2021 ASI Travel Award: Announcement and Interview with the Winner

The ASI editorial office is proud to present the winner of the ASI Travel Award: Mr. Mert Nakip.

Mert Nakip is a Ph.D. candidate at the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Informatics at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Gliwice, Poland. He graduated in 2018 from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering of Yaşar University. For his Bachelor’s thesis in the design of a multi-sensor fire detector via machine learning method, Mr. Nakip won the national 1st rank at the Industry Focused Undergraduate Graduation Projects Competition organized by the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (TÜBİTAK) in 2018. He followed his studies with a Master’s degree at the same University (2020) and he is currently pursuing his doctorate with a Horizon 2020 Program fellowship under Prof. Erol Gelenbe’s supervision. His current research interests focus on the development of novel techniques for Attack Detection and Massive Access focusing on the intersection of Machine Learning and the Internet of Things (IoT networks), security for IoT, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). He has already published 13 Scopus-indexed documents (4 SCI-E indexed journal and 9 conference papers).

On behalf of the ASI Editorial Office staff and award evaluation committee, we congratulate Mr. Mert Nakip on his excellent performance so far and wish him all the best for his promising future career.

Interview with the Winner

1.

Could You Briefly Introduce Yourself to the Readers?

My name is Mert Nakip. I am a Ph.D. student and research assistant at the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Informatics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. I have received my B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Yaşar University in 2018 and 2020, respectively. For my design of a multi-sensor fire detector via a machine learning method, I have won the national 1st rank at the Industry Focused Undergraduate Graduation Projects Competition organized by the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (TÜBİTAK) in 2018. My master thesis, which focused on access optimization in Massive IoT networks, was awarded a grant by the National Graduate Scholarship Program of TÜBİTAK 2210C in the High-Priority Technological Areas.

2.

What Are You Currently Researching, and Why Did You Choose This Field of Research?

My current research focuses on the development of novel techniques for Attack Detection and Massive Access focusing on the intersection of Machine Learning and the Internet of Things. The IoT networks with a massive number of devices are becoming more and more involved in our daily life activities, especially with the great interest in the smart cities area. My observations on the current literature show that the security and access issues of these devices are two of the most important problems that should be solved to enable more efficient and safer Massive IoT networks. Therefore, this need arouses great interest and desire for me to conduct research on these problems.

3.

Which Research Topics Do You Think Will Be of Particular Interest to the Research Community in the Coming Years?

Taking into account the growing interest in IoT, as mentioned in my previous answer, I believe that the development of breakthrough techniques to achieve more secure and efficient (both in terms of Quality of Service and Quality of Experience) IoT networks will be of interest to the research community.

4.

As a Young Researcher, What Was the Biggest Challenge You Have Encountered in Your Research Journey? How Did You Solve It?

The biggest challenge that I have encountered might be starting a Ph.D. in a different country after having a very active role in my previous research group, so leaving my comfort zone. To overcome this, I have determined my strengths and weaknesses, improved my skills to be much more effective and self-esteemed in my current research works, and shared my emotions with my family and closest friends more often.

5.

Can You Briefly Describe What You Consider to Be the Key to a Happy Laboratory Life?

In my opinion, there are three main aspects: (1) the freedom to choose the focus of your own research, (2) the opportunity to create your own way of thinking under a wise mentor, and (3) having open-minded and intelligent colleagues to share and discuss ideas.

6.

Given the Opportunity, Would You Actively Apply to Attend Academic Conferences? What Do You Think You Can Learn from Participating in Conferences that You Cannot from Working in a Lab?

I would like to attend conferences as much as I can. The reason is that I believe that attending conferences is a great opportunity to learn about other individuals’ ideas, about the recent research trends, and the most recent (even ongoing) works as well as to create a good network with people all around the world. While working in a lab isolated from the outer world, it is quite hard to get exposed to new perspectives.

7.

Which Qualities Do You Think Young Researchers Need?

Imagination, original thinking, and to be hardworking.

8.

ASI Is an Open Access Journal. How Do You Think Open Access Impacts the Authors?

Since open access journals often offer fast and quality reviews, they provide authors with the opportunity to improve their work, share their research outcomes, and reach a large number of readers in a very short time.

9.

Is There Anything You Would Like to Share with Other Young Researchers?

We should always be brave in pursuing our dreams and ideas and work hard to make them come true.