Making it in Germany: A professor's insights into AI and machine learning

DW (English)

Professor Bonald Ziyue Li specializes in AI and machine learning for critical infrastructure. He talks about his journey from Hong Kong to Cologne, Germany, and his passion for optimizing public transport.

Transcript

00:00The main reason why I chose outside of Hong Kong is more like okay I want to try a new research

00:09environment that's actually I think it's more challenging and I usually if there's two options

00:16one is the easier version another is a challenging version I usually go for the challenge the more

00:21challenging version so I'm Bono Ziyui Li and currently I'm the assistant professor doing

00:34machine learning and AI for critical infrastructures so overall what I'm doing is like using AI machine

00:43learning data science to optimize and make a decision for critical infrastructures like the

00:52the train system public transportation system if you have more passengers then it's better to have

00:59more frequent trains so how do you know how many passengers there'll be at each specific time you

01:06can collect the historical data and then you get a pattern you do machine learning you train a machine

01:12learning model so that you can do a prediction so then your system can get ready for if it's a high

01:19peak demand so you can just make the train arriving more frequently so I don't code but a long story

01:28short I don't code anymore but I supervise the coding and algorithm design of my students and the PhD

01:36researchers when I was doing my bachelor I already start to learn German like in great Institute I

01:46don't know I just want to learn the language when I was even a bachelor student but the main reason why

01:53choose outside of Hong Kong is more like okay I want to try a new research environment that's actually I

02:01think it's more challenging there's always a senior professor who is a mentor of you so you can get

02:09to know the funding landscape the students and the courses which and the research environment which is

02:17the top three top four important thing as a professor but teaching is only maximum 20 percent of our work

02:2680 percent we are doing funding supervising and young career researchers and another big part is actually

02:37building up our name and reputation and our visibility in the international community

02:44because I live in Hong Kong and the US before I think public transportation is a really important part of my

02:50daily life because I don't enjoy too much of driving but I prefer a workable city that you can just

02:57ride a train and then in the train you just read your book so I do have a quite a few like international

03:05friends here but indeed I haven't had a German friends yet yeah I don't know why yeah

03:12no matter which country even you go to a country a or country B there's always someone who grew up

03:22there they have their long-term friends right and you as a purely international is easier to get to know

03:28other international seeing the students grow growing up

03:42that are seeing they are becoming more and more mature more mature researchers I think that's the most

03:50meaningful yeah yeah sweet spot yeah offering being a supervisor you are making an impact I think

04:00that's also fulfilling too yeah

04:12so music is a good connection and once you get connected you feel like a superior to where you are right

04:33now in this situation and I like enjoy the feelings yeah it's like a type of meditation meditation

04:42I like this area very much you have a place that you can slow down and be in the same mode like

04:54outside of your like a daily hectic work so it's really nice I usually choose the options that makes me

05:03uncomfortable so that your typical way of getting me out of my comfort zone so that we can maximize my

05:11learning curve development curve and personal identity capitals

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