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TRANSNET celebrates INWED 2023 – Q&A with Akanksha

As part of our INWED 2023 celebrations, we have planned a series of blog posts to showcase and champion our fantastic female students and researchers. In this post, we chat to our PhD student Akanksha Ahuja whose research specialises in Graph-Based Signal Processing and Machine Learning for Optical Networks.

National Women in Engineering Day is an international awareness day introduced by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) to support, inspire, and raise the profile of women in engineering. Launched in the UK on 23 June 2014 to celebrate its 95th anniversary, it received UNESCO patronage in 2016 and went global for the first time in 2017 adopting its now familiar moniker, INWED.

Read to learn more about Akanksha's research background, what advice she would give to young women interested in pursuing engineering, and much more. 

Please provide a summary of your background, and what your research entails.

I am Akanksha Ahuja, pursuing a PhD in Graph-Based Signal Processing and Machine Learning for Optical Networks at the University of Cambridge. My academic journey has been incredibly fulfilling, starting with a Bachelor's in Computer Science from Maharshi Dayanand University in India and a Master's in Computer Science from the University of Oxford.

I have previously worked in research labs in India, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Greece and the UK. My research background covers developing machine learning and computational tools and pipelines for communication systems, climate physics, and particle physics. During my master's, I worked on graph representational methods for future circular colliders. Before this, I worked as a computer science engineer at CERN in the AWAKE and CMS Experiments.

I am grateful to my amazing supervisor, Professor Seb Savory, and my mentor and research associate, Dr Sam Nallaperuma, at the University of Cambridge, for their encouragement, brainstorming sessions and kind and constructive feedback, which helps me improve and make consistent progress.

I am extremely honoured and blessed to be working with the dynamic and helpful BT Research team with Andrew Lord, Paul Wright and Albert Rafel, who share their expertise, provide their insights on my ideas and give excellent feedback with their decades of experience in telecommunications.

Research

Optical networks are communication networks that use optical fibres to transmit data as light signals. Optical network topology design refers to determining optical networks' physical layout and connectivity. 

One of our first research questions is, "How can we automate network topology design?" 

Or "How can we generate graphs (topologies) instead of manually designing each node and link?" 

But why?

 Firstly, we want to reduce the cost and time of designing the core network topologies and help network operators. Secondly, we know that physical topology design affects metrics such as throughput, resilience and capacity, so as scientists, we want to get to the ideal topology to optimise for performance metrics. Lastly, we want to quantify the learnability of the model to observe if it can extract and reproduce the patterns and intelligence of design.

I am currently working on Graph Generative Models for Network Topology Design. My research uses graph-based signal processing, generative models, network science, and artificial intelligence techniques to model core optical networks and their properties. 

By leveraging state-of-the-art machine learning architectures, I aim to address critical challenges like failure detection, robustness and resilience in communication systems. I am passionate about improving the quality of service, enhancing user experience, and ensuring the scalability of communication systems in the face of evolving technologies.

What motivated you to pursue engineering?

As with every kid, my aspirations and dreams changed with time, access to more information and identification of my inner values, virtues and strengths. However, there was always an inner curiosity to know the "why" and "why not" behind things that led me to where I am now. From thinking of being a designer, a doctor, to a scientist, I have stitched all my aspirations together and combined all the values of creativity, altruism, innovation, discovery and tangible problem-solving into one.

As I explored various disciplines, I was drawn to mathematics, computer science, and physics. These subjects sparked my imagination and allowed me to envision myself as a scientist. Pursuing engineering seemed like a natural path to turn those aspirations into a reality. I was captivated by the idea that engineering could provide tangible solutions to real-world problems and positively impact society.

Moreover, my professional experiences and exposure to technical and particle physics and machine learning-based research projects during my bachelor's and master's studies further solidified my passion for engineering. Now I am on my way to becoming a scientist and an expert in machine learning for communication systems. 

Have you faced any challenges as a young woman in engineering? How did you overcome them?

The best thing about science is that ideas, execution and novelty are rewarded, which means you are not what you look like, but you are the expertise you bring to the table. If you have the relevant training, skills and mindset to follow uncharted territories with a solution-oriented, patient, calm, composed, strategic and resilient attitude, you will be able to swim the deep waters of research. Despite being a woman in the field of engineering, I have had the excellent support system of my professors, supervisors, family and friends, who have always instilled a can-do attitude amidst difficulties and challenges. The nature of the discipline is to reward life-long students, people who don't stop learning and experimenting, who see things as they are and aren't afraid to question the state of the art.

Learning something new every year means we must get out of our comfort zones repeatedly. What does it feel like when you are out of your comfort zone? One might feel impatient, doubt themselves, or feel out of place. All these feelings are valid; however, a healthier way to perceive these situations is to believe in yourself and find practical ways to track your progress. When an individual is focused on the outcome or results, the research journey can look overwhelming and impossible, and on those days especially, it is important to zoom out, take a walk and identify the one little step you can take.

But just because one is accustomed to going out of their comfort zones, again and again, doesn't mean sometimes they can't get lost, confused, or challenged. Even if you are the best basketball player in the world, you will take some time to learn football if you have never played it before. Every time a new topic or idea comes into that beautiful mind of yours, consider it a new sport and build the discipline and consistency to understand it and remember, just like you can't learn to play football by reading, you can't understand those concepts without some experimentation either in your laboratory or in your programming environments.

Lastly, it is important to share your progress and work with other academics, students or industry experts; next time someone asks, "How are you?" use the opportunity to share what you've been working on and why it is important in a couple of sentences. Challenges are opportunities for growth, and you will always be guided and supported if you learn to ask for help. I am grateful and beyond blessed to receive encouragement and invaluable guidance from my support network to overcome obstacles and emerge stronger, and I wish you find yours too.

Do you have any positive role models or mentors in engineering that you look up to?

I have been fortunate to have encountered several positive role models and mentors throughout my engineering journey. These remarkable individuals have guided and inspired me, helping me navigate the challenges and uncertainties that come with this path.

  • High School: Mr Mukesh Kumar and Mrs Deepti Vohra, who always believed in my potential and were the pillars of positivity and strength amidst uncertainty.

  • Undergraduate: Prof Meena Kapahi, Prof B.M. Bahal, Prof Meenakshi Khuruana, Prof D.K. Sharma, and Prof Ananna Bardhan, who gave me the opportunities and the right advice at the right time as I navigated my career goals and interests in applied sciences.

  • Masters: Prof Tom Melham, Prof Phil Blunsom, Prof Daniella Bortoletto, Prof Anisoara Calinescu, Prof Rebecca Williams, Prof Michael Wooldridge, Prof Jure Leskovec, Dr Michele Selvaggi, and Dr Loukas Gouskos, who inspired, enlightened and guided me onto a new and fulfilling research path.

  • Professional supervisors and mentors: Dr Edda Gschwendtner, Dr Patric Muggli, Dr Spencer Gessner, Dr Stephan Lammel, Prof Leandor Litov, Dr James Letts, Dr Androula Alekou, and Dr Ioannis Paptousis for their optimism, inclusive leadership, one on one mentorship, feedback and motivation to go beyond what is possible.

Their unwavering support and belief in my abilities have been instrumental in shaping my career and personal growth. I am deeply grateful for their mentorship and hope to keep spreading kindness, giving back to the world, and uplifting and empowering the next generation of women in engineering. 

What do you think the future will look like for women engineers?

As gender barriers continue to crumble, diversity and inclusivity will drive innovation and technological advancements. I envision a world where all genders in engineering play a central role in shaping communication systems that are inclusive, accessible, and reliable. Their unique perspectives, creativity, and problem-solving abilities will be instrumental in addressing the complex challenges of our evolving global digital landscape.  

Some of the engineering themes for the future are ethics and explainability in artificial intelligence, automated hardware, climate change and sustainability, accessible and personalised education and healthcare, misinformation, and lack of digital inclusion. We can develop and design transparency and fairness in algorithms running day-to-day services, products, critical space programmes, or medical applications. Or we could also invent eco-friendly practices, devices and policies, design and deploy energy-efficient systems and lead the research in green technology. We can also build our expertise, commercialise our innovative products, and become the chief executives of our own organisations.

In short, we can do anything we set our minds to. All underrepresented engineers have and will continue to build reliable, robust, intelligent systems and inspire future generations as we move towards a more equitable and sustainable society.

Finally, what advice you give to young girls and women who are interested in engineering?

Everyone's journey is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all path to success. Everyone's definition and interpretation of success are also different, and we should accept our responsibility to keep learning and exploring new possibilities for improving ourselves. We all could strive to be a better version of ourselves every year and find time to continuously reflect and redefine our plans and actions as we grow. We must always go back to our inner child, who was unwaveringly brave, unafraid of trying new things, and full of limitless potential and energy. Investing time in mastering technical and communication-based skills is also important, as we use both of them equally at work. 

Deep down, we always know what we want to do; we just don't know how, so first, we should sit in silence, ask ourselves, gain clarity on our aims, and then seek out mentors, role models, and supportive networks who can guide and inspire us along the way. We all have the power to make a meaningful impact through our thoughts, words and actions, and I wish you find that you discover yours and trust yourself enough to take the first step.

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