Capstones Without Borders: AUC, Waterloo Partner for Research Innovation

Imagine taking your studies across continents without ever leaving the classroom. That’s what a new AUC partnership seeks to allow for the University’s most tech-inclined. By pairing with the University of Waterloo — Canada’s top-ranked university in computer science and engineering — AUC is promising joint supervision of capstone projects for students, with the possibility of graduate studies at Waterloo and mutual campus visits.

The program began in early 2025, allowing students from both institutions to collaborate on academic and research activities. Computer science senior Hadj Ahmed Chikh Dahmane is the partnership’s first student. He is completing his thesis this semester on cellular networking under joint supervision by Professor Raouf Boutaba from Waterloo and Professor Moustafa Youssef from AUC. 

Chikh Dahmane’s research project involved the development of vChainNet, a first-of-its-kind 5G slice modeling framework. 

“Our system achieved up to ~11% improvements in accuracy compared to state-of-the-art network modeling solutions, while reducing the modeling complexity by 95%,” said Chikh Dahmane. “It provides a tool for network operators and engineers to efficiently choose suitable configurations for their 5G slices, allowing them to make use of their resources and meet the quality of service requirements for their slices.” In simple terms, the tool would allow 5G network operators to explore new services and applications for their networks.

“The partnership is enabling an ecosystem for our faculty that supports and encourages research. We are glad to be affiliated with one of the best, especially in support of undergraduate research.”

With his capstone project a success, Chikh Dahmane explained that the joint supervision allowed for “a rich exchange of ideas, continuous feedback and a broader research perspective.” Chikh Dahmane said his relationship with his Waterloo supervisors was productive, offering both guidance and intellectual freedom.

“My supervision team is providing me with invaluable feedback to improve my scientific writing style and delivery to publish at top research venues,” he said.

Highlighting the importance of this partnership, Youssef said, “This program enables our students to access Waterloo resources, interact with faculty and other students, and visit Waterloo to interact with faculty on site.”

Sherif Aly ’96, professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, shared similar sentiments: “Our affiliation with this school is an attestation to our quest for quality education to our students.”

“This collaboration solidified my research interests and gave me the foundational skills and motivation to continue exploring the field in-depth." 

The new initiative is a game-changer for computer scientists and engineers across both institutions. “The partnership is enabling an ecosystem for our faculty that supports and encourages research. It took us many years and hard work to materialize this agreement, and we are glad to be affiliated with one of the best, especially in support of undergraduate research,” said Aly.

After completing his current project, Chikh Dahmane plans to pursue graduate studies with a focus on networking. He credits his Waterloo experience for exposing him to current research gaps and challenges in 5G networks. “This collaboration solidified my research interests and gave me the foundational skills and motivation to continue exploring the field in-depth,” he said.

Down the line, Chikh Dahmane hopes the program will continue to grow in size and subject areas so that more students can benefit from the unique collaboration. “This would make the initiative even more inclusive and impactful,” he said.

Until then, he is glad that his involvement helped lay the groundwork for future AUCians to participate in the partnership. “It was certainly a challenge to take part in something so new, with little precedent to guide us. However, I now feel proud of what I have accomplished,” Chikh Dahmane said.