A Message for Undergraduate Research (URECA) Students

Every year I usually have a few positions open for URECA students at NTU. There are typically many, many more students who are eligible and apply to me. Due to the sheer volume of emails I receive, I simply do not have the time to reply to everyone individually.

Research is a non-trivial undertaking. I expect the students to have learned about deep neural networks and machine learning, either as part of their curriculum or by themselves. In addition, you should have excellent programming skills in Python, with typically an A- or higher in programming / data structure courses. A good grasp of linear algebra and probability is optional but would be very helpful.

In the past, I tried to encourage learning on the program by organizing reading groups, but that appeared to have limited utility. There is simply too much to learn in a few months. Not to mention the many other classes that the students must handle simultaneously. Students who start from zero background tend to struggle and not enjoy the experience, even for the smartest and brightest of them.

In your email to me, please include your transcript and explain if you meet the above criteria and any other strengths. Do include the phrase "Magnificent Magician" in the subject to make sure I read you email.

Joining my group is not a prerequisite for learning. There are plenty of free materials online for teaching yourself machine learning and deep learning. Here is a (very) incomplete list.