qianqian-wang-1997 / culturemingle

CultureMingle

Background

CultureMingle is a group project for 2023 Winter ECE 651 Foundations of Software Engineering of the Univeristy of Waterloo.

Abstract

Recent data from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows that the number of international students studying in Canada has seen a significant increase in recent years. However, many of these students often struggle to adapt to their new surroundings and integrate into the local community, particularly those who do not speak English as their first language. The challenges of being away from friends and family, coupled with feelings of loneliness and homesickness, are major issues for this group. Additionally, students from different countries tend to form their own groups, making it difficult for them to interact and connect with one another.

Currently, there is a lack of products available to help bridge these gaps and connect international students from diverse backgrounds. Our goal is to develop CultureMingle, a web-based, user-friendly, and real-time activity planning application specifically tailored to international students. Through the platform, students can create and join various activities such as group games, cultural experiences, and outdoor adventures. Importantly, CultureMingle is committed to ensuring the safety and security of its users by protecting them from fraud or any other risks.

To build a stable and maintainable single-page-application, we plan to use React for the front-end and SpringBoot for the back-end technologies. Additionally, to ensure the best protection of users' information and privacy, we will use MySQL for data storage and JSON Web Token for authentication. To implement best Agile practices, we will be using Jira for project management and GitLab for version control to deliver projects incrementally.

While there are already some mobile apps, such as Gatter-Gather For Better, available in the market, they are primarily geared towards Chinese students. CultureMingle, on the other hand, serves all international students with an English interface. Overall, CultureMingle aims to help international students discover new interests and connect with like-minded individuals, fostering a sense of community and cultural exchange.

Members

• Amber Wang
• Anqi Wang
• Aosen Xiong
• Yuren Qin
• Yutong Song