Студенты Университета Лимерика стали первыми выпускниками программы по инженерии ПО при поддержке Stripe

A pioneering University of Limerick (UL) software engineering programme, co-designed by global technology company Stripe, is celebrating the graduation of its first master's students today. The first cohort of 16 students from UL's Immersive Software Engineering (ISE) programme will graduate with MSc qualifications before taking up highly sought-after roles with companies including Stripe, Fin, Analog Devices, Shannonside Capital and Amazon Web Services. Stripe has been involved with the programme since its inception, working with UL to co-build the curriculum and develop the industry residency placement process. As a founding partner, the company also played a key role in helping to build the wider network of employers involved in the programme, encouraging other organisations to join what has now become a partnership involving more than 70 companies and organisations. Launched in 2022, the Immersive Software Engineering programme was developed as a radically different approach to computer science education, replacing the traditional emphasis on lectures with practical experience and workplace learning from the outset. Students spend around half of their time on the programme working in industry, completing up to five long-term paid residencies with partner organisations and gaining experience of real-world software engineering challenges. The programme has grown rapidly since its launch and now has around 60 students per year, with entry standards said to be comparable to those required for medicine. Students have the opportunity to work with major international companies including OpenAI, Qualcomm, Susquehanna, Eli Lilly and Deloitte, as well as Irish technology firms such as Manna Aero, Provizio, Tines, ProtexAI and Mbryonics. Partners also include research institutions and public sector bodies, including the Departments of Justice and Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. The programme has also partnered with DogPatch Labs, giving students an opportunity to develop and build their own companies. 'Results of ambition realised' Since its launch, ISE has worked with more than 70 organisations, including four of Ireland's nine unicorn companies. The practical nature of the course means students are working on products and solutions designed to address real-world problems, with some entering production. Projects have included an early detection and intervention tool for cerebral palsy in infants, home protection technology and wireless battery management systems. The close relationship with industry is designed to ensure the curriculum continues to evolve in response to the changing needs of employers, with students graduating with experience of working in professional software engineering environments. Professor Stephen Kinsella, Co-Director of UL's Immersive Software Engineering Programme, said the course was launched with the ambition of proving that a different model of education could produce graduates capable of operating at the highest levels of the technology industry. "We wanted to prove that a radically different model of software engineering education built on real-world complexity rather than the traditional lecture hall would produce graduates able to operate at the highest level of the software industry," he said. "Today, we're seeing the results of that ambition realised. Our students are stepping into roles with some of the country’s most innovative companies." The first graduates have also enjoyed considerable academic success, with students securing prestigious awards and scholarships, including Google scholarships. Students 'took bet on different type of degree' Two members of the graduating class achieved the highest grades across UL's wider Science and Engineering Faculty. Alison Ahern, Head of Education Partnerships at Stripe, said the company was proud of the role it had played in supporting the programme. "The incredible students graduating today took a bet on a different kind of degree when they signed up to ISE," she said. "I’m delighted to see that faith being repaid as they leave for exciting careers and bright futures." Ms Ahern said the programme had been made possible through close collaboration between academia and industry. "ISE is made possible by deep collaboration between academia and industry leaders, and Stripe is proud to support a truly world-class programme," she said. "We’ve also enjoyed the partnership immensely, and we look forward to continuing to work with ISE." The programme builds on UL's long-established history of work-integrated learning, which dates back to the university's cooperative education model introduced in 1974. For the 16 graduates marking the programme's first graduation ceremony today, the experiment in a new style of software engineering education is now giving way to careers at some of Ireland's most prominent technology and innovation companies.