Hiking in Walensee

Graduate Research Training Fund report – Keyan Miao (2021, DPhil Engineering Science)

With the generous support of Univ’s Research Training Fund, I spent five months as a Fellow of the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Automation at ETH Zurich.

My research during this period focused on questions at the intersection of automation and AI. In particular, I worked on the development of controllable Koopman operators for nonlinear dynamical systems, aiming to create models that are not only predictive but also structurally suitable for control. The fellowship was highly stimulating scientifically, and also very distinctive in its organisation. NCCR Automation placed a strong emphasis on retreats and community-building events, which gave me the opportunity to meet researchers from many different backgrounds.

I found this interdisciplinary spirit especially valuable: as someone working between automation and AI, I was able to learn from perspectives that were different from my own and build collaborations that I hope will last beyond this fellowship. Working within Andreas Krause’s group at the ETH AI Centre was also transformative, not only because of its academic excellence but also because of the group’s efficiency, openness, and genuinely collaborative atmosphere.

Hiking in Walensee

During this period, I also travelled to the United States to attend an international conference (L4DC 2025), where I presented my work and connected with researchers from across the globe. This provided valuable feedback on my project and further strengthened my network.

The award from Univ was used to support accommodation and travel costs in Switzerland. Without this financial assistance, it would have been far more difficult to take full advantage of the opportunities the fellowship offered.

Looking back, the experience was both scientifically and personally enriching. It gave me progress on my own research, new collaborations, and a unique glimpse of how Swiss academic life combines rigour, efficiency, and collegiality. I am deeply grateful to Univ for enabling this opportunity.

Published: 12 September 2025

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