‘I Would Like My Research to Help Make the World a Calmer and Better Place’

Whatever task Saraa Ali, Junior Research Fellow at the Laboratory of Methods for Big Data Analysis (LAMBDA) of the AI and Digital Science Institute (HSE Faculty of Computer Science), is working on, she thinks about how it can benefit people. She told the Young Scientists of HSE University project about her large family, diagnosing three-phase motors, and her dream of building a children’s home in her native country.

How I Started in Science

I am from Syria. My parents are ordinary people: my father works at a bakery, while my mother is a housewife. When she was young, she wanted to go to university. She even got married, hoping that this would improve her chances, but it did not work out. That is why she strongly supported us—I have four sisters and a brother—in our desire to study. While we were at school, my mother used to say that good grades were everything. Whenever one of us was taking exams, they were given a separate room so that they would not do anything except study. And now, thanks to my mother, all of us have higher education.

There are times when my mother regrets that we are all busy with our careers and that none of us is giving her grandchildren. But I think that one day this dream of hers will come true as well. I enjoy studying and figuring out complicated things. In science, it is impossible to learn everything once and for all. New questions, new methods, and new ideas are constantly emerging, and that motivates me to keep developing.

The Focus of My Research

I work in machine learning and applied artificial intelligence, mainly exploring how AI can be used to diagnose technical systems, such as motors and sensors. My task is to train an artificial model to use data to determine whether a system is malfunctioning or is likely to break down soon. This is very important because three-phase motors are used throughout industry — from machine tools and compressors to industrial fans.

What I Am Proud of

I am proud that my work is connected not only with theory but also with practical problems. I am also proud of my teaching. I enjoy being involved in the lives of young people. I teach classes, review projects, help students and receive feedback. For example, I helped one student with her graduation thesis, and after her defence she gave me flowers. It was very nice. But, of course, that is not the main thing, and I do not expect anything in return. What matters most is what the students achieve. I see their achievements as my own, so I am always very happy when I receive messages such as, ‘Thank you, taking part in your project was very useful for me,’ or ‘Thank you for helping me prepare for my defence and complete a good graduation thesis.’

What I Dream About as a Scientist

My dream is to use science to help people. I am interested not only in developing technologies but also in understanding people better—their problems and the causes of conflicts. I believe that science can help us find solutions in all areas of human life, whether it is a minor misunderstanding between people or a serious social or technological problem. Of course, science cannot solve everything immediately. But it can provide tools for identifying problems as early as possible—problems that could lead to greater poverty or injustice. After all, major problems always grow out of smaller ones. I would like my research to help, even if only a little, to make the world a calmer and better place.

What I Dream About as an Ordinary Person

I have another dream—not as a scientist, but simply as a person. I want to open a home for young children in Syria who have no parents. When I saw children begging in the streets, it was very painful for me. Adults also need help, of course, but they have already grown up and can understand things for themselves, make choices, and decide what to do next. Children, by contrast, are innocent and defenceless. But one day they will grow up and become the foundation of society, so we need to start with them.

If I Had Not Become a Scientist

I would probably have become a doctor. I have always been interested in understanding how things work: how a phone, an engine, a car, or any other system works. The human body is also a system, but an even more complex and fascinating one. It is very interesting to understand how each organ works, especially the brain. In Syria, I attended a school for gifted children, and when I had to choose a particular programme, I chose technology. Perhaps that was because medicine was not an option. There was biology, but that is not quite the same thing. A doctor works with people. I think I could have become a surgeon because I am interested not only in studying the human body but also in actually helping people. Sometimes I even think that perhaps one day I will go to medical school. In ten or twenty years. A more immediate and realistic plan is to defend my PhD thesis, become a postdoctoral researcher, and try to apply artificial intelligence to neuroscience.

Who I Would Like to Meet

Marie Curie. For me, she is an example of a strong and courageous scientist. She worked at a very difficult time, when it was much harder for women to pursue a scientific career, but despite this she continued her research and made an enormous contribution to science. I would ask her how she finds the strength not to give up when things get difficult. I would also be interested to know what mattered more to her—the process of making a scientific discovery itself or the ways in which her discoveries could help people.

A Typical Day for Me

It depends on the period. Sometimes I prepare for classes, teach seminars, and communicate with students. At other times, I spend more time on research. Then I read papers, write code, run experiments, analyse the results and, of course, talk to colleagues and attend conferences. As for my regular routine, I always get up at 7 am and do some stretching. Whenever possible, I also exercise three evenings a week. I do Muay Thai.

Whether I Have Experienced Burnout

I experienced burnout while writing my PhD thesis, and now I try not to overwork myself to that extent. I am learning how to rest. I used to think that if I was not working, I was wasting time. Now I understand that rest is part of work. It helps me to put my computer and phone aside, go for a walk, meet friends or colleagues and switch to something simple. There is a poster in our office that says, ‘If you get tired, learn how to rest, not to quit!’ It is true. Sometimes you simply need to give yourself a break. At the laboratory, we are constantly trying new activities. We have gone bowling and singing at karaoke, and on June 14 we won the ‘Catch the Wave with HSE’ rowing competition.

My Interests Besides Science

I love cooking. Mostly Syrian food, but sometimes Russian dishes too. For example, I learnt how to make borscht. And, of course, I love making tvorozhnaya zapekanka, a Russian-style cottage cheese bake, while I buy syrniki. I enjoy treating my colleagues, so I often bring Syrian pastries to the office. Sometimes I make them myself, and sometimes I buy something from a Syrian shop, such as baklava. This week, I made kaak breadsticks. We have a group chat called ‘Food,’ and whenever we bring something in, we write, ‘Colleagues, please help yourselves!’ There is another woman from Syria working at the laboratory. Whenever she has tea with my breadsticks, she always says, ‘It feels as if I have been home.’

What I Have Been Reading and Watching Lately

I am currently reading Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. In English, of course. Before that, I read George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. In Russian, I am reading The Little Prince—it is just right for my level of the language. I tried to start Tanya Grotter, but I had to translate every single word, and it took far too much time. The most recent film I watched that I really enjoyed was the 1992 film My Cousin Vinny.

Advice for Aspiring Scientists

I would advise early-career researchers not to wait for the perfect moment when you have learnt everything and are completely ready. The right moment is right now. Start, try things, make mistakes, and learn as you go. Be braver. Often, our limitations exist only in our heads. The people around us are usually too busy with their own worries and their own lives to judge anyone else. And you should not be afraid of burning out or losing interest in what you do. Quite often, interest and even genuine passion come when you have already developed some skills and feel more confident and free.

It is also very important to maintain critical thinking and not be afraid to ask questions. Even very simple or ‘stupid’ ones. If you do not ask, you will never know the answer. Quite often, it turns out that many other people do not know the answer either—they are simply afraid to ask. For me, an intelligent person is not someone who knows everything, but someone who is not afraid to look for answers.

My Favourite Places in Moscow and Jableh

My favourite place in Moscow is Sparrow Hills. I like not only the place itself but also the journey there. You get off at a very beautiful metro station, walk towards the river, stop to look at the water and toss in a coin so that you will come back, and then continue on your way. The climb up to the MSU building is neither too difficult nor too easy. It is just enough to make you feel that you have made a little physical effort. I think it is a very romantic and peaceful place. It is beautiful in winter because of the snow and in summer because of the greenery. And in the evenings, everything is lit up. I think Moscow is one of the most beautiful cities when it comes to night-time lighting.

And, of course, I love looking at the MSU building, that imposing and beautiful Stalinist skyscraper with its clock. On the other side, you get a view of Moscow—the stadium, the river, and Moscow City. After the climb, that view feels like a reward.

In Syria, I lived in the city of Jableh. Jableh is on the Mediterranean coast, so naturally one of my favourite places there is the seafront. I like buying a plate of ful—a very popular Syrian street food made with beans, lemon, olive oil, and spices— from a street cart and going for a walk along the sea.