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...