<div id="readability-page-1"><div> <div> Higher education teams recognized for research across business, health and culture, /PRNewswire/ -- What drives volatility in global markets? How can data predict ecological tipping points in urban environments? What impact does social media have on students' mental health and academic performance? These are among the questions explored in the 2026 Curiosity Cup, a global data science competition sponsored by data and AI leader SAS. Continue Reading <div> <div> <div> <div> <figure> <img id="imageid_2" src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/null?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/null"/> <figcaption> The Curiosity Cup, a global data science competition sponsored by data and AI leader SAS, brings together students from around the world to explore complex questions across business, health and society. </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> Now in its fifth year, the Curiosity Cup continues to grow in scale and impact. A record-breaking number of teams representing 20 countries participated in the 2026 competition, bringing together 452 students from universities around the world. Thirty-seven industry consultants served as judges, reviewing written research papers and evaluating finalist video presentations. This year, the Curiosity Cup introduced updated competition categories while maintaining its rigorous evaluation criteria. Student teams were assessed on data preparation, analysis and presentation, and selected one of three research focus areas for their submissions: Business and Economy; Health, Science and Engineering; or Culture, Lifestyle and Entertainment. Full details on the winning teams, research questions and videos are available on the SAS Curiosity Cup webpage. &#34;We're very happy and proud to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Curiosity Cup. Once again, we saw a record‑breaking level of participation, with 138 teams competing. Jury members noted the exceptionally high quality of the submitted papers,&#34; said Dr. Jürgen Kaselowsky, Director of Global Academic Programs at SAS. &#34;At many universities, participation has become a tradition, with teams from those institutions taking part year after year. At the same time, it's exciting to see new schools joining for the very first time. Students love competitions.&#34;Industry experts selected one winning team in each category:Business and Economy Winner: UCCU, New York University (US) Paper: Evaluating a Residual‑Based Hybrid Volatility Framework: Cross‑Market Evidence from US VIX DataHealth, Science and Engineering Winner: STATYX, FEU Institute of Technology (Philippines) Paper: Threshold of Urban Biodiversity Collapse: Forecasting Ecological Tipping Points Under Artificial Light at Night and Other Environmental Covariates Using Avian IndicatorsCulture, Lifestyle and Entertainment Winner: Statistix &amp; Chill, Bratislava University of Economics and Business (Slovakia) Paper: The Effect of Social Media on Mental Health and Academic Performance of StudentsVisit SAS Academic Programs to learn more about how SAS helps foster curiosity and real-world data skills for the next generation of data scientists. About SAS SAS is a global leader in data and AI, helping organizations make confident decisions with AI they can trust. For decades, SAS has set the standard for delivering software that drives meaningful impact, incorporating deep industry expertise, transparency and governance. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW®. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2026 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved. Ally Wiggs [email protected] 919-531-2848 www.sas.com/newsSOURCE SAS<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://rt.prnewswire.com/rt.gif/query-RGF0ZUlkPTIwMjYwNjAxJk5ld3NJdGVtSWQ9Q0w3MDcyNiZUcmFuc21pc3Npb25fSWQ9MjAyNjA2MDEwODQ1UFJfTkVXU19VU1BSX19fX19DTDcwNzI2?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://rt.prnewswire.com/rt.gif/query-RGF0ZUlkPTIwMjYwNjAxJk5ld3NJdGVtSWQ9Q0w3MDcyNiZUcmFuc21pc3Npb25fSWQ9MjAyNjA2MDEwODQ1UFJfTkVXU19VU1BSX19fX19DTDcwNzI2"/></div> </div></div>

SAS celebrated the fifth anniversary of its Curiosity Cup, a global data science competition for students. The 2026 event saw record participation with 138 teams from 20 countries. Winners were announced in three categories: Business and Economy (New York University), Health, Science and Engineering (FEU Institute of Technology), and Culture, Lifestyle and Entertainment (Bratislava University of Economics and Business).

08:45 ETSAS Curiosity Cup celebrates global student excellence in data and AI for its fifth year