Animesh Trivedi, doctoral student
India
If you could do your PhD at any university in the world, would you still choose ETH above other institutions? Why or why not?
It is a hard question to answer because I have to compare the reality of ETH to my - necessarily often outside - impressions of other universities. However, with a high certainty I would still choose ETH. The primary reason is that ETH (and the faculty here) provides an encouraging support and freedom for research. This is different from universities where incoming PhD students are gradually drawn into ongoing, long-term funded research projects. This freedom lets me explore ideas and topics and provides me with a sense of control and ownership in my research. These factors then further motivate me to push harder when times are tough because it is "my research" - started by me from my own curiosity. And I want to succeed in findings answers to my initial curiosity. Also, if not more than equally important, the quality of life in Zurich and the general financial support both make pursuing a PhD at ETH an encouraging option rather than a hard compromise in one's career planning.
How would you describe your life as a PhD student up to now? What do you like most about it? What has been particularly memorable?
My life as a PhD student has been very exciting. I have been fortunate enough to get support from ETH as well as the IBM Research Lab in Zurich for my PhD studies. Hence, I spend my time at both places and get exposed to many interesting ideas and projects. At ETH, advanced courses in the field of systems building have been instrumental in getting a taste of real research. I made good friends with whom I spent many long hours to finish projects or to discuss our impressions over coffee. I share my advisor's (Prof. Thomas R. Gross) enthusiasm for teaching and education, and enjoyed teaching and supervising work of junior students very much. At IBM, I get to experience the internal working of a global organization and had a possibility to talk to a few IBM Fellows, IBM’s highest technical honor, and Distinguished Engineers whose research works have stood the test of time. I enjoyed these meetings very much. Outside work, Friday evening catch-ups, ski trips in winter, hiking in summer, and of course, unplanned BBQs and dinner with lengthy open-ended discussion about anything and everything, have been the highlights and necessary distractions of my PhD studies.
If you were given the opportunity to change one thing at ETH, what would it be?
My opinion on this matter is highly shaped by my own experience at ETH as a Master’s and a PhD student. I would strongly recommend to ETH to improve the relationship with international students, especially from outside the EU and Europe. ETH lacks internal events to get to know its own students, their background and expectations - and give them a sense of belonging to ETH. For example, how many past international students are still in touch and closely follow and discuss what is happening at ETH? How does it compare to other universities such as Stanford, Princeton, Berkeley?
By choosing to do a PhD in Switzerland, this country has, to some extent, become a new “home”. Which part of you is actually Swiss?
This is an interesting question. Recently, I have noticed certain traits which undoubtedly are products of Switzerland. Some of them are getting unsettled if I don't see mountains or hills around, being overly punctual for meetings, getting annoyed at disorderly or late public transportation, expecting to find clean drinking water at a nearby road fountain everywhere, attempting to classify waste for recycling, etc. And perhaps most importantly - my unconditional admiration for Rösti!
Assuming after the successful completion of your PhD, you decide to remain in Switzerland. What are your personal and professional aspirations in this country?
My stay in Switzerland has been very rewarding. I hope to build my professional career in Switzerland where it has a good balance between research and the application of technology. I work in the field of computing and see it as a liberator and enabler by letting people explore their potential by giving them better tools, methods, services and infrastructure. In this field, some institutes in Switzerland, such as IBM Research, are unique where research is done on every level of computing, starting from finding better physical material to improving software services. I want to be involved in such wide-scoped, far-fetched research and developing processes for future computing. Currently, I am enthusiastic about emerging high-performance computing technologies and their applications in making sense of vast amount of data we come across in our everyday lives. However, I see more potential in Zurich and in general in Switzerland for developing into something equivalent of a Silicon Valley of Europe, where industry and academia thrive and fuel each other. I wish to start, encourage and be a part of such movement.
My personal goal in life is to be in a perpetual pursuit of knowledge. In this regard, Switzerland has constantly exposed me to many new dimensions and experiences. Be it in introducing me to classical music, theatre, arts, history or philosophy. In a few decades, I hope to reflect back (I already do!) on a series of experiences and learning triggered by serendipitous adventures in Switzerland.