Oracle Academy collaborated with Oracle Technology Teams and Oracle User Groups to provide opportunities for students to learn, explore, and showcase their talents in Oracle technology by participating at Xcelerate 2025, a hackathon event organized by INOAUG – India Oracle APEX User Group.
The journey began with a partnership between Oracle Academy and the Oracle Technology Solutions Engineering Team. Framing the collaboration, Anuradha Sharma, Head – South Asia, Oracle Academy, shared: “At Oracle Academy, our focus is to empower students and educators with the skills and opportunities they need to succeed in today’s tech-driven world. Partnerships like this show how academia and industry can come together to inspire and enable the next generation of innovators.”
This vision first came to life at Academia@Oracle, an industry-academia event hosted at the Oracle Mumbai office in August 2024. The event brought together 30 faculty members from 12 leading institutions across Maharashtra for discussions with Oracle experts and Oracle Academy representatives. Sessions highlighted Oracle technology and Oracle Academy resources and benefits, and included interactive hands-on experiences.
The engagement continued with the Oracle Core Tech University Outreach Deep Dive Workshop at M.H. Saboo Siddik College of Engineering (MHSSCE) in January 2025. Delivered by the Oracle Solutions Technology Team, the workshop gave participants hands-on exposure to Oracle Cloud, Oracle Database, and the Oracle APEX low-code platform, supported by free Oracle Academy APEX accounts for practice.
In March 2025, Dr. Zainab Mirza represented MHSSCE at the INOAUG’s Oracle APEX Utsav in Pune as an Oracle Academy delegate and speaker, sharing her institution’s journey of leveraging Oracle Academy resources to strengthen student learning.
The hackathon challenge
Soon after, MHSSCE students enrolled in INOAUG’s Hackathon – Xcelerate 2025, a nationwide competition challenging participants to create impactful solutions using Oracle APEX.
While Oracle Academy’s role was focused on enabling access to resources, sharing opportunities with institutions, and encouraging student participation, the results were remarkable: eight out of 13 teams in Level 2, and two of the top three winners, came from Oracle Academy member institutions.
The proudest moment arrived when a student team from M.H. Saboo Siddik College of Engineering secured 1st place nationwide at Xcelerate 2025.
Reflections on victory
Reflecting on the win, Dr. Zainab Mirza, MHSSCE, said, “Oracle Academy’s resources and the learning opportunities it opened up for our students played a vital role in this success. Having access to Oracle APEX practice environments, guidance from Oracle-led sessions, and exposure through initiatives like Academia@Oracle gave our students both confidence and capability. That foundation was critical in helping them achieve this national victory.”
Sharing her thoughts on the milestone, Anuradha Sharma added: “This achievement demonstrates what’s possible when students are empowered with industry-relevant skills and guided opportunities. Oracle Academy’s mission is not just about providing resources — it’s about creating pathways, building confidence, and enabling students to realize their potential. This win is proof of that vision in action.”
The winning MHSSCE students expressed their gratitude. One said, “For us, Xcelerate 2025 was more than just a hackathon. The resources we accessed through Oracle Academy and the encouragement to participate gave us the confidence to push our limits. Winning at the national level has shown us that with the right support, we can compete and excel anywhere.”
For Oracle Academy, Anuradha Sharma played a pivotal role in shaping the strategy and providing leadership direction that enabled this collaboration to create real impact for students and institutions. Bharadwaj Asokan, Lead Program Manager, facilitated coordination between Oracle Tech Teams, Oracle User Groups, and academic partners to ensure smooth communication and student engagement.
Oracle Academy also acknowledges the support of Chaitanya Koratamaddi, Director of Product Management/Strategy, Oracle APEX & team; Salman Shaik, Senior Director, Oracle Solutions Engineering & team; and Sanjeev Chauhan, Vice President–Technology Solutions Engineering, whose expertise and encouragement contributed to the success of these initiatives.
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