From Classroom to Global Challenge: Planet Hack 2025 Successful

On 31 October 2025, he fourth Planet Hack event officially kicked off at Dulwich College International,  where students used their innovative tinking skills to address global energy challenges. This year's theme was 'Affordable and Clean Energy'.

Planet Hack is an annual competition focused on technological challenges and innovative cooperation, jointly initiated by Dulwich College International and the Australian National University in 2022. 

For this year's competition, Dulwich College International welcomed a distinguished guest – Nobel Laureate in Physics, Professor Brian Schmidt from Australian National University. He delivered an exciting masterclass for IB Physics and IGCSE students at Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong and announced the grand opening of the Planet Hack competition.

International Leading Academia

This year's event was hosted by Australian National University's Dr Gu Huimin and the EdTech team of Yosef Karasik from Dulwich College Beijing. Together, they invited students from ten Dulwich and Dehong schools to explore the possibilities of technological innovation. 

Professor Yin Zongyou from Australian National University, along with Dr Gu Huimin and Dr Liu Sitong from the same research group, served as the academic leaders. Their long-term research is dedicated to nano and atomic-level functional materials, providing their cutting-edge scientific perspectives and authentic research experiences.

From 31 October to 1 November, during the intensive two-day schedule, our young challengers collaborated in teams. They went from brainstorming to model design and programming, while coming up with innovative solutions for global energy sustainability. 

This competition not only set a new record for the number of participants from our schools but also opened registration to external schools for the first time, building a more diverse and vibrant innovation community where students global perspectives and collaborative abilities were honed through practical experience.

From the Classroom to the World

Dulwich College International and the Australian National University have a long-term cooperative relationship. Students can participate in courses personally taught by a Nobel Laureate and also directly engage in dialogue with an international scientific research team. This unique learning experience lays a strong foundation for their future academic paths and international career exploration.

Dulwich College International is always committed to building learning platforms with a global vision for students. By participating in competitions, students can connect with the world beyond the classroom and understand how technology shapes humanity's future through experimentation and critical thinking.

Professor Brian Schmidt also shared his vision of Planet Hack and holistic education: 'The key to cultivating future talent is to allow students to achieve a balanced development in the fields of science, technology, arts, and humanities. Parents sometimes ask me "how can we help our children grow better?" I always advise them to let their children try areas they are not so strong in, such as drama or music. I firmly believe that a well-rounded education is the key to unlocking life's infinite possibilities.'

'The Planet Hack project allows students to use their knowledge from subjects like history, languages, science, and engineering to solve real-world problems. They will realise that the ideas they can come up with are already on par with some of our best ideas out there. This also allows them to truly understand that they can use the knowledge and skills they have learned to tackle major real-world challenges.'

Dulwich College International firmly believes that the purpose of education is not only to cultivate outstanding academics but also to ignite the potential within each child, allowing them to find their own direction through diverse learning. During activities like Planet Hack, students not only enhance their STEM and innovation capabilities but also develop the qualities of future global citizens through teamwork and cross-cultural communication.

The winners of this year's Planet Hack will be announced on 2 December. Although the competition schedule has concluded, the spark of innovation and global concern it ignited will continue to burn in the heart of every participant.