Overseas Research Scholarship Scheme Awardee Gains Fruitful Learning Experience in Sweden

Enhancing students’ learning experience has been a major strategic direction of the University. In this summer, Computer Science undergraduate Anmol Dhawan, one of the awardees of Overseas Research Scholarship Scheme for Outstanding Students, received the opportunity to indulge in a unique and international learning journey.

Major in Computer Science, Dhawan was nominated to Sweden’s largest technical university KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm under the Scheme. He was attached to School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, working on the research project, Principled resolution of syntactically ambiguous programs, under the guidance of scholar Viktor Palmkvist.

“I learned a lot about the research methodologies, approach, checkpoints and achievements in a short time span,” said Dhawan, adding that the four-month research attachment provided him the opportunity to come across the scientific discoveries and problems in the conventional computer systems.

“This was only possible because I was out of my comfort zone and exposed to the surrounding where research was dominantly the workplace nature.”

First launched by the Faculty of Science in the 2018/19 academic year, Overseas Research Scholarship Scheme aims at further broadening outstanding science students’ research knowledge and enhancing their global exposure through research attachments in top-notch overseas universities and under the guidance of distinguished professors and scholars.

By offering selected students authentic research experience during their undergraduate study, the Scheme nurtures young science talents and equips them with rigorous scientific training.

While he was gratified to work on the domain that he was interested during the attachment, Dhawan also learned about how rigorous research methods were applied and the approach to conduct research.

The enjoyable learning experience inspired him to be engaged in research study in the future. “[The research extension] made me realized that I wanted to pursue a PhD in later stage of my life. I enjoyed the activity while I got to learn a lot,” he said.

Beyond spending his days in the research lab, Dhawan, who stayed in on-campus accommodation throughout the attachment, also took the opportunities to mingle with the local students and learn about the culture and heritage of the Scandinavian nation, getting a taste of the school life as well as experiencing the international and vibrant lifestyle of Sweden. “The most amazing part of any outbound activity is to experience the culture and heritage of the place and people,” he said. “For me, to learn the local slangs and to fit in was the most interesting part of this exchange experience.”