Enlarge the image

Bénéficiaire, Bourses d'études, Accompagner tous les talents

Hélène Maxcici, Beneficiary of the 2022 Deepmind Scholarship

Hélène Maxcici, born and raised in Lebanon, is benefitting this year from a one-year scholarship to study in the ENS Paris-Saclay’s Mathematics, Vision and Learning (MVA in French) Master’s program.

Published on

After graduating from Lebanon University and studying at Télécom Paris for two years, Hélène jumped on the opportunity to further her studies in spite of her precarious financial situation.

A little over a year ago, I was talking with a classmate at Telecom about my wish to pursue a Master’s degree, but I didn’t have the funds for it. When you are a student and you really, really want to keep going, but lack the means to do so, you’re just stuck.

She was particularly interested in the ENS Paris-Saclay’s MVA Master’s program: “This program allows me to combine signal processing, image processing and artificial intelligence, in a wide-reaching approach to applied mathematics,” she explains. Her “good grades” and uncommon academic background made her motivation letter stand out from the rest, and Helen was picked for the Deepmind scholarship.

An incredible opportunity

Without this scholarship, I could never have studied in the MVA Master’s program and pursued research, which is what I want to do in the future. I would’ve had to work for a living [...]. This scholarship was so valuable to me, because when you are a student and you really, really want to keep going, but lack the means to do so, you’re just stuck. The support I will receive will be a nice bonus, but the main thing is to be able to continue my studies and do what I want.

Feminizing science

Other than the financial aspect, one of the most important features of the Deepmind scholarship is that besides excellence, it aims at opening the way for everyone. This scholarship encourages young women to specialise in the still very masculine field of AI.
 

 

Do women have a part to play in science? Of course! I don’t see why women and men should be differentiated in terms of intellect or ability to get things done, [...] we complement each other.

What is the Deepmind scholarship?

The Deepmind scholarship aims to open the way to AI studies for young students from underrepresented backgrounds. Diversity is essential to the selection process.

Beneficiaries receive:

  • A monthly 1000 euros grant for 12 months,
  • Help to procure computer equipment,
  • Reimbursement of travel fees to take part in events,
  • Mentoring to help in the creation of their professional project.


Part of the Mathematics department at the ENS Paris-Saclay, the Master 2 MVA research program is unique in France. This master trains 200 students each year, and creates a unique niche at the crossroads of mathematics and its neighboring fields, offering an innovative ecosystem which includes academic labs, research groups, startup companies, medium and large businesses in France and abroad.