Amid industry professionals and seasoned academics, AUC students Kirolous Fouty and MagdElDin Mohamed were the youngest participants at the 2026 IEEE Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Granada, Spain.  

“At the conference, people were shocked that the research we had done was for a bachelor’s thesis,”  Fouty shared. “They were really proud of the work we were able to accomplish at such an early stage.”

The two computer engineering majors represented AUC at the conference, presenting their senior thesis research on developing a Large Language Model (LLM) that is both efficient and compact. Fellow students Andrew Aziz, Mohamed Abbas, Shaza Ali and Tarek Kassab were also part of the project.

“What impressed me most about this team is that they challenged the assumption that better AI must always mean larger AI," said Cherif Salama, professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and faculty thesis adviser. "Through a disciplined, table-first reasoning pipeline, they built a highly efficient model that outperformed much larger state-of-the-art systems in chart question answering. That achievement is both technically meaningful and educationally inspiring because it shows that undergraduate research can contribute original ideas to one of the most active areas of AI.”

 “What impressed me most about this team is that they challenged the assumption that better AI must always mean larger AI.”

AI industry trends have recently led to bigger and bigger models, which use massive amounts of energy and tend to ‘hallucinate’ or make up data. The computer engineering students used smart engineering to make a more effective model, developing a new kind of pipeline that first extracts the structural data and then feeds that text into the reasoning engine.

“What sets our model apart is its sheer efficiency,” Fouty said. “We proved that you can deliver world-class, high-precision analytics using standard, consumer-grade hardware instead of million-dollar server farms.” 

The students knew they had something special on their hands: not just a great senior project, but also publishable research. “We didn’t want to just do a standard school project; we wanted to build something that could compete on a global stage,” Fouty added.

Once in Granada, the pair packed their days at the conference full of networking, panels and discussions with global researchers, while still sneaking in some time to explore Andalusia. “We made a point to balance our time,” Fouty explained. “We were fully locked into the technical sessions and networking during the day, but in the evenings, we stepped out to experience the city. Walking through the historic streets of Granada, taking in the incredible architecture and experiencing the local culture were the perfect ways to recharge after being surrounded by heavy AI research all day.”

The highlight of the trip was their research presentation, followed by a rigorous questioning period by professional researchers. “We were naturally a bit nervous stepping up to the podium, but our extensive rehearsals truly paid off,” Fouty shared. “The audience was highly engaged, and our presentation sparked several insightful discussions covering everything from our datasets and chart languages to our fine-tuning processes and inference times. Hearing genuine praise and validation from such an elite crowd of global researchers was an incredibly proud moment for our entire team.”

Following the conference, the students’ paper is set to be published in the IEEE Xplore digital library, which is a huge academic milestone for graduating seniors. 

“Professionally, this research opened incredible doors and connections for my goal of becoming an applied scientist,” Fouty stated. “For AI research as a whole, our project helped drive home an important message: The future of AI isn't just about building massive, energy-draining models. By proving that a model 10 times smaller can take the number one spot globally just through better architecture, we are showing that cutting-edge AI can be accessible, sustainable and resource-efficient.”

This fall, MyPath program will launch at AUC, providing a non-degree learning pathway for students with neurodevelopmental disabilities who have completed high school and demonstrate the required level of English proficiency. Participating students will bridge regular undergraduate classes with skills-based courses through tailored advising to complete the two-year program. 

“This program will extend our excellent learning standards and supportive environment to students of diverse abilities,” shared Ghada Elshimi, dean of undergraduate studies and the Academy of Liberal Arts and Core Curriculum director. “It is fitting that AUC is helping all students further their education through our inclusive liberal arts approach. This will also enrich our own environment with students of diverse backgrounds.”

MyPath program is housed in the School of Continuing Education (SCE), and supported by the Academy of Liberal Arts and our accessibility services. The program offers students courses from our undergraduate programs and from the SCE offerings, carefully curated with the help of advisors to suit the interests and needs of each student in the cohort. Undergraduate courses are taken on a pass-fail basis, with the provision to adjust the assignments and approaches to ensure students are able to learn to the best of their ability.

“Since the courses are not for credit, they are supplemented with SCE courses on career competence, communication skills, as well as social and emotional intelligence,” Elshimi explained. “Advisers help each student develop a study plan for their needs. Unlike degree-seeking students, participants are not bound by the same academic requirements and will receive a certificate of participation for continuing education.”

 “It is fitting that AUC is helping all students further their education through our inclusive liberal arts approach. This will also enrich our own environment with students of diverse backgrounds.”

Students interested in applying for the pilot cohort can apply via the website. Applications are now open for the fall cohort. MyPath students must have completed high school and are proficient at a certain level of English. The program will start with a few students and will eventually grow to 20-30 students per cohort. Students in MyPath will have access to all the services provided to AUC students, such as student advising, career services, clubs and facilities. 

“At the end of this program. students should expect to have completed a coordinated learning path that has met their educational needs in terms of interests, skill building, self-awareness and self-efficacy skills,” said Elshimi. “Students will be in a good place to move further beyond post-secondary education, find a career or explore opportunities for further education at another institution.”

MyPath will enable AUC to expand its educational impact and be a beacon of support for a wide range of students. “MyPath is an opportunity for continuing education at a supportive, diverse, reputable and caring institution,” Elshimi concluded. “It demonstrates that AUC is forging the path to provide students with opportunities in this area of education. We hope that we will grow too in learning how to empower different populations of students.”