Cet été, découvrez chaque semaine le portrait de nos étudiant.e.s de M1 qui sont actuellement en mobilité internationale.

Aujourd’hui c’est Imane, étudiante dans le parcours Information Security qui fait sa mobilité chez Simula UIB, Bergen (Norvège).

1. What is your background?

My name is Imane ELACERI, I’m a first-year master student in applied Mathematics and more precisely Cryptography & Information Security, affiliated to the EUR (Ecole universitaire de recherche) at Limoges University. I previously studied in Morocco where I obtained my high school degree and then moved to France where I studied both in Strasbourg and Rennes for my bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

2. International exchange is mandatory during the first-year Master’s program in TACTIC Grad School. Were you apprehensive about this exchange?

At all, I wasn’t apprehensive about the international mobility, I was rather excited to go through it and discover a new country with a new culture. I saw it as an opportunity to expand my network, discover new environments and gain a valuable experience during my academic journey. I must admit that there was this feeling of ‘’fear of the unknown” at some point but the most present feeling was rather excitement.

3. How did the internship search go, and how did you choose your internship location?

The internship search was quite challenging, but it went well in the end. What mattered most to me was not the location, but the topic and, most importantly, securing a research-oriented internship, as I aspire to pursue a PhD after my Master’s. I must confess, I sent out many applications: some never responded, some found my profile interesting but preferred M2 interns or longer periods, and a few potential supervisors were unavailable during the summer. Eventually, I narrowed down my options to Switzerland, Qatar, and Norway. I chose Norway right after my online meeting, as I appreciated the suggested research topic and the exchange with my future supervisor and the Senior Administrative officer.

4. What is the topic of your internship?

I’m working on fully homomorphic encryption and particularly Torus FHE and its applications specifically in Machine Learning. It’s a topic between Mathematics and IT which is what I always dreamed of!

5. How is the internship going overall? Integration with the on-site teams, etc.

The internship is going great! I got to meet a very welcoming and helpful community, two supervisors, my own office with an awesome view, as well as an enriching and friendly environment where I get to interact with everyone and learn from their experience.

6. What are your responsibilities and what does a typical day of your internship looks like?

I read research papers and previous theses about the subject to get insights and learn the foundations as both FHE and ML are quite new to me. There is also a coding part where I get to learn a lot of new libraries and methods. Each week, I have a meeting with my supervisors to track the progress and get valuable feedback.  I also participated in a reading group on a cryptography topic outside my main internship subject, which was a great way to learn and experience the research culture in the lab!

7. A travel story to share? Any culture shock there?

Flying over Norway, I was struck by the breathtaking scenery of the country seen from above. In the lab, what caught my attention the most is the existence of a meditation/prayer room. I was quite amazed by that. I also remember that I was surprised that almost everyone in the office walks around in socks or slippers! It directly gives home feelings. Overall, what marked me Another thing I have noticed during this ongoing journey is the nonexistence of hierarchy: senior researcher, postdoc, PhD student or intern, we are all the same. And last, but not least, the amazing « Fika »,  a Scandinavian philosophy of taking a break together (preferably with a snack/something sweet) that makes you more productive!

8. What advice would you give to future students who are going on their exchange program?

The searching journey might be quite exhausting but don’t give up! Stay true to your values, search for a topic that genuinely interests you. Decide early whether you want a research lab or more of an industry-oriented internship, then start searching a bit in advance to avoid bad surprises. Don’t get discouraged by rejections or lack of responses. Keep searching and keep applying, it might take plenty of applications to find the right one. Also look beyond the scope of your university’s official partnerships, you can find hidden gems elsewhere!  LinkedIn is also a good way to connect with people and find opportunities. Finally, once you’ve started your internship, try to make the most out of it, academically and culturally. Good luck!