Our Department's NEXUS Community: An Applied and Comprehensive Introduction to Software Technologies
The NEXUS Software Development and Project Community, established by students in our department, has successfully completed its first activities for the new term. The society aims to reinforce academic knowledge with practical training, ensure students adapt to current technologies, and produce real software projects that add value to the faculty and the community. The founders of NEXUS are entirely composed of Computer Engineering students.
1. Introductory Event: With the Participation of Rector Prof. Dr. Kenan Ahmet Türkdoğan
NEXUS announced the start of the new term with an introductory event attended by ALKÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Kenan Ahmet Türkdoğan. At this meeting, which attracted great interest from engineering candidates, the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and project development culture was emphasised. One of the prominent topics at the event was the implementation of the HERA project, developed by the NEXUS founding team and the community's first output, at Tazelenme University. This tangible success was acknowledged by Rector Prof. Dr. Kenan Ahmet Türkdoğan, demonstrating that the community is a structure that produces solutions tailored to the university's needs, going beyond theoretical knowledge.
2. Git & GitHub Bootcamp: Version Control Training with Real Scenarios
The community held its first technical training session, titled ‘Git & GitHub Bootcamp with Real Scenarios,’ at the Rafet Kayış Faculty of Engineering Computer Laboratory Lab408, with approximately 50 students participating. This four-hour hands-on training was delivered by a Computer Engineering student based on the principle of peer learning. Participants learned how to use Git and GitHub, which are central to software development processes, by:
- Installing Git on their computers,
- Experiencing repository management via the console,
- Applying basic workflows such as opening branches and creating pull requests.
The seven-member NEXUS team provided immediate support for any technical difficulties encountered during the application process, ensuring a hands-on and uninterrupted learning experience. Docker Bootcamp: Hands-on Training in Container Technologies Continuing its technology training, NEXUS held its latest event, ‘Docker Bootcamp,’ at the Rafet Kayış Faculty of Engineering Computer Laboratory Lab408. Approximately 40 participants, mostly Computer Engineering students, attended this training, where a Computer Engineering student presented the theoretical foundations of Docker and containerisation in a hands-on manner. Working through the training materials, the students:
- Completed the Docker installation on their computers,
- Learned to manage container lifecycles with various images.
During the practical phase, with the assistance of the technical team, all participants successfully activated a shared image sent to Docker Hub by pulling it onto their own computers. The training offered a detailed journey covering both the practical and theoretical aspects of Docker technology, ranging from the differences between virtual machines and containers to network connections and data storage methods.
The NEXUS Software Development and Project Community aims to take students' technical skills to the highest level through these hands-on and intensive bootcamps. These activities enable engineering candidates to actively engage with technologies that are critical in the workplace while still at university. Our community aims to enable our students to take an active role as software professionals, receive technical support, and gain professional confidence by producing solutions to the problems they encounter. With this mission, we lay the groundwork for them to make a strong start in their professional lives after graduation. NEXUS will continue to steadfastly pursue its mission of not only imparting knowledge but also enabling students to undertake projects that increase their visibility and contribute to the faculty with tangible projects.
