Four Universities, Three Countries, One Class
Welcome to Software Engineering in a Global Context, a collaborative class between AUC, Virginia Tech (VT), the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, and Alamein International University. Throughout the course, 23 students from the four institutions exchanged cross-cultural experiences while building software solutions to real-world problems driven by actual clients and following industry-grade methods.
The course allowed students to prepare for the rapidly evolving area of software engineering by working in teams with their international peers to create projects that go beyond academics to experiential, hands-on learning. From robotics and a gamified math learning application to a reimagined hotel booking system and OpenAI-based chatbot, the five projects gave students the opportunity to test and develop their skills alongside their classmates. In the final stages, students worked in a hackathon style format, performed user acceptance testing and showcased their work to clients and the local community. The course culminated in a trip to Switzerland, where the students worked together in person and gave their final presentations.
"This collaborative approach allows students to gain insights into diverse perspectives, cultures and working styles, preparing them for the globalized nature of the software engineering field.”
“All the projects solved problems for Swiss clients, so it was important for students to be there while presenting and delivering their work,” said Mohammed Seyam, collegiate associate professor and experiential learning coordinator at Virginia Tech’s Department of Computer Science and course instructor at VT. “Additionally, non-VT students got the opportunity to travel to VT's Steger Center for International Scholarship in Switzerland to spend time with their teammates from the other participating universities. This way, participating students got the chance for an immersive international experience with online and in-person components.”
For Sherif Aly ’96, professor and chair of AUC’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering and course instructor at AUC, the benefits of this collaboration include “exposure to students from other universities, working on applied projects in a different context, benefiting from various pedagogical styles, experiencing multiple campus environments, as well as the interaction between faculty members from distinct campuses. This collaborative approach allows students to gain insights into diverse perspectives, cultures and working styles, preparing them for the globalized nature of the software engineering field.”
“This experience prepared me for the workforce like no other. "
And students testify to this.
“It’s not often that a course would allow you to work with people based abroad,” says AUC student Magdeldin Abdalraaof. “Teaming up with them made the project engaging, as we all had different skill sets.”
When working in multiple time zones, cross culturally and with cutting-edge projects, it’s important to embrace change. “Expecting things to stay the same is probably the most naïve thing a new software developer can do,” says Hana Shalaby, one of the AUC students participating. “This experience prepared me for the workforce like no other. I am excited to be able to say I got to work in an agile software engineering environment multiple times before graduating. We got the opportunity to work with one of the top universities in computer science and engineering. I am very grateful for this enriching learning experience.”
