{"688603":{"#nid":"688603","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Industry to Instruction: Aibek Musaev Brings Real-World Insight to the CS Classroom","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERaised in Kyrgyzstan, \u003Cstrong\u003EAibek Musaev\u003C\/strong\u003E discovered his passion for computer science (CS) in a small yet pivotal place: the computer lab at his high school, Physics-Mathematical Lyceum No. 61.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe first time I worked on a computer there and wrote my first program, I was hooked,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere is something uniquely satisfying about seeing the immediate results of your work. I also appreciated how objective coding is. It either works or it does not.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMusaev\u2019s journey in CS continued at Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, where a chance discovery set the stage for his academic path abroad. After spotting a leaflet for a presidential scholarship, he applied and was among the ten winners out of roughly 1,500 applicants.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs part of the scholarship, the organizers selected an American university for me, Georgia Institute of Technology, which I had not heard of at the time,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Tech, Musaev earned his bachelor\u2019s in CS. He later continued his studies as a graduate research assistant and earned his master\u2019s in CS.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat early fascination with problem-solving and clarity continues to shape Musaev\u2019s approach to teaching today. As a lecturer in the School of Computing Instruction (SCI), he teaches CS 2316 \u003Cem\u003EData Input and Manipulation \u003C\/em\u003Eand his favorite course, CS 1331 \u003Cem\u003EIntroduction to Object-Oriented Programming\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom the moment I started teaching it, something just felt natural,\u201d he said. \u201cI enjoy coding live in class, watching students grasp new ideas, and explaining not only how things work, but why they were designed that way.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough Musaev is now rooted in academia, his career has included significant time in industry. After completing his degrees, he worked at Siebel Systems, where he developed customer relationship management software and helped transition a flagship product from desktop to the web. He then returned to Kyrgyzstan to found and manage a successful software company before returning to the United States to earn his Ph.D.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe believes those experiences provide perspective that cannot be learned in a classroom alone.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy advice may be nontraditional,\u201d he said. \u201cSpend time in industry. Seeing how the concepts you teach are applied in practice provides an invaluable perspective. This is something you simply cannot gain from textbooks alone.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince joining SCI in January 2020, Musaev has found a strong sense of community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am very happy to be part of this team,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone is supportive and willing to help. It truly feels like a collaborative environment.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Musaev, the most meaningful moments come from students, often unexpectedly.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRecently, I was walking with a head TA discussing course-related topics when a student suddenly stepped in front of us and interrupted our conversation. He told me I was the best professor he had ever had. Moments like that are difficult to put into words, but they mean everything to us as instructors,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe said he hopes students find value in his classes and leave each lecture having learned something new. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI also want them to genuinely enjoy CS. It is an incredible field, and I cannot imagine doing anything else.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERaised in Kyrgyzstan, \u003Cstrong\u003EAibek Musaev\u003C\/strong\u003E discovered his passion for computer science (CS) in a small yet pivotal place: the computer lab at his high school, Physics-Mathematical Lyceum No. 61.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe first time I worked on a computer there and wrote my first program, I was hooked,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Musaev\u2019s journey in CS continued at Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, where a chance discovery set the stage for his academic path abroad."}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2026-02-27 17:15:07","changed_gmt":"2026-03-20 12:52:18","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679473":{"id":"679473","type":"image","title":"aibekprofile1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAibek Musaev earned CS degrees at Georgia Tech and is now a lecturer in the School of Computing Instruction. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772212522","gmt_created":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","changed":"1772212522","gmt_changed":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","alt":"Aibek Musaev earned CS degrees at Georgia Tech and is now a lecturer in the School of Computing Instruction. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.","file":{"fid":"263640","name":"aibekprofile1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1083803,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile1.jpg?itok=YrPBsnC_"}},"679474":{"id":"679474","type":"image","title":"aibekprofile2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBefore working in academia, Musaev\u0027s career path included significant time in industry. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772212522","gmt_created":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","changed":"1772212522","gmt_changed":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","alt":"Before working in academia, Musaev\u0027s career path included significant time in industry. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.","file":{"fid":"263641","name":"aibekprofile2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":56853,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile2.jpg?itok=PkvHsNtX"}},"679475":{"id":"679475","type":"image","title":"aibekprofile3.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAibek Musaev earned CS degrees at Georgia Tech and is now a lecturer in the School of Computing Instruction. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772212522","gmt_created":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","changed":"1772212522","gmt_changed":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","alt":"Aibek Musaev earned CS degrees at Georgia Tech and is now a lecturer in the School of Computing Instruction. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.","file":{"fid":"263642","name":"aibekprofile3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1164221,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile3.jpg?itok=qttdh7u2"}},"679476":{"id":"679476","type":"image","title":"aibekprofile4.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMusaev advises students to gain experience and perspective by working in industry. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1772212522","gmt_created":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","changed":"1772212522","gmt_changed":"2026-02-27 17:15:22","alt":"Musaev advises students to gain experience and perspective by working in industry. Photos by Kevin Beasley\/ College of Computing.","file":{"fid":"263643","name":"aibekprofile4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1595763,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/27\/aibekprofile4.jpg?itok=zZbXF5H-"}}},"media_ids":["679473","679474","679475","679476"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193866","name":"school of computing instruction"},{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"104601","name":"faculty profile"},{"id":"506","name":"alumni"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}