What Qinxin says about the Master's in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Qinxin from China

Why did you choose this programme? Why in Sweden? 

"In the last year of my Bachelor's, I was involved in research about computer vision – specifically in subjects of human facial expression recognition and facial image generation. During the process, I was kind of attracted to the field of virtual and augmented reality. This is because, in the research process, I was surprisingly interested in human emotions as well as their applications in VR and AR. I was not only interested in technological knowledge but also wanted to investigate the relation between how these kinds of computer vision technology could be adapted and applied to interaction with humans since it’s a big part. I believe VR and AR could be the perfect intersection that combines both my interest in computer vision as well as human-computer interaction. So, that's one of the major reasons that I chose VR and AR.  

Lund University is one of the few universities that have set VR and AR as a standalone major instead of having it as a sub-track or a minor part of a programme. I think that's an attractive part because in this way I can concentrate more on the fields that I’m interested in. Also, while researching Lund University, I saw the curriculum and realised the programme does not only have courses on technical and algorithmic aspects like computer vision and image analysis but also combines interaction design courses. I think that part of the courses compensates for my lack of knowledge in design theories. For this reason, Lund University was one of my top choices and also it is a super international environment which I found very attractive. 

My communication with the programme coordinator via email made the university even more attractive. During the application process, I had several questions but was a bit hesitant about reaching out. I was a bit afraid, as I didn’t know if it would affect me in any way, but the way the programme staff got back to me, answering my emails, clearing up all my questions – they were just so helpful and super nice about everything. At that point, I was like ‘Okay, that is a place I would like to study at.’

About the programme and the teaching style

What do you think about your programme (so far)? Does it live up to your expectations?

"I think it has exceeded my expectations! Part of it has to do with my expectations for the course curriculum, which was met, as it indeed included both the technology and the interaction design stated. So, it was such a good thing and also, the amazing part is that the programme involves a lot of practical experience. Thus, during various courses, we have various projects and for these projects, we need to not only derive knowledge from the textbooks but apply the knowledge to real-world problems. We have a lot of collaboration with the industry, and I appreciate that part."

What is the best thing about your programme? 

"Maybe the answer would be a bit cliché, but I would say the people here, especially my classmates. I value my classmates and friends here. We are still at the early stages of this programme so my year is the second generation which means we are a rather small group and are closely bonded. We almost always take the same courses and work on the same projects. We do not only hang out in the classroom daily but also outside it and we have a lot of gatherings and activities. We may be a small community, but we have a very close relationship with each other. We are all from different backgrounds, so I think this is pretty hard to achieve in other programmes. In my Bachelor’s, there were about 90 students in my programme so compared to this with seven, there is such a big difference.

In my current programme, we have frequent meetings with our supervisors. At the very beginning of our first semester, our programme director Matias took us on a trip to the European Spallation Source, a research area in northern Lund. He drove us himself and took us to a restaurant in Malmö. It was our first time in Sweden, so everything was new to us. Matias was just so welcoming and nice, telling us: ‘Today I want to let you see the future of the technology, but I also want you to experience the past of Sweden’. So besides visiting one of the most advanced research bases ESS, he also took us to a cultural resort called Burlövs gamla prästgård, which was an old building from the 18th century with traditional Swedish culture. It was very sweet."

Why should prospective students choose this programme?

"I think one of the reasons is in the professional part. You can develop this here, as there are plenty of opportunities to develop your skills in VR and AR, and you'll have a lot of collaborations with industries as well as professors from all aspects of the field. Apart from the professional part, you will also gain a lot of international experience. Another important thing about the VR and AR programme here is that it's a relatively small programme so it's an easier environment for you to build closer connections with others. I think these people in the future could be a big part of your life here. So both from the professional side and the personal side, the programme would be a good choice."

What is your favourite course and why?

"I think, for now, I have two favourite courses. One is computer vision, which delves deep into central algorithms in computer vision and their applications such as reconstructing a 3D scene and estimating the camera parameters. I'm currently writing my Master's thesis and I feel I'm applying the knowledge acquired from the course. The other course I like is the VR Project course, where we worked in groups and collaborated with students from Ukraine. Together, my classmates and I created a VR game which was the first VR game I’ve ever created. In collaboration with the Ukrainian students, we had meetings and tried to incorporate Ukrainian celebrations and festival culture into our VR game. At the end of the course, we had a demo day where we had the opportunity to showcase our VR project to our professors, other students and representatives from various companies. I think that's one of the most fun courses I've ever had. It’s realising one of my goals that we're creating something fun in VR and AR."

Have you gained any practical experience during your studies, such as research, internships, field trips etc.? 

"I think during the on-campus courses we have lots of practical projects where we code but also think about the actual user needs. More importantly, we do not only work within our programmes, but we also can collaborate with students from other majors such as the design majors and together we develop a more comprehensive application. Apart from the academic work, we had the opportunity to get internships and collaborations with companies. Through this, I was able to work as a student worker at Sony because of the help of our supervisors. Previously, we had asked our supervisors if there were internship opportunities in any of the companies and they helped us by reaching out to his connections in these companies which enabled us to reach our goals and gain industrial experience."

What do you think of the teaching style at Lund University?

"I feel like here you have more opportunities to try out things. You don't need to worry that you cannot complete something perfectly at the initial stage. You are given the freedom to try out different ways of research. At first, you may not succeed but the professors would generally encourage you to try which is something I appreciate. Also, when it comes to exams and assignments, there are always resubmission opportunities which is something new. In my previous studies, you usually get just one opportunity. If you fail, you fail. If you pass, you pass. Here, however, you are given a second chance or an opportunity to improve your work, which I think is good. You are given the freedom to try out the things you are interested in because you know that even if it does not go as planned, it won’t affect you that much. You know that you will have a second chance to try and usually you would perform better the second time. This I believe is a very good system."

Thoughts on being an international student at Lund, extracurricular activities and tips for prospective students

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

"I think Lund University is a super dynamic and diverse community. I mean Lund itself is not a big city, but Lund University is a very big community filled with international students from different countries. The contrast between Lund City and Lund University is interesting to experience. I still remember at the very beginning of the semester the University had a series of events to help newly admitted students familiarise themselves with the city, the culture and to connect with others. There was the mentor group and it was such a thoughtful initiative. Our mentors arranged guides to neighbouring towns and cities such as Malmö, Helsingborg and also to Kullaberg where we went hiking, which is an important Swedish culture in itself. The view at Kullaberg was amazing. I think being an international here is very inclusive." 

Are you involved in any extracurricular activities?

"In our major, we have a community called D-Guild. In the engineering faculty, we have lots of groups divided by majors and our major is part of the computer science department. This community has lots of events. One of the most exciting experiences for me is the "sittning, " a super Swedish dinner event. During the sittning, there is a singing part where everyone has a unique songbook. I heard every major has their songbook with some unique songs. There are so many activities during the event which is so much fun. During the weekends, there are a lot of hiking, and biking events, a lot of nations and, in our major, we organise hiking events in neighbouring cities by ourselves."

What have you liked most about living in Sweden, and what have you learned from living in Sweden?

"The thing I enjoy is the balance here. There is a balance between your studies and your personal and social life. When I was doing an internship, I observed a work/life balance which I like. This in my opinion is one of the best things in Sweden. In the international nature of Lund University, you have to be open-minded to be able to integrate. If you're interested in something as well, don’t be afraid to just go for it. There is a big tolerance over here when it comes to trying new things especially when you are a student. You are given multiple chances for the same thing which I think every student should take advantage of. After graduation, I don’t know if it’s going to be the same but as a student here in Sweden, you can try out new things."

Have you been able to get by mainly with English in Sweden?

"Yeah, definitely. Pretty much everyone here speaks English. If you randomly walk into a cafe or restaurant or meet a person on the street, you can speak English to them and they will speak it back to you." 

Do you have any advice for other students who are considering coming to  Lund?

"Be open-minded and just be yourself. And don't worry if you don’t speak Swedish as a student, it is fine. So, leave your worries behind and enjoy your study life as well as your social or personal life."