Wieke on practical application

How did you come to pursue your research topic in Nijmegen? 

After finishing my studies in Artificial Intelligence in Nijmegen, I had to decide what I wanted to do next. I liked doing research and writing my master’s thesis but was also very curious about what a job outside academia would be like. Therefore, I decided to start working at a small speech technology company. I liked how this company transformed research into a real product. However, in the work itself, I missed the variety in tasks and the freedom to dive into details. Therefore, after one and a half years, I decided to start looking for a PhD and happily found one very soon.

What are some of the highlights of your doctoral life so far?

One of the highlights of my doctoral life was seeing my research picked up by an educational publisher and applied in their spelling software. This collaboration allowed my research on automatic spelling error detection and annotation to be further developed and used in practice. Another important highlight is attending and presenting my work at the Interspeech conference. It was very special to meet the researchers whose work I have cited so often and to be able to present my work and receive feedback from them. Also, the realization that I am part of a large international speech research community was very impressive. 

What advice do you have for peers or those considering doctoral studies? 

If you are considering a PhD, I would recommend to start working as a student assistant or research assistant at the lab of your interest. This is a good way to get to know researchers in your field of interest and to gain experience with the research methods. Another recommendation that I have is to present your Master thesis research at a conference. I really liked sharing my research with researchers outside my own university, as it allowed me to learn from their experiences and gain a broader understanding of the field.