The approach: BUILDING LOCAL CAPACITY
The SEMP project involves devoted lecturers from various universities, with respective background qualification and with proven students’ appreciation. Their selection and participation was performed through a partnership with the leading universities and the IT business. Companies of BASSCOM (Bulgarian Association of Software Companies) and other IT associations declared commitment to participate in adaptation and piloting the courses, and the training process itself. The leading “suppliers” of professionals to the IT industry (as reported by the IT business, BASSCOM survey) were invited to partner – Sofia University (with the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics), Technical University Sofia, New Bulgarian University, American University in Bulgaria. The extended team also involved lecturers from all the country – Plovdiv, Varna, Ruse etc. Thus, in addition to the main master level courses, the know-how aimed to reach in adapted format large scale and wider profile students from other disciplines.
The curriculum and SEMP core content is initially based on three types of courses:
• Academic courses transfers (from Carnegie Mellon, ISR – Institute of Software Research): 2-4 (2 completed and successfully piloted)
• Professional courses (CMU, SEI – Software Engineering Institute): accredited instructors plus additional “academic adaptation” (5 completed and successfully piloted)
• Augmented/improved or new developed local courses (addressing regional specifics, SMEs focus, EU context, etc.): 6-8 (in progress, “mentored” by ESI, SEI, CMU)
A new style of teaching and courses organization, are also adopted under the various transfer modes from Carnegie Mellon, based on:
• Student centric approach
• Synchronized and cross-linked content, terminology (based world standard), with real practical examples and case-studies
• Practicum/project work (studio course): based on the model used at Carnegie Mellon, during the entire program, and not by separate courses – complete projects, defined by the industry partners or invented (innovations and entrepreneurship, or even “start-up” establishment)