Understanding the structure of music requires knowledge about music, cognition, and the computational tools that allow to sort, describe, and utilize this knowledge. The EDDH program is located at this point where expertise in the complex domains of the humanities meets formal-mathematical, computational and technical competence. Digital Humanities at EPFL is not just humanities aided by computers, it is about modeling the world.
As our world is getting more and more digitalized, algorithms are used to determine our personality characteristics, our tastes and suggest personalized content such as music, TV shows or prospective partners. For my research, I use mixed methods taken from my social and human sciences’ background combined with those applied in computer sciences in order to determine how algorithms quantify subjective components such as feelings, desires, and emotions on dating websites and applications. At EPFL, I get to interact with top scholars working in a wide range of scientific fields related to my research and I learn as much theory as programming. I like the idea of being part of a relatively new area of research mingling theoretical, empirical and quantitative aspects. My goal for the future is to be able to bring my own contribution to this interdisciplinary domain and to pursue an academic career.
The EPFL Campus
EPFL is one of the two Ecoles Polytechniques fédérales in Switzerland. It has three missions: education, research and technology transfer at the highest international level. The EPFL Campus is located at the breathtaking shores of Lake Geneva and provides a rich intellectual environment, a stimulating working culture and a multitude of resources.