Curiosity has at all times been Benson Liu’s compass. From gaining world-class {qualifications} to venturing into various skilled fields, he approaches each problem with a want to study and develop. That drive in the end led him to a spot the place his ardour for finance, engineering, and entrepreneurship converged: Dartmouth On-line. Master of Engineering in Computer Engineering.
From the second he found Dartmouth’s program, Benson discovered it irresistible. “We are the first college students. We’re like Forrest Gump: ‘Life is sort of a field of goodies.'” I needed to strive it! ” For Benson, it wasn’t nearly incomes one other diploma. The concept was to “spark mental curiosity” and construct instruments to make a real-world influence.
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Born and raised in Australia, Benson Liu spent a lot of his childhood in Taiwan and Japan. He accomplished his undergraduate research in economics specializing in pension finance at Osaka College in Japan and continued to work there after commencement.
Benson’s early profession was firmly rooted in finance. He held positions in M&A finance earlier than finishing a Grasp’s diploma in Monetary Evaluation at King’s School London. This technical diploma displays the rising demand for quantitative abilities within the monetary business. Nevertheless, regardless of his accomplishments, he felt drawn to extra technical challenges. “I needed one thing that may assist me bridge my monetary information to extra technical information.” he explains.
This curiosity led him from finance to software program engineering and in the end to knowledge science. Over time, he has labored his method up from junior knowledge scientist to senior positions, and not too long ago took the plunge and began his personal firm to assist Japanese clinics and hospitals develop sensible medical units.
“The general public [medical] The sector is big, however lots of them are working on very outdated programs. Some hospitals nonetheless use fax. My engineering background helps and my finance background ensures a constructive ROI. That is how the totally different components of my expertise come collectively. ”
Why do I would like one other grasp’s diploma?
Mr. Benson’s curiosity in Dartmouth School master’s degree in computer engineering It was born out of his want to delve deeper into engineering. Just a few Coursera programs on Arithmetic for Machine Studying had already piqued his curiosity, and when Dartmouth School introduced a brand new grasp’s program, he determined to provide it a strive.
He got here into this system with a background in machine studying, however was unfamiliar with lots of the programs. “I used to be about 30 to 40 p.c positive about what this system was about, so I mentioned, ‘Let’s examine what the opposite 60 to 70 p.c is about.’
Be taught with out stopping life
Considered one of Benson’s priorities was to proceed to advance his profession whereas finding out. “I did not need to put my profession on maintain. I’ve at all times favored finding out whereas working. The advantage of me is that I now have numerous freedom, so I needed to take advantage of it.” The one adjustment was managing time zones. For his first module, Machine Studying, workplace hours with the professor had been held throughout early morning hours for him in Asia. Nevertheless, the flexibleness of this system and the responsiveness of Dartmouth professors made it manageable. “The professors at Dartmouth are very variety. While you ship an e-mail, you’ll often obtain a response inside 5-10 minutes. ”
Benson has additionally observed a rise within the worldwide variety of this system. In his newest module, Pure Language Processing, he’s working with a teammate from South Korea and was not too long ago joined by one other Japanese scholar. “We even have college students in Europe and Brazil. It is nice to see a worldwide community forming.”
Why Dartmouth?
Benson didn’t severely think about different applications. “Fairly merely, it was Dartmouth or collapse. However to be sincere, I did not count on to get accepted. Primarily based on British schooling requirements, it is vitally troublesome to progress from economics to full-fledged pc engineering. Nevertheless, Dartmouth School is an academic establishment that emphasizes liberal arts. They prefer to see individuals holistically. So despite the fact that I haven’t got a proper diploma in STEM, I’ve work expertise in STEM they usually favored the truth that I used to be versatile. ”
This system was distinguished by its mix of rigorous engineering coaching with an appreciation for the breadth of scholar expertise. “There aren’t many applications that concentrate on how STEM intersects with fields like finance and supply superior {hardware} levels. This was excellent for me.”
Pivoting to entrepreneurship
Benson’s final purpose has at all times been entrepreneurship. After I requested him what his preliminary purpose was for his diploma, his reply was clear.
“After I labored at Coca-Cola in Japan, I grew to become fascinated with embedded programs. Curiously, half of Coca-Cola’s income comes from merchandising machines. Merchandising machines are principally 1 And merchandising machines are not so simple as placing a coin in and getting a drink. They now have analytics, dynamic pricing, and automation capabilities. Going into Dartmouth’s program, my expectation was to grasp the {hardware} behind these programs.””
However since then, Benson has modified his causes for pursuing MEng-CE. As of two months in the past, Benson stepped into the realm of entrepreneurship, and he credit his time in this system with giving him the push to ultimately get began.
Benson’s new firm is powered by newfound information to develop small, revolutionary medical units for the general public sector. “After a yr and a half, I made a decision that I needed to create one thing helpful for society. I deviated slightly from my authentic purpose, however that is life.”
Recommendation for examinees
In my dialog with Benson, he emphasizes the rigor of the coursework. Brushing up on calculus and linear algebra is a should, and the necessity for time administration is crucial to balancing research, work, and private life. Benson boils down his recommendation into three key factors:
- “This program will pique your mental curiosity. Be ready to work onerous and it’ll repay.”
- “When you take part, go at your individual tempo. This can be a marathon, not a dash. Hold your thoughts clear and do not overdo it. Even for me, as an energetic learner, this is among the most troublesome applications I’ve ever executed. However should you preserve a balanced life-style, you’ll be able to obtain it.”
- “Be energetic in the neighborhood. I attended Dartmouth occasions in Japan, met alumni, and was capable of meet the college president. Whilst a web based scholar, the facility of the Dartmouth community is actual.”
He additionally highlights the connections he made inside the program itself. “I nonetheless speak to my classmates each week from my first module (Machine Studying). Seven programs in, we nonetheless keep up a correspondence and assist one another. There is a human contact to this program. We have all agreed to satisfy on campus for commencement, and I am positive it will be a good time. I feel it is protected to say that I’ve made lifelong pals because of this program.”
For Benson, incomes a web based grasp’s diploma in pc engineering from Dartmouth School was greater than only a diploma. It has been a catalyst for curiosity, progress, and real-world influence. Whether or not you are seeking to deepen your experience, pivot your profession, or launch your individual enterprise, Benson’s journey up to now exhibits that Dartmouth’s MEng-CE empowers college students to pursue their ambitions whereas fostering lifelong connections. Click here for more information about the program →
