Andrey Genze: Building the future, one line of code at a time

Andrey Genze’s journey at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) has been one of growth, hard work and lots of code. Graduating with a degree in Computer Science, he can see how his undergraduate years shaped him both academically and personally.

Programming has been central to Andrey’s time at CMU-Q: it is a skill he refined in the classroom, and practiced and explored on his own. During his first semester in November 2021, Andrey signed up for the Qatar Collegiate Programming Competition. Hosted by CMU-Q, the QCPC is part of the International Collegiate Programming Competition (ICPC), the oldest and most prestigious competition in the world.

He was on the winning team that year, and he went on to win again in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, he and his team had a strong showing in the regional competition, advancing to the international finals. They made history as the first to represent Qatar in the ICPC finals.

“This was a great experience, and it was a milestone achievement for me. I couldn’t have done it without the perseverance and teamwork I learned at CMU.”

Another key lesson from his time at CMU was the value of initiative. “At CMU, I realized that no one is going to hand you success,” Andrey says. “You have to go out and seek opportunities.” This mindset led him to take on the challenge of building his own operating system, a daunting yet rewarding project that honed his technical skills.

Looking ahead, Andrey is thrilled to begin a software engineering contract in London in September. Reflecting on his time at CMU-Q, Andrey is grateful for the opportunities that shaped him. “CMU gave me the space to think about my future, to try new things, and to really discover what I want to do,” he says.