Aman, JEMARO Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree, Class of 2024

What’s your name and where do you come from?

My name is Aman Arora and I come from Noida, India.

Before JEMARO, what and where did you study?

I completed my Electronics and Communication Engineering degree at Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology in India. My academic journey was heavily influenced by my hands-on approach to physics and a deep-seated interest in Cosmology. This combination naturally led me into EECS and Robotics. Throughout my studies, I was quite keen on exploring how these areas could be leveraged in space exploration, an area I'm deeply passionate about.

What options were you considering after your Bachelor’s? Why did you choose JEMARO?

I was considering enrolling in M.Sc. or M.A.Sc. programs in Robotics in Europe, Japan and/or Canada. I got to know about Erasmus Programs and eventually about JEMARO - and it seemed to be the perfect fit for me. I felt that such a framework would be quite powerful in a way that it would open up the world for me to explore several research areas in Robotics and the ways I can achieve my goals.

What is the course you’ve enjoyed the most so far, and why?

Well, all the courses had some interesting aspects, but one that particularly stood out for me was Mobile Robots - given the way it was systematically organized, with great reading material and simple yet insightful lab exercises. Now now - I could be a bit biased here since I had really wanted to take a course on Mobile Robots :-)

What is your research topic?

In current times we can see a big push towards exploring how we can build a base on the moon for future space exploration endeavours. My research focuses on learning adaptive, bio-inspired mobility techniques in field robots - particularly quadrupeds, in uncertain environments and demanding terrains like the extraterrestrial regolith of the Moon.

Why did you choose UNIGE?

UniGe seemed to me to be particularly interesting to spend my 1st Year at, since I was intrigued by the research in areas like classical AI and Computer Vision which are quite popular at UniGe. Also, studying and living in a beautiful country like Italy seemed nice!

Any cultural shocks since arriving in your home institution?

Life in Japan has been a bit more difficult in terms of language. Getting all the resettlement procedures done was quite challenging because of language barriers but it was certainly not impossible, thanks to the language translation applications, available learning resources and a very helpful international students’ office at Keio University!

What do you find the most challenging in JEMARO?

From what I have understood about this program as a student is that it makes us face and then solve a lot of problems that one can face in life in general - it’s not just about engineering and research, but also about moving and getting settled in 2 totally different countries within limited time, learning about the cultures, managing oneself and one’s duties, while also having fun along the way. It becomes a difficult ‘balancing’ act - one that we must learn to get the most out of this experience.

What do you want to do after JEMARO?

I am quite interested in roles where I get to do applied research in my area of interest. Thus, I'm open to opportunities in the industry, as well as pursuing an industrial Ph.D.

A final word?

Just trust yourself, remain curious, keep trying out things, and life will take you where you’ll want to be in its own time. JEMARO is a great platform where you can make the most out of it by being as independent and driven as you can be. You never know what door will open for you in the future - maybe something much better than you ever imagined!