Phillip shares his thoughts on his "COGNOSCO" project and collaborating with Springer Nature & participating in Software Campus.
Author
Phillip Schneider
PhD Student | Software Campus Participant
TU München
Hello Phillip, please introduce yourself.
I am Phillip, a doctoral student in Computer Science at the Technical University of Munich. My academic focus lies at the intersection of Natural Language Processing and Knowledge Graphs. My research endeavors are centered on combining techniques from these two areas to create conversational search systems, with the aim of making the exploration of information contained in textual documents more accessible through interactive dialogues.
What fascinates you about your field of research?
I am particularly intrigued by investigating the synergies between Natural Language Processing and Knowledge Graphs. Merging approaches from these disciplines has the potential to bridge the gap between structured and unstructured information, resulting in hybrid methodologies that harness the strengths of both symbolic artificial intelligence and machine learning. This unlocks exciting possibilities for enhancing conversational exploratory search, as it enables the utilization of semantic data structures while maintaining the flexibility of natural language. Moreover, what truly excites me is the practical aspect of constructing conversational systems and evaluating these technologies with real human users.
What is your project about and with whom are you collaborating on it?
In my software campus project, COGNOSCO, I have partnered with Springer Nature/Holtzbrinck to conduct research on conversational search systems for navigating and exploring scientific publications using knowledge graphs. Drawing upon Springer Nature's expertise in constructing semantic data structures and scientific knowledge bases, they have played a significant role in shaping the design of the system.
How is the Software Campus program contributing to your personal development?
I believe that the software campus program provides a well-rounded personal education that enhances both technical expertise and leadership abilities. Participants can choose trainings according to their own profile from a broad selection in the areas of leadership, methods, and social skills.
What collaboration and network opportunities have you had during the program?
Next to the trainings offered by the industry partners, the software campus also presents an excellent chance to engage in industry partner events, like the Holtzbrinck AI Day, where I had the opportunity to showcase my project, network, and share knowledge with people from various Holtzbrinck subsidiary companies.