IE Sci - Tech Debuts CodeX Battle for Top Students

IE University School of Science & Technology has launched its first-ever CodeX competition during TechIE Day, bringing together 11 of the school’s top coding students for a fast-paced, high-stakes contest.

Hosted by Executive Vice Dean Dr. Rafif Srour, the event unfolded across three rounds of increasing difficulty, all soundtracked by house music and cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd of peers. It kicked off with a quickfire multiple-choice programming quiz that narrowed the field down to eight finalists. In Round Two, those finalists were split into 4 teams to solve more complex algorithmic challenges — testing not only coding chops but also how well students could collaborate under pressure. The final round was a no-holds-barred live coding battle between the top two teams, as they built algorithms in real time in front of classmates, faculty, and industry reps.

“Competitions like these matter because in tech — and in most jobs — there will be moments of intense pressure where you have to stay sharp and perform," said Massimo Ridella, a third-year Computer Science student. "This experience was a valuable lesson in exactly that.”

But CodeX wasn’t just about competition. Unlike many universities that simply host coding competitions organized by student clubs or outside associations, CodeX was fully designed and run by the School of Science & Technology itself, giving students a rare opportunity to take part in a uni-led initiative designed to mirror the kind of structured, high-impact challenges they’ll face in industry. Beyond the adrenaline, it also provided a chance to network with faculty and industry recruiters, and to showcase their skills in a real-world setting — the kind of experience that can set them apart in a crowded tech job market.

The event featured eleven 1st - 3rd year bachelor students and 2 master's students from a range of Science and Technology programs, each bringing something different to the table. In the final round, second-year Data and Business Analytics student Ilya Artamonov and Computer Science student Oskar Kloczko faced off against third-year DBA student Alejandro Diaz and Computer Science student Hugo. After a gripping 45 minute head-to-head coding challenge, Artamonov and Kloczko came out on top.

Congrats to all the participants and to our first CodeX coding champs!