Student profile: Anh Mai

Name
Anh Mai
(Under-) Graduate Education
B.Eng. Biomedical Engineering Aachen University of Applied Sciences Jülich, Germany

Why did you choose the Master's program Simulation Sciences? I studied biotechnology in Ho Chi Minh city for two years before coming to Germany. At FH Aachen, I started to study in the field of engineering instead of sciences. My interest has always been the heart and the cardiovascular system of the human body. I found the study of biomedical engineering interesting and quite important for current modern medicine. The application of computer simulations in the field of medicine has impressed me, especially during the time I was working on my Bachelor's thesis about the simulation of blood flow and platelet adhesion. This was my first experience with parallel computation and simulation. I worked for my thesis at the Chair for Computational Analysis of Technical Systems at RWTH Aachen University under the supervision of Dipl.-Ing. Mehdi Behbahani. Here, I had the chance to meet the vice president of the German Research School, Prof. Behr. Working at CATS and getting to know the German Research School inspired my decision to study Simulation Sciences. Although it was hard for me to decide to study a new and challenging field, in which I have to strengthen my knowledge involving computational techniques, the Master's program offers quite a lot of opportunities to work on either sciences or engineering and it is worth it.
Why would you recommend the German Research School to other students worldwide? The biggest advantage about the program is that students have access to the most advanced computers, like the high performance computing facilities at Jülich Supercomputing Centre and the Center for Computing and Communication of RWTH Aachen University.
What are your plans for the future, once you have finished your Master's degree? I might continue with a doctoral program after graduating from the Master's program, but it depends on the demand of my Master's thesis. Otherwise, I will work for industry in Asia wherever there is a market for computer simulations available.
Where and in what kind of industry or research would you like to work in the future? I hope I can build a bridge between the engineers and scientists here in Germany and the engineers and scientists in Vietnam, in the field of simulation. Furthermore, I would like to gain knowledge about simulation techniques and high performance computing (HPC) in other countries, especially Asian countries which are similar to Vietnam, such as China, Japan or Korea.
What do you do in your free time? I have liked art very much, ever since I was a little girl. I like painting and going to bookstores to have a look at paintings in art books. One of my biggest wishes is to visit museums in Paris, Greece and Italy, such as the Louvre. During my Master's program, I also have another goal: to master guitar techniques. I bought one last Christmas and studied it on my own. My plan is quite simple in this year: studying and learning guitar. :)
How is living in Aachen? I like Aachen very much. The city is lively. It is a pleasure for pedestrians. There are streets for shopping, with bookstores (which I like the most) and green areas like Lousberg and more.