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AzerNEWS Staff

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19 May 2026 The "International Youth AI Competition" has successfully concluded as part of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku. The project, dedicated to the theme of "Resilient, Sustainable and Reintegration-Friendly Cities of the Future", has attracted great interest globally.

The project, jointly organized by the Eurasian Regional Center of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum and the International Organization for Migration, was partnered by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Youth Foundation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the "Young Volunteers" Public Union.

More than 300 young people from more than 70 countries applied to the project, which started four months ago. For representatives of 36 countries who passed the selection stage, online training on artificial intelligence tools and digital storytelling were held by experts for a month. Participants who successfully completed the training program created short videos reflecting the future sustainable and resilient vision of their cities using artificial intelligence technologies. The submitted creative works were evaluated by artificial intelligence experts and independent specialists, and the 4 best videos that met the project requirements were declared winners. According to the results of the competition, young people representing Tunisia, Kazakhstan, and the Comoros Islands were awarded first, second, and third places, respectively. The young specialist representing Vietnam was declared the winner of the incentive prize.

The physical phase of the project was launched on May 18, 2026, with a parallel event titled “Youth-led Artificial Intelligence Solutions for Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Cities of the Future” organized as part of the Urban Planning Campaign Week. The event was attended by leaders and representatives of partner institutions, leaders of youth organizations, and winners of the competition, who shared their views on the integration of artificial intelligence into urban planning processes and the innovative role of youth in this field. After the official part, which continued with mutual discussions, a special dinner was organized to strengthen networking among local and international participants.

On May 19, at the next parallel event held within the framework of WUF13, jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture, the International Organization for Migration, and the United Nations Habitat Program, the winning youth were awarded certificates and valuable prizes by partner organizations. The travel program includes the winners' participation in various sessions of the World Urban Forum, familiarization with the exhibition pavilions, and participation in info tours to discover the historical and cultural heritage of Baku.