EUMaster4HPC - Reflections From a Recent Graduate

I am Valentina Moretti, a computer science engineer from northern Italy with a strong passion for high-performance computing. I studied at Politecnico di Milano (PoliMI) and pursued a double degree between Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) and PoliMI in HPC engineering, graduating with top honors in both my bachelor's and master's degrees. I was drawn to the European Master for High Performance Computing (EUMaster4HPC) as it created a community of young and interesting people from all over Europe, ready to share experiences through a newly designed Master’s programme. Being able to meet so many amazing people from across Europe at this early stage of my career is something not everyone gets to experience. I feel lucky to be part of this community, and I’m ready to see what is coming next.

My thesis, on scalable and efficient time series forecasting, done with an important Research Group from the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI ) and IDSIA Institute, allowed me experience life as a researcher. It has helped me define the direction I want to take in the future, and now I can rely on an incredible network of people guiding me.

Unforgettable Experiences 

The EuroHPC Summit 2023 in Gothenburg was an amazing experience. I remember being excited to approach the experts and ask them questions, but then I found out they actually wanted to hear from me! That’s when I realised how important the projects we were working on really were.

The 2023 Summer School in Grenoble was where I really connected with my classmates. We became a team, facing both easy and tough situations together, and we always stayed united. We went for two challenging via ferrata hikes, as if the Summer School’s intense coding hackathons weren't enough of a challenge! Building friendships with people from some of the best universities in Europe opened my eyes to how education and work are approached in different countries.

New Skills 

I love communicating, whether through writing or talking, and I would love to make this passion part of my future job or at least a hobby. It's not easy to explain complex scientific topics in a way that makes sense to people outside the field, especially when dealing with deep, detailed research, but I’m up for the challenge. Thanks to the EUMasters4HPC I had the opportunity to explore a different form of communicating ideas - through a short film. Two acclaimed film directors from Poland captured my journey in HPC on video. The film, part of the Super Dreamers series, recently won Silver at the W3 Awards in New York for the "Best Series - Science and Tech" category. 

Impact on Career and Learning

My commitment to learning and academic excellence has always been a priority. I was one of just seven students selected from my university for the EUMaster4HPC programme. The Master’s gave me a realistic understanding of how research works, how big projects are managed, and how teams collaborate.

How to Apply

EUMaster4HPC is the first pan-European Master’s programme in High Performance Computing. It brings together the major players in HPC education in Europe to train the next generation of highly skilled and talented HPC experts to drive the European digital transformation! Enrolling in the EUMaster4HPC programme grants you access to workshops, challenges, an internship, and a summer school, providing invaluable practical experience. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to actively participate in prominent European HPC events, helping to foster a strong network within the European HPC community, which includes industry, research institutions, and supercomputing centres. You will find more details on how to apply at: Home - EUMaster4HPC Master website