Alejandro Garcia AlvarezName: Alejandro Garcia Alvarez
Occupation: Co-founder of a startup named Foxrane which is a software development firm focused on AI applications in Operations Research.
Country of origin: Spain
How and why did you choose to study in Sweden and specifically at Linköping University (LiU)?
Before coming to Linköping I lived in Barcelona, I studied a bachelors in Telecommunications Engineering and worked as a consultant for several months. After finishing my bachelors I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in Data Science as the field was rapidly growing and very exciting. While doing some research on programs around Europe I came across the MSc. Statistics and Machine Learning from Linköping University and understood that it had all that I was looking to learn. Moreover, I had always wanted to come to Sweden and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Tell us a bit about your programme. What did you enjoy about studying here?
The programme was great, it was a great introduction to Machine Learning and very in depth in Statistics, which was great because we ended up understanding 100% how it worked. I say introduction because the field is so big, and it is growing so fast, that it is impossible to cover everything in a Masters. However, after the programme I had no difficulties in learning new things and was very happy with it.
What I really liked about studying at LiU is that the courses were very practical, we learnt a lot by doing it ourselves which I really enjoyed.
How did studying in Sweden differ from being a student in your home country, and in other countries where you’ve studied?
When I was doing my bachelors in Barcelona I was still living with my parents, so when I came to Sweden and I started living by myself. It was very exciting. I had to overcome a lot of challenges as it was my first time living by myself, and I was living abroad, but I loved it.
Also, the courses back in Spain where more theoretical while at LiU they were more practical which I liked better.
What was student life in Linköping like?
The best part about Linköping is that there’s always students around you, you meet tons of new people from all over the world, make new friends and learn new things. I really enjoyed the student life in Linköping as there was always some party or something happening, so I never felt alone even if I was far from home.
Was there something valuable or unique learned on your programme that helps you today?
As of today I’m working in the field of Data Science and I use what I learnt almost every day, so yes definitely! I learned very valuable and helpful tools.
What has stood out as being the most helpful part in your career?
I would say the most valuable that I learn from the Masters is the Big Data course, where I learnt some of the tools that I use nowadays.
Why do you think others should choose to study in Linköping? What do you think is really unique about LiU that isn’t found elsewhere?
I believe that my time as a student in Linköping was one of the most memorable times, I am very happy that I chose it for my Masters programme and I would definitely recommend it to someone else that is looking to study abroad.
In my opinion the unique thing about LiU is the student life. Moreover, the quality of the studies are also exceptional.