Exchange Diaries  

Ishan Goel | Computer Science and Engineering

Simon Fraser University, Canada

Research Area: Unsupervised Learning in Machine Learning

What was the University and topic of research that was taken up by you during the FT?

University that I got was Simon Fraser University, British Columbia and the topic was regarding Unsupervised Learning in Machine Learning and it was like a kind of Artificial Intelligence work in Biology and Genomics.

Why is an FT important? How would one compare research in Indian universities and foreign universities?

In my opinion, we are already getting experience at an Indian University from IIT KGP. So, I think the Indian part of the experience is being gained here. But meeting people from various places, their ideas and methodologies of working is different so it's great to have exposure of a foreign university.

FT vs corporate internship, what are all the things we are missing out on and what are we gaining more?

It depends on the person, if he is corporate-minded then a corporate internship would benefit him more. But my sole purpose for doing Foreign Training was to learn and gain knowledge and in which I think Foreign Training has an advantage over Corporate Intern as they are focused on work whereas here you have a complete project and you have to think in different ways to contribute more to the project. One thing is corporate do pay more if that matters. In the end, it depends on the person’s and their goals.

Should BTech students aspiring for higher studies from abroad opt for an FT?

Yes, that is a very important thing. I got a LOR from the professor under which I worked, that LOR is not valued that much in Indian Universities but in Foreign Universities, it is equivalent to your CV. If you can get a Foreign Training and a LOR from a professor of different university shows that you can work in their field.

What exactly is the application process for the FT? Are there any important documents one must keep?

I applied through the IR Cell Portal which was pretty straightforward. Other ways to get Foreign Training are very hectic. As for the documents, most of the FTs ask for CV only, so if you have a well-built CV and a LOR then it is even easier to get an FT.

How did the process get affected due to the online nature of the applications?

My FT was meant to be offline, but due to the second wave, it got converted to online which was a bummer for me. Apart from this, the work was still done as efficiently as it would have been done offline.

Did you have to mail the professor personally for the project? For how much time did you wait for a reply?

I applied through the portal. I applied on 11th December, and I got a response in January so that’s just one month.

When should one start applying for an FT? How long did the procedure last till you got the desired FT?

One of the good things about the portal is that it offers a huge variety of FTs not just related to one specific field. So, everyone can find their personal preference there. I would suggest you start applying as soon as a position opens on the website, as other students are also applying.

What is the role of CGPA in the selection process?

Having a good CG is a must. From experiences from my friends sitting for CDC, CGPA importance is very high. In the first year, you don’t realize its importance, I also did not. Now company criteria for the CGPA are also going up due to the online nature.

How did the pandemic affect your application for the project? Did the pandemic have any positive impact on the project?

It depends from person to person, like someone who likes to work from home its good for them. But for my case, I was looking forward to going to Canada and do my Foreign Training On-site. In my case, I can’t think of any positive effect.

Where should a student, who is unaware about the entire application process, look up for information about professors and their research work for opportunities?

The field that I worked in is Machine Learning, and here I get an edge as it’s an upcoming field. Almost every second professor has a project under him. Other than from the portal I got a list of professors from my seniors which they have mailed in the past or worked under them. I looked up the professors, right now the professor I am working under is one of the brilliant minds in current genomic research. I was excited to work under him. It was a great help from IR Cell itself to plan an FT with such a reputed professor.

How should a first-year student prepare beforehand for his FT application in their subsequent year?

FT Application begins around November, December, so after the first year, you have four to five months. In that time what someone can do is build their CV, do some self-projects and courses online. Try out what you learned, if possible, have some results to show too, when I was interviewed, I showed him projects I made and the accuracies that I got.

Does belonging to IITKGP provide any added benefits for getting your FT?

Yes, belonging to IIT KGP definitely helped me out to get a good FT due to its reputation as being one of the top Indian Engineering College.