Automated Curriculum-based Course Timetabling in the University of Prishtina
This project is supported by the program of HERAS (Higher Education, Research and Applied Science) with funding from Austrian Development Cooperation Agency and Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of Republic of Kosovo
Project Goals
The task of finding appropriate course timetables is of great importance for the universities, students and teachers. However, this is a very complex task due to the huge number of constraints that have to be fulfilled. Therefore, one of the challenging questions in course timetabling is the automated generation of high quality solutions without the help of human expert.
The aim of this project is to tackle exactly this challenge. We will develop new optimization methods based on artificial intelligence techniques for the problem of course timetabling at the University of Prishtina. Our methods will be based on hybrid techniques and automated algorithm selection. Furthermore, we aim to develop a prototype implementation that will be used for course timetabling at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
The project will bring a contribution to area of course timetabling and will strengthen the cooperation between the University of Prishtina, TU Wien and South Eastern European University. Furthermore, the project will strengthen the capacities of Kosovar young researchers in the fields of artificial intelligence and timetabling
Project Duration
January 2018 - October 2019
Team
Nysret Musliu (project coordinator)
Master students
Johannes Schoisswohl
Arnaud Decoster
Kadri Sylejmani (team leader)
Blerim Rexha (full professor)
Edon Gashi (teaching assistant - participant in International Timetabling Competition 2019)
Master students
Qëndresë Hyseni (Optimizing university course timetable by hybridizing Large Neighborhood Search with exact algorithms)
Kaltrina Zeqiri (Developing algorithms for user interaction within the course timetabling system – The study case: Technical Faculties of University of Prishtina)
Adrian Imeri, Blend Halilaj and Esma Kerolli (Evaluation of the state of the art algorithms by using test instances of Technical Faculties of University of Prishtina)
Gresa Neziri & Artinë Rexhepi (An Iterated Local Search algorithm for curriculum based course timetabling)
Rilind Mehmeti & Nita Mulliqi (A web tool for validation of solutions)
Bachelor students
Granit Xheladini, Zhvillimi i një vegle për gjenerimin dhe vizualizimin e të dhënave testuese për problemin e orarit të mësimit, Bachelor Thesis, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Prishtina, July 2018 (co-supervised by prof. Blerim Rexha and prof. Kadri Sylejmani)
Vegim Karaçica, Zhvillimi i një desktop aplikacioni për vizualizimin e rezultatit të algoritmeve për përpilimin e orarit të mësimit, Bachelor Thesis, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Prishtina, July 2018 (co-supervised by prof. Blerim Rexha and prof. Kadri Sylejmani)
Shpresim Gashi, Testimi i aplikacionit për përpilim të orarit mësimor përmes metodës së tranzicionit të gjendjeve, Bachelor Thesis, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Prishtina, July 2019 (supervised by prof. Kadri Sylejmani)
Genci Berisha (Instance merger)
Xhemal Zenuni (associated professor)
Publications
Kadri Sylejmani, Gresa Neziri, Artina Gashi, Kaltrina Zeqiri and Adrian Ymeri, An Iterated Local Search approach for course timetabling with block lectures, ECCO XXXII Conference, 2019, Malta.
Edon Gashi, Kadri Sylejmani, Adrian Ymeri, Simulated Annealing with Penalization for University Course Timetabling, Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on the Practice and Theory of Automated Timetabling - PATAT 2021: Volume II (2021), ISBN: 978-0-9929984-4-8
De Coster, Arnaud, Nysret Musliu, Andrea Schaerf, Johannes Schoisswohl, and Kate Smith-Miles. "Algorithm selection and instance space analysis for curriculum-based course timetabling." Journal of Scheduling (2021): 1-24.
Kadri Sylejmani, Edon Gashi, Adrian Ymeri. "Simulated Annealing with Penalization for University Course Timetabling" Journal of Scheduling (2022): 1-21.
Test instances
Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering - Autumn Semester 2018
Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering - Spring Semester 2018
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering - Autumn Semester 2017
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering - Spring Semester 2018
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture / Department of Civil Engineering - Autumn Semester 2017
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture / Department of Civil Engineering - Spring Semester 2018
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture / Department of Architecture - Autumn Semester 2017
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture / Department of Architecture - Spring Semester 2018
