Testimonials

Programme

Human Centered Intelligent Systems

Country of previous education

The Netherlands

Study end date

25 June 2023

Kaustubh Chakradeo was a Master's student in Artificial Intelligence at Radboud University.

What knowledge and skills did you learn during your Master’s that are really useful to you now?

I learned a lot about working with medical imaging systems, which I now use directly for my PhD. I also learned a lot about ethics in AI, which is a course I now teach in my current position. Not just for teaching, but following the Ethics in AI, Bias in AI, and Law in Cyberspace courses made me a better researcher. Writing the master thesis made me a better writer as well. 

And finally, I took the help of the career officer, Sophie Raaijmakers, who really helped me improve my CV and motivation when I was applying for PhDs. 

What did you find most challenging in your Master’s programme? Did you encounter any obstacles?

Managing time was one of the hardest things, especially as an international student new to the Netherlands. Especially the second semester, I had a lot on my plate because of all the courses with a lot of deadlines. There would sometimes be very little time for reading. 
The housing situation, and the ever-growing inflation certainly contributed to more anxiety in an already difficult environment. 

Could you say a little about the job you do now ?

I am doing a PhD in deep learning with epidemiology at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. I focus on infectious disease modelling (malaria) and ageing research with the help of skin biopsies. I am also teaching two courses, Ethics of AI and Data Visualisation, for Master students and other PhD candidates. I serve as an expert in a working group for AI at the University. 

What do you like about your profession and what makes working in your field so interesting and/or relevant?

I work directly at the intersection of medicine, epidemiology, policy-making and artificial intelligence, which is really fulfilling because whatever research I do impacts real humans. Deep learning techniques also help in finding solutions faster and often more accurately, which makes it really relevant to use. 

Do you have any tips/suggestions for prospective students?

Plan everything!! Put small details in your calendar, that helps massively. If a big part of your brain is not engaged in actively remembering when your meetings are, you free up a lot of space in your head for your studies, or hobbies even. And also, plan your internships early. The big reason I finished on time (very few people do), was that I planned my internships and thesis in advance, and did not hit any delays. 

Previous education

BSc Artificial Intelligence (Radboud Universiteit)

Nationality

Dutch

Programme

Human Centered Intelligent Systems

Country of previous education

the Netherlands

Study start date

04 September 2023

Study end date

31 July 2025

Master's student Fleur Hendriks is studying the AI Master's in Intelligent Technology (the precursor of the current Human Centered Intelligent Systems specialisation) at Radboud University.

What do you like about the Master's specialisation and why? How has the programme challenged you?

I would like to play a role in designing clear regulations and aiding communication. I think it is important to not lose sight of the bigger picture surrounding the work that we are doing. I like how this AI Master's specialisation pays attention to the consequences of the technical developments, of which we as AI students aid the realisation, and how we can shape these consequences ourselves by thinking about them at an early stage.

What do you think about the atmosphere in class?

I do not think that programming is the most fun part of the programme, and it is also not my strongest quality. It is nice that a lot of work is done in teams. If a subject or assignment is not your strong suit, there are other students who can help you. Your own qualities can in return complement the shortcomings of other people. This creates the feeling that your contribution is actually valuable. For example, I notice that many students who are strong in programming often have a little more trouble with brainstorming an idea or organising work (e.g. task division and making realistic work schedules) - these are then tasks that I like to focus on so that we can be successful as a group.

What do you find most challenging in your Master’s specialisation? Have you encountered any obstacles?

I think the Master's is an intensive programme, you always have to work hard to keep up. What I find most challenging is that you work way more independently on the Master's thesis compared to the Bachelor's thesis. You really have to know exactly what you want to achieve and how you are going to accomplish it by yourself. Working out a plan like that has admittedly caused me some study delay, as it takes a lot of  self-awareness of your abilities and limits. 

Why do you think it is important that there are people with this degree? What are your plans once you have received your Master's degree?

When regulating technology, it is very important not to fall behind on innovations, changes and laws. In the future, I hope to fulfill a connecting role between people and technology with this diploma (in combination with a Master's degree in Information Sciences). This could be as a mediator between a technical company and the customer, or as a designer of regulations for governments.