Sandrine Vaton, research lecturer in the Computer science department and Thierry Chonavel, research lecturer in the Signal and Communications department spent four months at the Institute of Electrical Engineering (IIE) at the University of the Republic in Montevideo (Uruguay). A study trip that strengthens collaboration with South America. Interview. 

Sandrine Vaton (right), Géraldine Texier (4th left), Patrick Maille (bottom right) at the inception meeting of the ICT project AmSud Master in April.

Delphine Lucas: How did you get the idea to spend several months on a study trip? Why choose the Institute of Electrical Engineering?

Sandrine Vaton: First, the Telecom Institute encourages research lecturers to take study trips. We had thought of it for several years, but the project was slow to develop. The School and the IIE have enjoyed very good relations since 2004 (international research programs, teacher exchanges, double degree, thesis co-supervision, internships within both institutions …).

Thierry Chonavel: I have worked at the School for 15 years and I wanted to distance myself in order to take hindsight concerning my professional activities. The period mid-September until mid-January lent itself well to a move abroad. A sabbatical for a longer period would have been more difficult to organize. The study visit is an opportunity to really sort out ones concerns, to vary ones personal and professional experience.

DL: How did you organize your teaching activities? What were your research topics?

TC: For the teaching part, I have did courses for Master and PhD students, in the form of lectures, practical work and projects. For the practical part, a high degree of autonomy is required of students. In Masters’ courses, many students also have a job in order to finance their studies. They show remarkable motivation. The courses in which I participated involved recent methods of statistical signal processing, which rely heavily on computer simulation. In terms of research, I collaborated with Pablo Musé (grade 3 lecturer) and his team of students in signal processing. My research focused on the estimation in nonlinear state models that describe many dynamic systems of a technological or natural origin. The applications are varied, particularly in trajectory calculation.

SV: For my part, I have gave courses on statistical methods for analysis of traffic in telecom networks. Regarding research, I collaborated with the Artes team for mathematical analysis for networks directed by Pablo Belzarena, (grade 5 lecturer) and also responsible for the EII. The thesis of Isabel Amigo, a Uruguayan student at Telecom Bretagne, is co-supervised with this team. We are working on solving technical and economic problems for the supply of services with guaranteed quality on the Internet. In this framework we presented two papers at a conference (INOC’2011, ICQT’2011) and an article in the “International Journal of Network Management”. One of the conference papers has been accepted, the other two items are being evaluated.

DL: Did any new cooperation come out of this trip?

SV: I had the opportunity to meet Fernando Paganini, a professor at ORT University in Montevideo and a specialist in game theory. Fernando recently invited our colleague Patrick Maille, research lecturer in the Networks department, (Networks, security and multimedia) to teach a course on network economics (game theory, routing games, competition). An agreement for the exchange of students between the School and ORT was also signed. In addition, in 2010 we had set up an international research project (Maitre) within the STIC AmSud  at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This project includes the Institut Telecom, LAAS / CNRS, IIE and the University of Buenos Aires began in January  and will continue for a period of two years. I returned to Uruguay to launch this project in March-April, with Géraldine Texier, and research lecturer in the Networks, security and multimedia department, and who is co-supervising Isabel Amigo’s thesis.

DL: What surprised you most at the University of the Republic?

SV and TC: The governance of the university is surprising. There is a system of co-management: students, alumni, faculty are all at the same level in decision-making. This produces a strong sense of belonging. Students defend “their” university. We felt a collaborative atmosphere, warm, with  little hierarchy. For example, it is possible to attend the end-of-the-year university barbecue and see students, teachers and ministers all sitting around the same table!