Why Do Universities Still Teach C and C++?

In the rapidly evolving world of software development, programming languages like Python, JavaScript, and Java have taken center stage in the tech industry. These high-level languages have become essential in everything from web development to artificial intelligence, data science, and mobile app development. So, a common question arises: why do universities around the world continue to teach C and C++, languages that were developed in the 1970s and 1980s, to students in computer science and engineering courses?

The continued emphasis on C and C++ in academic institutions isn’t simply a matter of tradition. These languages offer fundamental lessons about computing, memory management, and efficient programming that modern high-level languages may abstract away. In this blog, we will explore why universities still teach C and C++, the significance of these languages in modern programming, and how they equip students with foundational skills that are indispensable in the software industry.

1. A Historical Perspective: The Birth of C and C++

A. The Origins of C

C was developed by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs between 1969 and 1973, primarily for the UNIX operating system. At that time, UNIX was being rewritten from assembly language into C to make it more…