Starting Date: June 2018
Prerequisites: Computer Science Undergraduate Student, Enthusiasm and desire to be a problem solver.
Will results be assigned to University:
Project Description
User data is essential for many of the modern business operations, especially related to the building consumer segmentation and profiling – for marketing and services personalisation. Dealing with user data has its positive and negatives, especially after the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) collecting and storing user’s personal data.
Centralised machine learning approaches require centralising the training data at a single location (one machine or in a datacentre). This requires storing and secure a massive set of consumer data that might put an organisation at risk for data loss/leakage.
Federated machine learning enables collaboratively to learn a shared model while keeping all the training data on individual user’s devices. Therefore, user data does not need to store at a central (single) location. However, this has the potential introduce a significant attack vector, especially as the individual devices in users control that might be malicious. The UROP recipient will explore potential attacks on the federated machine learning and evaluated their possible ripple effects in the prediction model.
The respective UROP recipient will be pivotal in shaping the scope of this project and lead the research activities in collaboration with the ISG-SCC team.
Required Technical Skills
ISG-SCC value the enthusiasm and commitment significantly and considers technical skills as an acquirable skill during the internship. However, basic understand and knowledge of web design, user interfaces and database design will be desirable.
What will you gain during UROP?
During this internship, the objective of the ISG-SCC is to make sure that you develop your independent research and development skills and enhance your skills on a) presenting the project’s progress, b) keeping in line with time management, b) research methods, c) technical writing skills for project outcomes and d) problem identification and solving.
ISG-SCC Track Record
ISG-SCC has successfully run the UROP for the last two years. The success of the previous two years has produced a patent application (under review by patent office) and commercial demo (MVP) under development, and five research papers. Corresponding undergraduate students are named as first authors on the papers and co-inventor on the patent application. Research papers by undergraduate students have won one ‘best student paper award’, featured in a news article on Medium and being pivotal for a World Economic Forum’s project for anti-corruption project. The ethos of ISG-SCC is that undergraduate students have the talent and imagination to sort out unique and innovative solutions. They just need guidance from established researchers, and this is what ISG-SCC will provide during the UROP.