Where Students and Industry
Collaborate!
The International Capstone Project Exchange is a network of universities and companies that collaborate to give students real-world international experience without requiring travel.

Current Projects Up for Bid

Robot arm and object localization using Deep Learning Segmentation Models
Discipline: Computer Science /Software Engineering / Electrical Computer Engineering

QGIS Plugin for Window-based Processing Library
Discipline: Computer Science / Software Engineering

Object Recognition on Traffic Data
Discipline: Computer Science / Software Engineering
How IT Works
Universities can request to join the International Capstone Project Exchange. Once the university is registered, the faculty facilitator can request to be paired with a university in another country that is working with students in the same or a complementary discipline. That university will find a company to sponsor a project for your students, and you will find a company to sponsor a project for their students. The exchanges, however, are not required to run at the same time. Project timelines are based on each university’s academic calendar. Your responsibility to your university partner is to help them connect with a company in your country. Once that occurs, your role in that exchange is complete. Likewise, once you are connected with a company in another country, your university partner will step away. You and the company will work together to shape the experience.
Why Join?
An international capstone exchange helps students round out their education by combining teamwork with application of skills in
an international business setting. It also gives them the opportunity to make make industry contacts and to develop skills that make them more marketable:
- Working as a team to achieve a goal
- Communicating in a professional, team-oriented, international setting
- Understanding the global context of situations
- Being aware of cultural differences in the workplace
- Identifying cross-functional roles and relationships
- Finding innovative solutions to challenges, such as language barriers, time zone issues and technology preferences
Various Exchange Models
- Default/Standard: 1-1 pairing where each university finds an industry sponsor for a student team in the paired country
- Subcontract: one university subcontracts a part of a larger industry sponsored project to students in the paired country
- Joint Development: teams of students from the two universities work together on the same project (can be harder to manage)
- Exchange of Research Oriented Projects: in some disciplines (e.g. chemistry) industry sponsored projects are not common, so faculty sponsored research oriented projects may be used

Benefits for companies
- Get a small project completed by university students at little or no cost
- See upcoming graduates in action for recruiting purposes
- Establish relationships with university contacts
- Give students real-world experience in preparation for the workforce
- Gain experience managing international projects
Subject Areas
- Agricultural Engineering
- Computer Engineering/Electrical and Computer Engineer
- Computer Science
- Journalism
- Marketing
- Mechanical Engineering
- Software Engineering
Showcase of exchanges
Become a Sponsor
The International Capstone Project Exchange Sponsorship Program is the one way that industry partners can support the ICPE. A sponsor is recognized on the ICPE website through various methods, including placing your logo and certain links on our website.
In order to keep the ICPE a sustainable and vibrant organization, funds are needed for a variety of things such as website maintenance, publishing brochures, marketing, follow-up after pairing requests are made and making sure project exchanges are running smoothly. As the ICPE matures, we envision conferences to support and expand international capstone experiences.
An individual or business located anywhere in the world that would be legal to operate anywhere in the United States is eligible to become a sponsor.
Why should I provide funding to support the ICPE?
The International Capstone Project Exchange is a network of universities and companies that collaborate to give students real-world international experience without requiring travel. Using the telecommuting concept, teams of capstone students complete projects for industry partners in other countries. This exchange helps universities and companies from around the world connect. Students are provided a unique learning experience much like they will encounter if working for a multi-national company.
By sponsoring the ICPE you show your support for our mission and help sustain a vibrant system. Sponsorship also gives you the opportunity to “give back” to students all across the globe by helping to provide a means to learn more about international collaboration.
- Donation: US $1,000
- Your logo (max size: 400×179) on our ICPE website
- Logo in rotation, random placement
- Logo in a three column row
- Use of ICPE Partner logo for your site
- Option to include a link to your employee-recruiting site
The additional benefit of becoming a Strategic Partner is that you will be able to include a proposed project on the ICPE website which will be available to ICPE university members to view for consideration.
How will the ICPE Project listings be managed?
As a Strategic Partner you will be able to include a proposed project (generally in the form of a statement of a problem) on the ICPE website. This proposed project which will be available to ICPE university members to view for consideration. If a university team is interested in pursuing the project, it would submit a brief proposal, including any fees and necessary budget required to carry out the project, directly to you for consideration. You are then free to select one, none or several of the universities’ proposed projects for performance.
The ICPE is a part of NDSU
The International Capstone Project Exchange operates on the campus of North Dakota State University, which is a non-profit educational institution. A portion of your sponsorship fees may be tax-deductible.

How do sponsorship renewals happen?
Sponsors may join the ICPE at any time. Your sponsorship will run for one year from the first of the next month following the receipt of payment. During the term of your annual sponsorship your logo will display on the ICPE website.
Approximately two months before the end of your sponsorship, the ICPE will contact you requesting renewal. If renewal has not occurred by the renewal date, the ICPE will remove the sponsor’s logo and any proposed projects, as applicable, from the website.
Can I just make a one-time donation?
The ICPE appreciates donations of any size. The International Capstone Project Exchange operates on the campus of North Dakota State University. Any gifts made to the ICPE should be managed for tax-purposes as a gift to the university and donations may be tax-deductible. These gifts are managed by the university in restricted accounts and limited to necessary expenses for only the ICPE. If you are an individual and your employer has a gift-matching program, please consider using that as well.
All non-monetary gifts will be considered on a case-by case basis.
Export Controls
NDSU’s operation of the ICPE will include compliance with all US Export Control Laws. All industry partners and educational institutions shall be responsible for their own compliance with all applicable export control laws.
Contact us

Let's Get in Touch
Contact Us

Anupama Ginige
Australia/Asia Pacific Region
Western Sydney University
(+61) 2-96859439


Dean Knudson
North/South America Region
North Dakota State University
(+1) 701-361-4088

Steve Zahos
North/South America Region
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
(+1) 217-649-3701