details announced by the CAN Federation include an application deadline of April 30, 2026, and an event date of May 16, 2026. The format will be hybrid, with both in-person and online participation, and the hackathon is open to developers, students and tech enthusiasts.

Interested participants can register through the CAN Federation’s Nepali portal at https://क्यान.संगठन/दर्ता/. Additional information about the programme is available at https://क्यान.संगठन/.

The CAN Federation said the hackathon is an opportunity to encourage innovation and to help ensure that internet applications, devices and systems accept domain names and email addresses in local scripts. The federation is the umbrella organisation for Nepal’s information and communication technology sector and works on policy advocacy, training and international collaboration.

Universal Acceptance Day is a global initiative that raises awareness about making all domain names and email addresses acceptable across internet systems, a principle the hackathon seeks to advance locally and regionally.