What Ziliang says about the Master's in Machine Learning, Systems and Control

Ziliang from China

What is your background?

"Before I came here, I achieved a Bachelor's degree in Automatic Control from Beihang University. After graduation, I did some internships but during that time Covid-19 happened in China. So, I decided to come back to Sweden, where I had done exchange studies back in 2018. It was a good experience. I found out about the exchange since Lund and Beihang University have a partnership. There is a Lund University class at my former university and we also had some professors from Lund teaching at Beihang. In addition, I was a mentor for Swedish exchange students."

How did you know this programme was right for you? 

"A seminar was hosted in Beijing by the Swedish Embassy, and different universities from Sweden sent representatives. Staff from Lund University helped me figure out what programmes I could choose from having a Bachelor’s degree in Automatic Control. This Master's programme is quite new, and I thought Machine Learning was cool so I chose this one. Even in the first year, I like the programme. I especially like the directors; they are very helpful, one of my directors even helped me get a summer job."

How do you find the learning environment?   

"I find it non-competitive and quite relaxed, even though you do have to be prepared to study hard. In Beihang, all my classmates competed for a higher GPA. Here, in Lund, we help each other out a lot. There are a lot of assignments where you need to work in pairs which I think is good. There are locations on campus that make collaborating quite easy. Also, compared to Beihang, I would say that you are given more freedom to choose which courses and projects you want to work on here. It is easy to get help and there is no crazy focus on just memorising facts for close-book exams."

How are the networking opportunities like? 

"I think I am a quite goal-oriented person and I am looking to pursue a PhD after my Master’s. The programme provides good chances to meet and connect with the professors and directors. We have done several ‘walk and talk’-sessions with our directors and some ‘fika’ (coffee break) and guided campus tours with some of the professors. It was through connecting with my professors that I learned about the opportunities for my summer job. As students, we also have the opportunity of meeting with student mentors."

How international is the programme? 

"I was quite astonished to learn that there are currently no Swedes in our programme. People in my class come from all over the world – everyone is excellent and most of them want to pursue a PhD."

What is it like to be an international student at Lund University? 

"I felt very welcome right from the start thanks to the mentor groups. It’s an English-speaking environment and I haven’t experienced any difficulties living here. If you want to study Swedish, there is even a course here at Lund provided by the municipality. It can be a bit challenging for Chinese students to integrate since there are already so many Chinese students here. Anyway, I think I did a good job blending in with my corridor mates and classmates. I didn’t experience any obstacles working together and I made a lot of new friends."

Why should prospective students choose this programme or Lund University? 

"I would say this programme is extremely useful if your background is in electronics or control, especially control, and want to improve in machine learning. If you choose this programme, I think you are in for a promising future. Lund also offers a wonderful student life and a lot of opportunities to socialise with many different people. Even though Lund is a small city, there is much to do in the county of Skåne."

Do you have any advice for prospective students? 

"I think you need to be brave and socialise with people when you first come to Lund. It may be challenging to speak in front of people but be prepared to try. Bring your old textbooks from home, that's useful. Give yourself some time to think about your future. If you want to be an academic, read more papers. If you want to work for a company, do more networking. There are all sorts of Career fairs in Lund to explore. Think of your time in Lund more holistically and try to enjoy your life – and this beautiful region of Sweden."