Software development & AI summer programs in Asia for high school students allow you to move beyond classroom theory and experience what building technology actually looks like in practice. Through hands-on coding projects, collaborative product development, and mentorship from experienced developers or researchers, you begin developing the technical and professional skills that underpin modern software engineering.

You are often introduced to industry-standard workflows such as version control with Git, agile development methodologies, debugging strategies, code review practices, and the fundamentals of full-stack development . Beyond technical growth, these programs also immerse you in university-style learning environments, helping you experience academic rigor, independent problem-solving, and fast-paced project work in a structured and supportive setting.

Why is Asia a good place to attend software development and AI summer programs?

Asia has rapidly become one of the most exciting regions in the world for software development and artificial intelligence education. Home to globally respected universities, fast-growing startup ecosystems, and major technology hubs, the region offers students exposure to both cutting-edge research and real-world innovation. 

Many Asian programs also emphasize applied learning and interdisciplinary collaboration, allowing students to work on practical projects under the guidance of researchers, engineers, and startup mentors. For students interested in understanding how technology operates on a global scale, Asia’s unique blend of research excellence, entrepreneurial energy, and cultural diversity creates an especially compelling environment for Software Development & AI Summer study.

Below, we have listed 15 software development and AI summer programs in Asia for high school students.

For adjacent opportunities, consider summer programs in Japan and summer programs in Singapore.

15 Software Development & AI Summer Programs in Asia for High School Students

1. Duke Kunshan University Global Summer Institute – AI-Powered Self-Driving

Location: Duke Kunshan University campus, Kunshan, Jiangsu, China
Cost: $2,950 USD (18,500 RMB); early bird rate of ¥16,650 available to Chinese applicants who apply by April 30th
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited to 60 participants per program
Dates: July 26-31
Application Deadline: May 31st (international applicants); June 20th (Chinese applicants)
Eligibility: Current high school students in grades 9-12; strong English listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills; open to international students

In this hands-on summer course, you engage directly with machine learning and autonomous systems by working with AWS DeepRacer, a miniature self-driving car built to learn through reinforcement learning. You assemble the vehicle, configure its learning environment, and iteratively train and fine-tune a model that teaches the car to stay in its lane, navigate sharp turns, and compete on a physical track.

Along the way, you build core skills in reinforcement learning, computational thinking, and model optimization through guided problem-solving cycles. The course is structured around team collaboration and racing challenges, with instruction from DKU faculty in data science and electrical engineering alongside AWS expert mentors.

Why it stands out: It puts AWS DeepRacer hardware directly in participants’ hands, allowing them to move from model training in a simulated environment to live on-track racing competition within a single week-long course at a globally recognized university campus in China.

2. Immerse Education’s Software Development & AI Summer School

Location: Sydney, San Francisco, and Toronto
Cost: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; an average of 7 participants per class
Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students aged 15-18; open to international students

The Career Insights Program gives you the opportunity to explore software development and artificial intelligence through practical industry exposure in major international business and technology hubs. In the Software Development & AI Summer track, you work on guided projects, take part in workshops led by professionals, and visit workplaces such as company offices, innovation centers, and technology facilities to better understand how teams operate in real-world settings.

Throughout the program, you also receive weekly one-on-one career guidance and feedback on areas such as your resume, academic interests, and professional profile. At the conclusion of the program, you present your project work and key takeaways to professionals working in the field. You can find more details about the application here.

Why it stands out: You’ll gain direct industry exposure, build a professional network, and receive a certificate you can include in your college applications and work profile.

3. NYU Shanghai AI Summer Program

Location: NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, CN
Cost: CNY 26,800
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not publicly disclosed
Dates: July 13-24
Application Deadline: Round 1: March 15th; Round 2: April 30th
Eligibility: High school students aged 15-18; open to international students

The program provides a two-week English-language experience taught by NYU Shanghai faculty from computer science, data science, and engineering. You build mathematical foundations for AI and gain hands-on practice with Python, NumPy, and PyTorch. Core machine learning principles are covered, from linear regression to neural networks and AI agents.

You apply knowledge through coding projects, such as predicting housing prices, image recognition, or chatbots using datasets and model templates. Faculty guidance includes peer-assisted learning, industry insights, and final presentations evaluated by professors and experts. English immersion and networking occur alongside academic content.

Why it stands out: It involves faculty from NYU divisions delivering rigorous AI training with practical project evaluation.

4. Duke Kunshan University Global Summer Institute – Artificial Intelligence

Location: Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, Jiangsu, China
Cost/Stipend: 18,500 RMB / 2,950 USD
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: July 19 -24
Application Deadline: May 31st (international applicants); June 20th (Chinese applicants)
Eligibility: Current high school students in grades 9-12; strong English listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills; open to international students

This program introduces artificial intelligence through practical tasks, where you work on coding exercises related to image processing, natural language processing, and data analysis. Faculty-guided sessions explain how machine learning models are applied in real-world settings. Collaborative mini-projects are integrated into the coursework throughout the week. Classroom instruction is paired with hands-on experimentation using AI tools and datasets.

The pace resembles a condensed university seminar format. You also interact with students from different academic and cultural backgrounds. Final outputs generally involve project demonstrations or group presentations.

Why it stands out: The program emphasizes practical AI applications through project-based learning in a university setting.

5. HKU Summer Institute – Sound Engineering with Artificial Intelligence

Location: The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Cost: HKD 7,200 (Additional fees: HKD 400 application fee, HKD 1,100 visa fee, plus accommodation)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Non-selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: July 27 -31
Application Deadline: February 7th (10% Early Bird Discount); April 3rd (Non-local students); May 31st (Local students)
Eligibility: Students in Years 8-10 / Grades 7-9; open to international students

This short-term immersion is one of the more specialised software development & AI summer programs in Asia for high school students, exploring how artificial intelligence is used in audio and sound engineering. Sessions introduce signal processing and AI-assisted sound analysis in an accessible format, and the program is designed around faculty-led instruction rather than independent online learning.

You gain experience using software and engineering tools in a university environment. Exposure to interdisciplinary applications of AI is a recurring theme throughout the course, and collaborative classroom exercises form a major component of the learning process. The structure also gives students an introduction to academic life at HKU.

Why it stands out: The program combines AI with engineering and creative technology applications in a specialized format.

6. Universal AI University – AI Summer Residency

Location: Universal AI University, Karjat, Maharashtra, India
Cost: NR 26,000 (Early Bird) / INR 32,000 (Regular fee)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited spots available per cohort
Dates: Cohort 1: May 14-17; Cohort 2: June 4-7; Cohort 3: July 9-12
Application Deadline: Cohort 1: Early Bird – March 15th / Regular – April 30th | Cohort 2: Early Bird – April 15th / Regular – May 20th | Cohort 3: Early Bird – May 15th / Regular – June 15th
Eligibility: High school students in grades 8-12; not open to international students

This residency introduces students to AI through applied projects and collaborative workshops, where you work on problem-solving exercises tied to practical AI use cases across industries. Sessions are designed around interactive learning, and the curriculum includes exposure to AI tools, product development concepts, and project presentations.

Faculty and instructors guide you through structured activities and group discussions, and you also experience campus-based learning in a residential setting. Practical experimentation forms a central part of the schedule. Team-based work is incorporated throughout the program duration.

Why it stands out: The program focuses on applied AI problem-solving within a short residential format.

7. Summer Institute – Advance AI Application Development with Python (Class D)

Location: The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong (face-to-face; local students only) / Online via Zoom (non-local students only)
Cost/Stipend: HKD 6,000 programme fee (face-to-face; local students) / HKD 4,000 programme fee (online; non-local students) + HKD 400 non-refundable application fee; early bird discount of 10% available for applications submitted by February 7th; HKUSI alumni discount of 20% also available (discounts not combinable)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Non-selective; cohort size not publicly disclosed
Dates: August 3-7
Application Deadline: April 3rd (non-local students); May 31st (local students)
Eligibility: Secondary school students in S4-S6 (Hong Kong), Year 11-13 (UK/IB), or Grade 10-12 (US); English proficiency demonstrated via first-language declaration or standardized test scores (e.g., IELTS Academic 6.5 overall or TOEFL iBT 93); personal laptop required (BYOD); open to international students

In this intensive five-day course organized by HKU’s Faculty of Engineering, you build working AI applications using Python on your own laptop under the instruction of Dr. Wilton Fok and Sports AI Lab instructors. You cover foundational to intermediate Python programming alongside core AI concepts, including machine learning, deep learning, and convolutional neural networks.

Guided sessions take you through practical workflows such as model building, image classification, human posture analysis, and anomaly detection. You also use chatbot tools to assist in writing a formal project report with proper citation, strengthening both technical communication and AI literacy. The course concludes with a group project in which you design an original AI application.

Why it stands out: It gives you genuine software development experience by having you configure a full Python AI development environment on your own laptops and build functional applications within a single five-day intensive at one of Asia’s leading research universities.

8. NUS SCALE Youth Programme – AI & Machine Learning Fundamentals

Location: National University of Singapore, Singapore
Cost/Stipend: ~SGD 2,680
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; typically up to 30-40 students per class
Dates: June 29th – July 3rd
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Pre-university and high school students in Grades 10-12; must be at least 15 years old at the start of the program; English proficiency is required; open to international students

This university-based course introduces machine learning and AI concepts through guided instruction and applied examples. You learn foundational computing and programming concepts relevant to AI systems, and sessions examine how machine learning models are developed and deployed in practical settings.

Coursework is designed to support students with varying levels of technical experience, where you engage in discussions, coding demonstrations, and structured classroom activities. Exposure to industry applications and AI trends is integrated into the curriculum. The academic environment resembles an introductory university technology course. 

Why it stands out: The program provides structured exposure to AI development concepts within a university computing environment.

9. NTU GenAI Bootcamp – AI Skills for the Digital Future

Location: Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Cost: SGD 3,106.50 (individual); SGD 2,943 (group)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; cohort size not specified
Dates: June 29th – July 3rd; August 3-7
Application Deadline: May 11th (June program); June 15th (August program)
Eligibility: High school and pre-university students; open to international students

This bootcamp introduces students to generative AI tools, collaborative software workflows, and practical AI applications through workshops and guided projects. You work in teams on structured assignments involving AI-assisted problem-solving and digital product development. Sessions include exposure to current AI tools and discussions about implementation challenges and ethics.

Faculty-led instruction is paired with hands-on activities and collaborative presentations. You also visit university labs and innovation spaces connected to technology and entrepreneurship. Technical communication and iterative project development form part of the learning process. Participants gain insight into how AI tools are integrated into modern software workflows.

Why it stands out: The program combines generative AI exposure with collaborative project development and university-based innovation experiences.

10. HKUST SISP1303: Developing Android Applications

Location: HKUST, Hong Kong, HK
Cost: HKD 8,000 (program fee) + HKD 250 (application fee)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not publicly disclosed
Dates: July 20-27
Application Deadline: April 10th (non-local students), May 31st (local students)
Eligibility: S4-S5 / Year 11-12 / Grade 10-11; open to international students

In this program, you dive directly into creating your own Android applications. You will cover essential topics including programming basics, MIT App Inventor fundamentals, time and sound components, canvas drawing, device file systems, vibration and sensors, location-based internet services, and mobile game development. To apply this knowledge, you will participate in in-class exercises, complete quizzes, test live apps on your personal device, and collaborate on a major group capstone project.

The program’s most unique feature is its use of a blocks-based programming interface, which completely eliminates the need for any prior coding experience. Ultimately, you will develop practical skills in software design, logical problem-solving, mobile sensor integration, and project teamwork. 

Why it stands out: It empowers complete beginners to build and deploy fully functional mobile software in just a few days using an accessible, visual framework rather than complex syntax.

11. IIT Bombay – NextGen@IITB Summer School 

Location: IIT Bombay campus (VMCC), Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Cost: INR 82,600
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not publicly disclosed
Dates: June 22-26
Application Deadline: Not publicly disclosed
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in Grades 8-12; international student eligibility not publicly disclosed

NextGen@IITB Summer School stands out among software development & AI summer programs in Asia for high school students because it combines Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Bioengineering, Design Thinking, and Innovation in one interdisciplinary camp. You work in active IIT Bombay facilities, including the Makerspace for hands-on prototyping, Robotics and Systems labs, bioscience experimental setups, and the IDC School of Design’s innovation spaces.

Sessions center on applying AI concepts and computational thinking to real-world problems under the guidance of IIT Bombay faculty and mentors. Participants build curiosity, creative problem-solving, and interdisciplinary technical skills through collaborative project work. Attendees who complete the programme receive a certificate from Educational Outreach, IIT Bombay.

Why it stands out: It places school students directly inside IIT Bombay’s live research and innovation infrastructure, including its Makerspace, Robotics labs, and IDC design spaces, giving rare pre-university access to the same facilities used by one of India’s top engineering institutions.

12. AiCE WARP Camp

Location: CMKL University, Bangkok, TH
Cost: 38,000 THB (early bird), 40,000 THB (regular)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; cohort size not specified
Dates: June 29th – July 17th
Application Deadline: June 22nd
Eligibility: All high school students; open to international students

This program covers six core competencies in AI engineering: Applied Data Science, GenAI + Physical AI Systems, Creative AI Studio, Supervised & Unsupervised Learning, Data Privacy/Security/Integrity, and Agentic AI. Each competency includes classroom learning, hands-on mini projects, workshops, and seminars led by specific instructors. You complete multiple mini projects and select one for a final showcase involving posters, prototypes, live demonstrations, and Q&A with visitors.

A final team project focuses on AI for social good. Outcomes include a certificate of completion and potential credit acceleration for AiCE matriculants. Students use their own laptops for sessions. 

Why it stands out: It has broad coverage of six AI engineering tracks with mini projects and faculty-led showcases at a specialized university.

13. IIT Bombay – Makerspace Summer School 2026

Location: Makerspace Lab, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Cost: INR 44,250
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective, open registration basis; cohort size not publicly disclosed
Dates: June 2-10
Application Deadline: May 25th
Eligibility: Currently enrolled in Class 8 to 12 (Grades 8-12); open to international students

In this nine-day intensive camp, you build a fully functional autonomous robot on the IIT Bombay campus while progressing through three structured phases: mechanical prototyping, electronics and programming, and smart systems integration. During the programming phase, you write code for the ESP32 microcontroller, work with WiFi-controlled systems, and design an autonomous app that governs real-time motor control and sensor responses.

You also use CAD modeling software alongside physical fabrication tools, including 3D printers and laser cutters, to translate digital designs into working hardware. The camp culminates in a competitive project exhibition where teams demonstrate their autonomous systems under the mentorship of IIT Bombay faculty and robotics experts.

Why it stands out: It places you in IIT Bombay’s own Makerspace Lab, giving you direct access to professional-grade fabrication and prototyping equipment within a research-grade university environment while building a complete, competition-ready autonomous robot from scratch.

14. SP Jain Summer Tech School

Location: SP Jain Global, Mumbai, IN
Cost: INR 20,000 + tax
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Non-competitive; cohort size not specified
Dates: Batch 1: May 23-30; Batch 2: June 20-27
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students grades 9-12; open to international students

This 8-day on-campus program is one of the more beginner-friendly software development & AI summer programs in Asia for high school students, introducing tech concepts through hands-on projects. Its sessions cover coding with AI tools, beginner AI/ML, cloud and cybersecurity, generative AI, quantum computing basics for AI, and AI’s business impact. Daily structure includes morning lectures followed by afternoon projects or assignments from 9 AM to 4 PM.

A certificate of participation is awarded upon completion. Fees exclude food, accommodation, or travel. Contact is available via the outreach head for inquiries. More 2026 schedule details are forthcoming.

Why it stands out: It provides multi-topic tech exposure in short daily sessions. which suits beginners exploring AI careers.

15. HKU Summer Institute – Future Innovator in STEAM (Class A), Stream A: Data & AI Literacy

Location: Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China (The University of Hong Kong campus)
Cost: HKD 15,800 programme fee; HKD 400 application fee (first programme); 10% early bird discount available for applications submitted on or before February 7th
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not publicly disclosed
Dates: June 22nd – July 3rd
Application Deadline: April 3rd for non-local students; May 31st for local students
Eligibility: Secondary school students currently in S4-S6, Year 11-13, or Grade 10-12; English proficiency required (IELTS Academic overall band 6.5, TOEFL iBT 93, or equivalent; students whose first language or teaching medium is English submit a declaration form instead); students currently holding a student visa at another Hong Kong university are not eligible; open to international (non-local) students

In this program, you build both conceptual and practical AI skills through a structured interdisciplinary curriculum. The opening week covers STEAM fundamentals, design thinking, and core machine learning theory, including supervised algorithms such as K-Nearest Neighbours and Decision Trees, and unsupervised clustering via K-Means. In the second week, you examine AI’s role across finance, insurance, and the legal system while engaging with ethical issues, including algorithmic bias, autonomous decision-making, and deepfakes.

A dedicated module on AI in game design introduces game trees and intelligent agent behaviour. The programme concludes with a collaborative group project in which you use Figma to prototype an original application addressing a real-world problem of your team’s choosing.

Why it stands out: It gives secondary school students a structured end-to-end view of AI from algorithm to application at a leading research university.

Your Next Step From AI Learning to Global Study

AI feels different when you build with it, not just read about it. Projects, prototypes, and coding challenges turn interest into practical skill.

The 15 software development & AI summer programs in Asia for high school students featured here help you explore that process across universities, tech hubs, and innovation-focused campuses.

These experiences also show how technology changes across cultures, industries, and academic settings, helping you think beyond one classroom or career route.

Ready to take your tech interests abroad? Explore our Study Abroad blogs for destination guides, application advice, student life tips, and global learning opportunities.