Exchange Diaries  

Shruti Shevya | Mathematics

Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China

Research Area: Deep Learning

Q1: Which university did you secure an FT in, and what was your research topic?
A: I completed my FT from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, and my topic was Deep Learning.

Q2: How did you apply for the FT?
A: I applied via the FTP portal by International Relations Cell, IIT Kharagpur.

Q3: Why do you think FT is essential?
A: Firstly, it gives you a research experience, which is necessary if you want further studies. Secondly, it gives you an exposure regarding the kind of work that is going on outside India.

Q4: From where did you get the motivation, and how did it all start?
A: I got the motivation mainly because I wanted to go for MS and wanted to build my research profile. For that, I have been doing projects in our college too. I'd already done a corporate internship too.

Q5: How did you handle your preparation along with the academics?
A: I did not specifically prepare for FT. I have been doing projects since my second year. For FT, I just had to explain my projects, so it did not require any specific preparation, but if someone wants to go for FT, you need some projects on your resume, be it from your college, any professor, or a self-project. You have to show them that you've worked in that field before and are capable of working under them.

Q6: What is the role of CGPA to secure an FT?
A: It depends. If you are applying via mail, CGPA is not essential. If you’re applying through portals, since many students apply, they have to put a criterion (CGPA). Mitacs and DAAD usually prefer high CGPA (>9). There is UARE (University of Alberta Research Experience), where CG is not that important; they consider your LOR and CV.

Q7: Can you tell us more about your project and the name of your professor?
A: I worked under Prof. Akhil Garg from the manufacturing dept. (check) in deep industrial learning. I had to use deep learning methods to estimate the battery capacity of lithium-ion batteries. I was expected to deliver a research paper on the same topic.

Q8: Did you do a project in the same domain in Kgp?
A: I had previous work experience in machine learning in IIT Kharagpur.

Q9: How did your university manage everything in this confusion during the pandemic?
A: There wasn’t any problem with the internships being done virtually. As it was a remote internship, they provided me with the information and kept asking me about the progress every week. Initially, I had to submit a timeline of work that I’ll be doing for the next two months.

Q10: Did you face any difficulties during this entire process?
A: My initial FT got rescinded due to the pandemic. Other than that, there were no problems. The work was pretty much manageable, and the professor was very cooperative.

Q11: How would you describe your overall experience?
A: It was lovely. The best part was that I had to write the entire research paper by myself. If the paper gets published, I would be listed as a contributor.

Q12: What advice would you like to give to the fellow students who aspire for an FT?
A: The most important thing is your CV. You have to do a couple of projects in that field. Maintaining good CG is always helpful.