Merve ist PHD-Stipendiatin am Institute for Technologies and Management of Digital Transformation. Sie kommt aus Istanbul. Ihren Masterabschluss machte sie in Industrial Engineering an der Atatürk Universität in Erzurum (Türkei). 

Ihre Schwerpunkte im Studium waren Produktionsplanung, Simulation und Operation Research.

What was the program that brought you here?

I came with "YLSY", one of the oldest scholarship programs in Turkey. This program aims to increase the trained human resources of the Türkiye.

How was your first day at the institute & in Wuppertal? 

My first days in Wuppertal were on the weekend. I visited the shops around Hauptbahnhof to explore the city and buy my necessities. I knew it was quiet on a Sunday in Germany, but I didn't expect this much. :)

Before I came to the institute, I was very excited. After the warm and friendly welcome from the team, I felt much better. I should definitely state that, on the first day, they took care of me throughout the school enrollment process.

How was the arrival at the Institute?

After winning the scholarship, I decided to do my PhD in Germany and study Reinforcement Learning. When I searched all the universities under these filters, I believed that the supervisor and the TMDT institute would be the right decision for me.

How did you get accepted at the institute?

After my research, I  believed that the institute would contribute to me. I prepared an email stating that I wanted to work with Prof. Meisen and sent an e-mail containing documents such as my CV, Personal Statement and Sponsorship Certificate. Prof. Meisen got back to me very quickly and after interviewing first my team leader and then the Professor, my application process to the school started.

What was new in your studies?

The field of Reinforcement Learning is completely new to me. This field is heavily dependent on computer science.

What did you learn?

As I mentioned above, since the field is new to me, we have prepared a great research plan with my team leader to improve myself in this field and to progress more regularly. I work on OpenAi game-solving problems, which is my first target.

What is the biggest difference between here and your home university?

In Turkey, doctorate and master's degree procedures are carried out only by the professor. Here they work as a team. By working in this way, I find solutions to my problems much easier. It is an obvious fact that the team leader has experience and contribution to this process.

What is the biggest difference between your hometown and Wuppertal?

I come from Istanbul in Turkey. Life in Istanbul is very energetic and it lasts long hours. It is very interesting for me that the day ends at 7 PM here.

Where do you stay?

I stay in a shared accommodation.

How do you experience this?

My roommate with whom I share the house is German (Jutta :)) It is an impressive experience for me. Culturally, it helped me to adapt to Germany much more easily. I don't think there is any disadvantage. We are constantly learning new things from each other.

What were your first german words?

Ja, genau :) 

Right now, the sentence I use most frequently in Germany is: “I don't know German.”

What do you recommend to visit on a trip to Wuppertal?

The Barmen-Anlagen Park in Wuppertal is very beautiful. Also, Wuppertal is very nice as it is close to Cologne and Düsseldorf. I had the opportunity to visit those two cities, they are very impressive and big.

Have you ridden the Schwebebahn already?

It is impossible not to take the Schwebebahn! The train gliding over the Wupper is an extraordinary experience.

What is the best food in Town?

I say with regret that I will miss Turkish food anytime, anywhere. That's why my favourite restaurant is "Sumak" which  is a Turkish food restaurant in Wuppertal-Barmen.