What is an IQP?

An Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) is a mandatory project at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) that challenges students to address a problem that lies at the intersection of science or technology with society. This academic research project is an opportunity for students to work on interdisciplinary teams, in fields beyond their major to tackle an issue that relates science, engineering, and technology to society. Students collaborate with faculty advisors, collaborators, and community members to learn how to approach solving real-world problems while also learning to make decisions with an understanding and appreciation for the social and humanistic context. Unlike an internship, this research project focuses on finding a solution by analyzing and synthesizing results from social and ethical perspectives.

Project Locations

The IQP research project initially began in January 2020. The plan had been to complete as much research as possible from the WPI campus regarding understanding the context of the problem and looking into which methods would be best suited to achieve our project goal and objectives, which can be found here. Then, in mid-March, the team would have traveled with the rest of the Bucharest IQP group to Bucharest, Romania to start working alongside the AmCham Romania team out of their office.

Sadly, about a week before our arrival date, all WPI projects abroad were cancelled amid the COVID-19 outbreaks in Europe. A week later, we discovered all classes and projects will be worked on remotely as no students were permitted on campus as the COVID-19 situation worsened.

However, despite the unfortunate developments, the IQP team and the staff at AmCham Romania remained excited to collaborate on this project.