Hi everybody,
After the initial plans had to be changed to some extent in view of Corona – as was the case everywhere – I was now able to start my planned exchange with a delay of about a year. As a joint PhD student at Nanyang Technological University, I have now been in Singapore since the end of February this year, where I was allowed to join the Centre for Brain-Computing Research (CBCR) team to carry out research. Similar to our institute in Graz, here too, there is also interest in various applications in the field of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). The expertise of the teams here lies in the development or further development of machine learning algorithms, for example to read and classify movement intentions or emotions from brain signals. As part of my doctoral studies at TU Graz, I recently worked on the processing of continuously occurring error situations in the brain, as is necessary, for example, when recognising the direction of a car when it leaves the lane and correcting it accordingly. In the coming year of this exchange, I now have the opportunity to use the expertise of the CBCR to conduct research on the detection and possible use of these error processing signals in a BCI.
Whether in Supertree Grove with its huge tree constructions and perfect view of the skyline or in the nearby Cloud Forest, a huge glass house with an indoor waterfall – meanwhile I increasingly feel like I've landed in the future.
Away from work, there is almost a resort feeling here at the campus, which, as a quick search confirmed, is slightly larger than my home district of St. Leonhard. With a huge park complete with lake and waterfall, tropical flowers and trees everywhere and high-tech buildings, the university campus has impressed me since the day I arrived. If you travel for about an hour by public transport to the city centre, it continues in the same way; the Gardens by the Bay, probably the best-known landmark of the island state, have been an absolute highlight for me so far. Whether in Supertree Grove with its huge tree constructions and perfect view of the skyline or in the nearby Cloud Forest, a huge glass house with an indoor waterfall – meanwhile I increasingly feel like I've landed in the future.
Overall, Singapore is an incredible destination for a research stay and I thank everyone who made it possible for me – including my family and friends who support me despite the distance and help mitigate the culture shock.
Best wishes to you in Graz,
Hannah
(Institute of Neural Engineering)
