Masters Degrees in Artificial Intelligence, Netherlands

Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence

Are you interested in applications of Artificial Intelligence in communication techniques? Are you triggered by the question of how human reasoning can be represented in computer systems? Would you like to work for a company like Google or Philips? Then our interdisciplinary Master’s track Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence is your right choice!

The CSAI program draws on breakthrough discoveries and insights in the two closely related scientific disciplines Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence. Cognitive Science is the study of human reasoning, emotions, language, perception, attention, and memory. Artificial Intelligence is the study and design of computers and software that are capable of intelligent behavior.

Are you interested in applications of Artificial Intelligence in communication techniques? Are you triggered by the question of how human reasoning can be represented in computer systems? Would you like to work for a company like Google or Philips? Then our interdisciplinary Master’s track Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence is your right choice!

The CSAI program draws on breakthrough discoveries and insights in the two closely related scientific disciplines Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence. Cognitive Science is the study of human reasoning, emotions, language, perception, attention, and memory. Artificial Intelligence is the study and design of computers and software that are capable of intelligent behavior.

Career Prospects Communication Design

Graduates will be able to contribute to advancements in working fields like artificial intelligence and robotics, data science, data mining, knowledge technology and decision support systems.

This is a small selection of positions you may apply for after you have completed your programme:

•Intelligent Software Developer

•Web Analyst

•Social Media Analyst

•Data Journalist

•Social Robot Developer

•Web Data Entrepreneur

•E-Health and Healthcare Quality Analyst

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Overview

Understanding naturally intelligent systems, building artificially intelligent systems, and improving the interactions between humans and artificial systems.

As humans, we may be intrigued by the complexity of any daily activity. How do we perceive, act, decide, and remember? On the one hand, if we understand how our own intelligence works, we can use this knowledge to make computers smarter. On the other hand, by making computers behave more like humans, we learn more about how our own cognition works.

The AI Master’s programme at Radboud University has a distinctly cognitive focus. This cognitive focus leads to a highly interdisciplinary programme where students gain skills and knowledge from a number of different areas such as mathematics, computer science, psychology and neuroscience combined with a core foundation of artificial intelligence.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/ai

Scientific and practical applications

Slowly the human brain has been revealing its mystery to the scientific community. Now that we are actually able to model and stimulate aspects of cognition, AI researchers have gained a deeper understanding of cognition. At the world-renowned Donders Institute, the Max Planck Institute and various other leading research centres, we train our students to become excellent researchers in this area.

At Radboud University we also teach students how to develop practical applications that will become the next generation of products, apps, therapies and services. Our department has been awarded several prizes for its pioneering role in bringing innovations from science to society, e.g. in Assistive Technology for people with disabilities. You’ll be taught the skills needed to conduct and steer such innovation processes. Many Master’s research projects have both a scientific and a practical component.

Specialisations

Computational modelling is the central methodology taught and used in this programme. Depending on the area of study, the computational models can range from behavioural models of millions of individuals interacting on the web, to functional models of human or robot decision-making, to models of individual or networks of artificial neurons. At Radboud University we offer the following three specialisations (on campus simply known as Computation, Robot and Web):

- Computation in Neural and Artificial Systems
Learn how to create artificial information systems that mimic biological systems as well as how to use theoretical insights from AI to better understand cognitive processing in humans.

- Robot Cognition
Understand all aspects of Human-Robot interaction: the programming that coordinates a robot’s actions with human action as well the human appreciation and trust in the robot.

- Web and Language Interaction
Learn how to build the intelligence used to power the future of the Web.

Research project and Internship

To finalise your AI master's programme, you have the choice of either an Internship (18EC) and Research Project (30EC) or a single larger Extended Research Project (48EC). During the internship you have the chance to acquire additional AI relevant skills either at a research lab or at a company. During the Research Projects phase, you get to put what you have learned during your master's programme into practice. You can perform your research work in the AI department, at other research departments at the University (e.g. the Behaviour Science Institute or Donders Institute) or at an external company (such as Philips or TNO). You are also encouraged to go abroad for your internship and/or research project (previously students have gone to Stanford University in California and Aldebaran Robotics in Paris). To help you decide on a thesis topic, there is an annual Thesis Fair where academics and companies present possible project ideas.

Job opportunities

Our Artificial Intelligence graduates have excellent job prospects and are often offered a job before they have actually graduated. Many of our graduates go on to do a PhD either at a major research institute or a university with an AI department. Other graduates have started their own companies or work for companies interested in cognitive design and research.

Find out how to apply here http://www.ru.nl/masters/ai

Meet Radboud University

- Information for international students
Radboud University would like to meet you in your country (http://www.ru.nl/meetus) in order to give all the information you need and to answer any questions you might have about studying in the Netherlands. In the next few months, an advisor of Radboud University will be attending fairs in various countries, always accompanied by a current or former student.
Furthermore, we understand if you would like to see the Radboud Campus and the city of Nijmegen, which is why we organise an Master's Open Day for international students (http://www.ru.nl/openday) which will take place on 5 March 2016.

- Information for Dutch students
Radboud University offers students in the Netherlands plenty of opportunities to get more information on your programme of choice, or get answers to any questions you might have and more. Apart from a Master's Evening and a Master's Day, we also organise Orientation Days and a Master’s Afternoon for HBO students.

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Artificial Intelligence

The Artificial Intelligence master's programme offers a unique integrated and modern approach from the viewpoints of Informatics, Logic, Cognition, Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics.

Artificial intelligence is a fast moving and challenging field. A few examples: natural language processing, for instance in smart phones, has become common use; characters in virtual worlds like computer games and simulations are becoming smarter, leading to more natural, interesting and useful game experiences; there are examples of research that show that human cognitive functions can be enhanced by directly linking the brain to a computer; and, in California there are self-driving cars with sensors and GPS that autonomously drive you to your destination.

The Artificial Intelligence master's programme offers a unique integrated and modern approach from the viewpoints of Informatics, Logic, Cognition, Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics.

Students can choose from three tracks:

*Cognitive processing
*Agents
*Reasoning

Choosing from a broad range of courses you can tailor the programme to your personal interests within Artificial Intelligence.

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What is intelligent behaviour? How can robots communicate with each other? In this programme you will learn how to design and implement intelligent systems.

The core topics in The Master's programme Artificial Intelligence are: autonomous perceptive systems, cognitive robotics and multi-agent systems.

- Autonomous Systems
A robot taking samples and collecting information on the moon is an example of an autonomous system. It operates and carries out missions independently. Regardless of their surroundings, it responds with a certain intelligence. While traditional AI focuses on cognition and reasoning as isolated abilities, we strongly believe in perception as an active behavior, which is integrated into general cognition.

- Cognitive Robotics
The courses taught in the area of cognitive robotics are related to research in social robotics, to the origin of robotic communication and to the way in which robots recognize movement. Research is conducted at the Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Engineeringinstitute.

- Multi-agent Systems
When a team of robots play footbal they have to communicate and cooperate with each other. This is an example of a multi-agent system. When designing these systems, techniques from computing science and logic are combined with knowledge about the interaction amongst humans and animals.

Why in Groningen?

- Be part of a Programme with excellent reviews
- Challenging graduation projects

Job perspectives

Once you have obtained your Master's degree in Artificial Intelligence, you can apply your skills in research & development, for instance air traffic and space labs, where you make sure that intelligent and innovative technologies are used during the design process. You could also choose to get a job at a research institute where you work as a researcher. This can be done at a university (PhD) or at a research institute like TNO. About 50% of our students chooses a career as a scientist.

Where do graduated master AI students work at the moment? Maarten van Grachten and Mathijs Homminga did the AI master in the old doctoral program and they specialized in very different directions. Mathijs works as a software engineer at the IT-company Evermind. He programs and implements innovative IT-projects for shops. Maarten is doing a PhD in Barcelona where he investigates how a computer can compose jazz music.

Job examples

- Industrial Research & Development
- PhD research position
- Software engineer

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Understanding all aspects of Human-Robot interaction: the programming that coordinates a robot’s actions with human action as well the human appreciation and trust in the robot.
At present, there are many sensors and actuators in every device – so they may become embedded in a physical reality. For robots that move around in a specific setting there is a pressing need for the development of proper methods of control and joint-action. The embedded, embodied nature of human cognition is an inspiration for this, and vice versa. Computational modelling of such tasks can give insight into the nature of human mental processing. In the Master’s specialisation in Robot Cognition you’ll learn all about the sensors, actuators and the computational modelling that connects them.
Making sense of sensor data – developing artificial perception – is no trivial task. The perception, recognition and even appreciation of sound stimuli for speech and music (i.e. auditory scene analysis) require modelling and representation at many levels and the same holds for visual object recognition and computer vision. In this area, vocal and facial expression recognition (recognition of emotion from voices and faces) is a rapidly growing application area. In the area of action and motor planning, sensorimotor integration and action, there are strong links with research at the world-renowned Donders Centre for Cognition.
At Radboud University we also look beyond the technical side of creating robots that can move, talk and interpret emotions as humans do. We believe that a robot needs to do more than simply function to its best ability. A robot that humans distrust will fail even if it is well programmed. Culture also plays a role in this; people in Japan are more open to the possibilities of robots than in, for example, the Netherlands. We will teach you how to evaluate humans’ attitudes towards a robot in order to use that information to create robots that will be accepted and trusted and therefore perform even better.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/ai/robot

Why study Robot Cognition at Radboud University?

- We offer a great mix of technical and social aspects of robot cognition.

- This programme focuses on programming robot behaviours and evaluating them rather than building the robots themselves. We teach you to programme robots that will be used in close contact with human beings, for example in healthcare and education, rather than in industry.

- Our cognitive focus leads to a highly interdisciplinary AI programme where students gain skills and knowledge from a number of different areas such as mathematics, computer science, psychology and neuroscience combined with a core foundation of artificial intelligence.

- This specialisation offers plenty of room to create a programme that meets your own academic and professional interests.

- Together with the world-renowned Donders Institute, the Max Planck Institute and various other leading research centres in Nijmegen, we train our students to become excellent researchers in AI.

- To help you decide on a research topic there is a semi-annual Thesis Fair where academics and companies present possible project ideas. Often there are more project proposals than students to accept them, giving you ample choice. We are also open to any of you own ideas for research.

- Our AI students are a close-knit group; they have their own room in which they often get together to interact, debate and develop their ideas. Every student also receives personal guidance and supervision from a member of our expert staff.

Our research in this field

The programme is closely related to the research carried out in the internationally renowned Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour. This institute has several unique facilities for brain imaging using EEG, fMRI and MEG. You could also cooperate with the Behavioural Science Institute and work in its Virtual Reality Laboratory, which can be used to study social interaction between humans and avatars.

An example of a possible thesis subject:
- Engaging human-robot interactions in healthcare for children and/or the elderly
Social robots are often deployed with 'special' user groups such as children and elderly people. Developing and evaluating robot behaviours for these user groups is a challenge as a proper understanding of their cognitive and social abilities is needed. Depending on the task, children for example need to be engaged and encouraged in a different way than adults do. What are effective robot behaviours and strategies to engage children and/or elderly people? How can these robot behaviours be evaluated in a proper way?

Career prospects

Our Artificial Intelligence graduates have excellent job prospects and are often offered a job before they have actually graduated. Many of our graduates go on to do a PhD either at a major research institute or university with an AI department. Other graduates work for companies interested in cognitive design and research. Examples of companies looking for AI experts with this specialisation: Philips, Siemens, Honda, Mercedes, Google. Some students have even gone on to start their own companies.

Job positions

Examples of jobs that a graduate of the specialisation in Robot Cognition could get:
- PhD Researcher on Cognitive-Affective Modelling for Social Robots
- PhD Researcher on Automatic analysis of human group behaviour in the presence of robots
- PhD Researcher on Automatic analysis of affective quality of conversations in human-robot interaction
- Advisor and innovation manager in the healthcare industry
- Social robotics and affective computing for robots expressing emotions
- Developer of control algorithms for using optic flow in drones
- Advisor for start-up company on developing new uses for tactile displays
- Team member in design of emotion recognition and training for autistic children

Internship

Half of your second year consists of an internship, giving you plenty of hands-on experience. We encourage students to do this internship abroad, although this is not mandatory. We do have connections with companies abroad, for example in China, Finland and the United States.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/ai/robot

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The one year MSc program offers four tracks:

• Business Communication and Digital Media
• Communication Design
• New Media Design
• Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence

Besides the 1 year Master, also a two- year Master is offered:

• Research Master in Language and Communication

The MSc in Communication and Information Sciences offers a unique program in which you learn about how people acquire and transfer information and how new means of communication can be used creatively and innovatively. The approach taken at Tilburg University is unique in the sense that the broad concept of communication is examined from many perspectives, including those of linguistics, cognitive and social psychology, computational modeling and document design.

This program is intended for highly talented and motivated students with a keen sense of intellectual curiosity and intellectual ambition. In this Master’s program, you will encounter state-of-the-art research in the broad interdisciplinary field of communication. The point of departure is natural communication: how is information transferred from one person to another? For what purpose? You will participate in a wide range of courses such as communication strategies, non-verbal communication and computer vision. This unique combination of approaches and research traditions will enable you to work as a communication expert, and answer questions such as:

•What is the best way to present information to an audience?

•How do people communicate within an organization?

•How can you influence people's behavior through language?

You take a particular interest in language and you are seeking to broaden and deepen your academic knowledge. You are interested in the many different aspects of communication such as the effect that words can have, how people produce language, and linguistic phenomena such as metaphors, and the stories behind them.

This one-year MSc program offers four different specializations: Business Communication & Digital Media, Communication Design, New Media Design and Cognitive Science & Artificial Intelligence.  

Career Prospects Communication and Information Sciences

After completing your MSc program in Communication and Information Sciences, a broad range of career paths in business, research and education will be open to you. You will be able to analyze and consult on internal and external communications. With a Master's degree, you can start your career as a scientific researcher in this field. And remember that these opportunities are worldwide because your studies are internationally-oriented.

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Today’s society operates on large amounts of data. Industry, governments and academia are asked to provide insight into these data.
•But how do we deal with such large amounts of data?
•What techniques do we use to mine the data?
•What are the legal and ethical aspects regarding these data sets?
•And what economic value can be found in big data?

The MSc specialization Data Science: Business and Governance trains students to become Data Scientists that can address these questions. The Harvard Business Review calls the job of Data Scientist "the sexiest job of the 21st century"!

Why Data Science: Business and Governance in Tilburg?
•Tilburg University offers a wide range of complementary expertise, including techniques for data mining, pattern recognition, business analytics, visualization and process analytics; as well as knowledge on law, regulation, ethics and entrepreneurship.
•The MSc specialization consists of courses in methods of analysis, together with economic and management as well as legal, ethical and methodological perspectives on data, all of them taught by experts in these fields.
•The Master’s specialization Data Science: Business and Governance offers (constitutes/ consists of) a well-balanced mixture of theoretical and practical (elective) courses.

These elements combine to make this specialization unique in Europe and possibly even in the world: Four schools (Tilburg School of Economics and Management, Tilburg School of Law, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and the Tilburg School of Humanities) work together in offering the best possible training for the job of the future, that of Data Scientist.

Career Prospects

Data Science: Business and Governance graduates will not only have knowledge and expertise in the area of data analysis and data mining, but also in economic, management and legal perspectives on big data.

Growing need for Data Scientists

There is a growing need in government organizations, in companies and in academia for employees with the analytical skills needed to analyze large datasets, recognize patterns, and visualize data, and combining these skills with interdisciplinary knowledge of perspectives on Data Science.

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