So what happend with Toulouse and my PhD at IRIT?
Well... after many many turns around what to do (and nights without sleep) I've decided to follow my curiosity and go to Cambridge to study in the security field.
Actually this idea came well before knowing about IRIT. It all started in 2007 when I've met (virtually) prof. Ross Anderson, one of the best security experts in the world.
Before graduating (2008) I've met my former teacher , prof. Romulus Grigoras, and I enjoyed my internship at IRIT so I've decided to start a PhD there. However along the way came some economic troubbles (probably due to the crisis) and with these also some changes in my PhD. Just from nowhere I got an offer from Cambridge to start my PhD there. This took me by surprise as I wasn't really expecting a formal offer so late (my application was in December and response in June).
The period right after these news was a complete blurr. I wasn't sure at all on which direction to go: Toulouse, where I already had some articles and the path was set, or Cambridge where I would start from scratch my thesis but with a topic that intrigates me enormously. Also there was the big problem of money: in Toulouse I had everything, in Cambridge almost nothing. Fortunately in time the situation got better on the economic side for Cambridge as well.
So right now I am extremely curious to see how my new Master will be. Yeah... so I'll do a master prior to my PhD. Too many details to explain but the two main reasons for the master are: better financement on the PhD and better knowledge. Hopefully everything will turn well and I'll be able to get my PhD before the retirement of my good friend Razvan :).
1 comment:
I hope we have the opportunity to meet again, for a beer maybe. We'll exchange thoughts about graduate student life in the UK for you and the US for me.
Goodluck in your PhD studies!
Dragos Sbirlea
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