From France to the “MIT of Canada”: Why I Chose a 6-Month Research Internship at the University of Waterloo Over a Company Placement


 Courtesy of the University of Waterloo.

When most engineering students approach their final years of study, they often set their sights on internships in established companies, the kind that promise industry exposure, networking opportunities, and the comfort of a corporate structure.

I chose a different path.

Instead of joining a company, I packed my bags, flew across the Atlantic, and began a six-month research internship at the University of Waterloo, often called the MIT of Canada.

Why? The reasons were as personal as they were professional.

Aligning Research With My Entrepreneurial Vision

Before coming to Waterloo, I had already been working on entrepreneurial projects in France related to smart health and assistive living, from fall detection systems for seniors to IoT-based health monitoring solutions.

When I discovered the Ubiquitous Health Technology Lab (UbiLab) at Waterloo, I knew it was the perfect fit. The lab’s research on ambient sensor networks for behavioral monitoring directly overlapped with my entrepreneurial goals.

This wasn’t just an internship. It was a chance to push forward the kind of technology I hope to one day bring to market, technology that improves lives, especially for seniors and individuals with chronic conditions.

Testing My PhD Aspirations

There’s a big difference between admiring research from the outside and living it day-to-day.

I wanted to know: Do I see myself committing to a PhD after my Master’s in Computer Science at Georgia Tech?

A six-month immersion in research, with all its iterative experiments, deep literature dives, and long problem-solving sessions gave me the clarity I was looking for. I learned how research isn’t just about creating new algorithms; it’s about asking the right questions, validating hypotheses, and balancing innovation with real-world applicability.


 Experiencing the Cultural Shift

Working in Canada, especially at a top-tier research university, was an education in itself.

Beyond the lab work, I learned to navigate a multicultural research environment, adapt to new communication styles, and embrace different academic and workplace cultures.

Canada’s collaborative, open-door approach to research felt different from the more formal structures I’d experienced in France. Discussions were fluid, interdisciplinary, and full of fresh perspectives : something that’s invaluable for any data scientist or machine learning engineer aiming to solve complex, real-world problems.


 Why Research Matters for Industry Careers

Some might ask, “If you want to work in tech, why not just go straight into industry?”

Here’s my answer: Research teaches you to think differently.

In a company setting, the timeline is short-term and deliverable-focused. In research, you develop the patience to deeply understand a problem before building the solution. You learn to work with incomplete data, to design robust experiments, and to defend your ideas with evidence.

These skills, such as critical thinking, problem decomposition, and methodological rigor, are exactly what top employers look for in advanced roles in AI and data science.


The Takeaway

Choosing research over a corporate internship was one of the most defining choices of my academic journey so far.

It gave me:

  • A research portfolio aligned with my entrepreneurial ambitions.

  • Clarity on whether I want to pursue a PhD.

  • A rich cultural and professional experience in one of the world’s top universities for innovation.

Most importantly, it reminded me that the boundaries between academia and industry are more fluid than ever. The best engineers and scientists are those who can bridge both worlds, and that’s the professional I aim to become.

I can now confidently say: the University of Waterloo was the right choice, not just for the project I worked on, but for the professional I am becoming.

— Yazan El Mahmoud | LinkedIn

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