Building a Team of AI Agents: Our AWS OpenClaw Meetup at the University of Jaffna
A recap of our AWS OpenClaw Meetup at the University of Jaffna, where 88 students explored AI agents, AWS and the lessons behind running a hands-on cloud event.
On 9th of June 2026, the AWS Student Builder Group at the University of Jaffna conducted the AWS OpenClaw Meetup, titled "Building a Team of 10 AI Agents".
This was a special event for our campus community. It was one of our first major events after AWS Cloud Clubs evolved into AWS Student Builder Groups. The name changed, but our purpose stayed the same. We still want to help students learn, build, and connect through cloud, AI, and real technical experience.
The session was conducted at the Department of Computer Science, University of Jaffna, using our computer labs CSL 3 & 4. We planned the event as a hands-on learning session, mainly for in-person participants. We also provided online access for students who could not attend physically.
Our speaker was Mr. Amit Kumar, Senior Solutions Architect at AWS. He joined the session online from India. From the university side, I coordinated the event as the AWS Student Builder Group Leader. We were also supported by the AWS User Group Colombo. Mr. Udara and Mr. Manoj helped coordinate the support from the user group side, while Mr. Parathan attended the session in person and supported us during the event. Several AWS User Group Colombo members also joined online.
Why We Organised This Event
Many students at our university are interested in AI, cloud computing, and modern software development. However, not everyone has had the chance to attend a practical session that connects these areas together.
That was one reason we wanted to organise this meetup. We wanted students to see that cloud and AI are not only concepts from lectures or online videos. They are tools that students can use to build real solutions.
The topic of AI agents made the session even more relevant. Students are already hearing about AI tools, chatbots, automation, and agent-based systems. This session helped them understand how a group of AI agents can work together to complete tasks, and how AWS services can support that kind of workflow.
Participation and Community Response
The response from students was very encouraging.
We received 115 registrations in total. Out of these, 83 students registered for in-person participation, and 32 registered for online participation.
On the event day, 88 participants joined the session. This included 72 in-person participants and 16 online participants.
For a student-led technical community, these numbers were meaningful. They showed that students at the University of Jaffna are not only interested in learning about cloud and AI. They also want opportunities to build, experiment, and ask questions.
What Happened During the Session
The main focus of the session was AWS OpenClaw and the idea of building a team of AI agents.
Students learned how AI agents can be designed to work together instead of working as isolated tools. This helped them understand how modern AI systems can support more complex tasks through collaboration and automation.
The session was planned as a hands-on experience. Students came prepared to follow the session using their own systems and lab computers. We wanted this event to be more than a normal awareness session. Our aim was to help students connect theory with practice.
The support from the speaker and the AWS User Group Colombo helped us create a strong learning environment. We also distributed stickers and milk packets to all participants, with support from the user group.
The Challenge We Faced
The event was successful, but it was not perfect.
During the session, we faced network restrictions in the university lab environment. Because of firewall restrictions, some participants were unable to properly follow the hands-on activities.
This was a challenge because the session depended on access to online AWS resources. We also had a short power cut of around five minutes during the programme.
As organisers, these issues were difficult to manage in the moment. However, they gave us an important lesson.
A hands-on cloud event does not only need a speaker, participants, and a venue. It also needs the right technical environment. Internet access, firewall rules, service access, account setup, lab readiness, and backup plans all matter.
What I Learned as a Student Leader
This event taught me that organising a technical session is different from organising a normal seminar.
For a cloud-based hands-on session, we need to test the environment before the event. We need to confirm whether participants can access the required services. We also need to check whether the lab network allows the required tools and websites.
One mistake I made was not checking the network restrictions early enough. Because of that, some participants could not follow the speaker properly during the hands-on part.
For future events, I will make sure to:
- Confirm the technical requirements with the speaker early.
- Test the lab network before the event day.
- Check firewall restrictions with the university technical team.
- Share setup instructions with participants before the session.
- Keep backup internet access ready if possible.
- Have support members in the room to help participants during hands-on activities.
This was a practical lesson for me. Leadership is not only about bringing people together. It is also about preparing the small details that help people learn better.
Why This Event Matters
For many students, this was their first practical AWS-related AI session on campus.
That matters because students outside major technology hubs do not always get regular access to in-person cloud events. Bringing this kind of session to the University of Jaffna helps reduce that gap.
This event also showed the value of community. Some students joined because they were interested in AI. Some joined because they wanted to understand AWS. Some joined because their friends encouraged them.
By the end of the session, they had all experienced the same idea: cloud and AI are not only topics to read about. They are tools students can start building with.
Advice for Other Student Builders
If you are planning a hands-on technical event on your campus, my advice is to start with the technical setup.
Do not wait until the event day to test the network. Check it earlier. Ask the speaker what services and regions are required. Make sure participants know what accounts or tools they need before coming to the session.
Also, document everything. Keep your registration numbers, attendance numbers, photos, feedback, challenges, and lessons learned. These details will help you improve your next event.
Most importantly, do not expect everything to be perfect. Challenges will happen. What matters is how you respond, what you learn, and how you improve the next experience.
A Strong Step Forward
The AWS OpenClaw Meetup was not perfect, but it was successful.
We had strong participation, a relevant technical topic, support from the AWS community, and clear lessons for future events. It gave students a chance to explore AI agents and AWS in a practical way.
For me, this event showed what an AWS Student Builder Group can do on campus. We can bring students together. We can connect them with industry experts. We can create space for hands-on learning. We can make mistakes, learn from them, and build better experiences next time.
This is only one step in our journey at the University of Jaffna.
Our community is growing. Our students are curious. And we are ready to keep building.
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