YEREVAN, Armenia — On October 9, the American University of Armenia (AUA) Zaven P. and Sonia Akian College of Science and Engineering (CSE) hosted a lecture titled “Concepts, Coroutines, This, and That: How C++20/23 Will Change the Way You Write Code,” delivered by Fedor G. Pikus, a recognized expert in high-performance computing and C++.
Dr. Pikus, who serves as a technical fellow and the director of the Advanced Projects Team in Siemens Digital Industries Software, leads the technical direction of Calibre products, supervises engineering teams, and drives research on new design and software technologies. With over 30 patents and more than 100 papers and conference presentations on physics, EDA, software design, and the C++ language, as well as two widely known books on C++ and software design, Dr. Pikus brought a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the lecture.
The lecture delved into the transformative updates to the C++ language, from C++1 to the recent C++20 and C++23 standards. Dr. Pikus explored key changes, such as ranges, new operators, revised templates, and lambda expression syntax. He also particularly focused on the two fundamental changes of the language, which include concepts and coroutines. Dr. Hayk Nersisyan, chair of the B.S. in Computer Science program noted that the lecture provided fresh perspectives and insights.“Dr. Pikus’ lecture highlighted the importance of having a strong foundational knowledge and a flexible mindset to adapt to the ever-evolving landscape of technology. These new C++ features are a perfect example of how critical it is for our students to be well-prepared for continuous learning and innovation in their careers. This is precisely the type of knowledge that bridges academic learning with real-world applications,” he mentioned.
The lecture attracted strong interest from students and professionals across Armenia, leading to an insightful discussion following the presentation, with questions ranging from technical specifics to broader industry trends. Following the lecture, Dr. Pikus summarized its outcomes, remarking: “I’m very impressed with the interest the AUA students and the local software engineering community have shown. The level of attention and the breadth of the questions show that many attendees have very up-to-date knowledge of the recent C++ developments and a keen understanding of the different types of problems the language is well-suited for. It’s clear that C++ continues to play a vital role in modern software engineering, and seeing such enthusiasm and expertise in this field is a strong indicator of the vibrant and growing tech community here.”
Reflecting on the significance of hosting top-notch experts while bridging academia and industry, student Armen Berujanyan (BSCS ‘27) said: “Overall, Dr. Pikus managed to squeeze the relatively newer additions to the C++ programming languages into a single one-and-a-half-hour long presentation in a fine manner, explaining the especially harder feature of coroutines with ease. I was personally impressed by his ability to quickly grasp the questions and apply these relatively new paradigms to practical tasks.”
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.
