In March 2025, ACM Women AUBG was chartered by the global Association of Computing Machinery with the support of the Computer Science Departnment at AUBG.
Now, the first board of the club invites all AUBG students who support the mission of women in computing and STEM in general to join the club and benefit from the ACM membership. They are recruiting people who want to carry out research, with the guidance of an AUBG professor, and help out with either marketing, design, sponsorships, or logistics.
“The goal of the club is to have a balanced presence on campus through workshops and guest speaker events, as well as on the international stage through participation in conferences,” said Anna Kukova, this year’s President of the club and AUBG senior with a double major in Computer Science and Business Administration.
“I decided to join because this club has no equivalent on our campus, and I think it is nice to have a community of women in computing, in which we can support each other, help with resources, knowledge, and connections in the IT industry.”
This year’s Treasurer, Anungoo Batbold, is double-majoring in Computer Science and Business Administration.
“I joined ACM-W as Treasurer because I wanted to empower AUBG’s women in tech community and apply both of my majors into a meaningful and practical experience.”
Opportunities
One of the opportunities that this membership give is to participate in global conferences. “For instance, over the summer, I received an email that I was selected for the Reyyan Ayfer Scholarship to attend this conference, which felt like a great first step for the club, as I could act as a “scout” of sorts and get a feel for what conferences are like so more AUBG students can attend in the future,” said Anna.
As a member of ACM, AUBG is now part of the dynamic changes that are transforming the world by helping to shape the future of computing. ACM also gives students the opportunity to participate in the Student Research Competiton and gives chapters the ability to bring a Distinguished Speaker from the ACM network to campus.
Through all of its activities, ACM allows for great networking with industry professionals and academic scholars, especially for those considering master’s and PhD programs after they graduate from AUBG.
“Other than benefits of the global ACM organization, with the AUBG chapter on campus, the club is providing an opportunity for students to carry out research as part of a student club, which hasn’t been an available option,” said Anna.
ACM-W Europe womENcourage
As one of the first activities related to the new chapter, Anna had the opportunity to be part of the 12th edition of ACM-W Europe womENcourage in Brașov, Romania (September 17–19). WomENcourage is an ACM initiative celebrating women in computing, aiming to connect and inspire women across technical disciplines to continue their education and careers in the field.
The event brought together students, researchers, academics, and engineers from across Europe to share work, exchange experiences, and discuss key issues for women in tech. This year’s theme, “Computer Science: Catalyst for Educational Change,” explored how computing transforms education.
“We kicked off with a hackathon on improving women’s and girls’ access to STEM. My team with students from three different countries, developed Minerva, a platform offering learning resources, mentorship, and job listings for women and moms returning to work.”
“Day two featured engaging workshops, including Sinem Görücü’s “Filling the Gap: Addressing Machine Learning’s Environmental Footprint Through Memes,” where we discussed AI’s environmental impact. The day also included keynotes, a panel, and Flash Mentoring sessions with experts from academia and industry.”
“On the final day, I joined the ACM-W Europe Chapters Workshop, learning from other chapter leaders about building supportive communities for women in tech.”
Anna also had the chance to attend poster sessions covering both technical topics and women’s participation in STEM – a great entry point for students looking to share their work.
