What our Students Say

I came to Edinburgh after finishing masters degrees in linguistics and computer science at the University of Pennsylvania, where I had learned to expect very high standards in both teaching and research. I was not let down when I made the transition to Edinburgh - studying at the University of Edinburgh in the Institute for Communicating and Collaborative Systems has been a tremendous experience for me on many levels. The department is first-rate in research, and I benefited greatly from both the expertise and guidance of researchers in the School and my interaction with the frequent guests we received from other departments. As a graduate student, I also had ample opportunity to travel to conferences to present papers and gain teaching experience as a tutor for courses offered by the School of Informatics.

In addition to being a great place to do research, the department is also full of interesting and fun people who make sure to enjoy themselves as well as get work done. There are weekly pub outings, lunches, and frequent parties where one can get to know people outside the context of work, and I have made many close friends as a result. The emphasis on having fun is also greatly aided by the fact that Edinburgh is a fantastic city with plenty to do and see! Edinburgh is very cosmopolitan, and some of my closest friends are from outside the department and come from all over the world. Undoubtedly, studying at the university and living in Edinburgh has had an enormous, positive impact on both my professional and personal life.

Jason Baldridge is now Assistant Professor at the Department of Linguistics, at the University of Texas at Austin.

After completing a degree in Pure Mathematics at St Andrews University, I was interested in continuing my studies but was looking for a more applied area. Artificial Intelligence seemed like a natural field to move into and I began the Edinburgh University MSc in 1999. I enjoyed this course enormously and was introduced to many exciting areas of research. During the course of my MSc project, I formed a good relationship with my supervisor Alan Bundy and was keen to continue working with him. I found the atmosphere in the department to be friendly and convivial, yet also hard-working and productive and so applied to do a PhD in the mathematical reasoning group. This has been enjoyable so far, although difficult at times, and once I have completed this I am looking forward to continuing in AI research with the benefit of 4 years in such a stimulating research environment.

Fiona is currently a researcher in Professor Alan Bundy's Mathematical Reasoning Group.

Informatics PhD students - where are they now?