'What a city. What a year!'
“Liverpool has been unreal... What a city, what a year!” opines Master’s graduate Jeffrey Shijo, who graduates today.
“It was insane and I would not trade it for anything,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “I met some of the best people ever, learnt so much that my brain is still catching up, and even ended up in a national competition. It still feels unreal.”
The 23-year-old MSc Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning graduate also saw his dream turn to reality. He created a holiday snaps app described as “outstanding” by computer science professor, Paul Fergus. The app uses AI to narrate your journey in story form and whizz it off to loved ones and friends.
“What was clever about the app was it used AI to tailor each ‘holiday review’ to individuals,” says the professor. “So your granny gets your holiday snaps in one format while your 10-year-old nephew get a completely different version.”
“Watching that project come alive was honestly the best part of the whole year,” admits Jeffrey, who is originally from India but has settled in Kirkby, near Liverpool.
A career in research?
Since graduating, Jeffrey has become a software engineer for Southport-based facilities and safety group EFT but he’s also considering a PhD at LJMU.
Looking back, he says: “My parents played a big role in my decision to pursue a Master's degree. They wanted me to understand how competitive the field is and to prepare myself properly rather than rushing into a job too early. Looking back, I am really thankful for that push.
“What attracted me to LJMU specifically was the strong applied focus. The course matched the way I liked to learn, by building, testing, and applying concepts in real scenarios.”
“For me, AI is most valuable as a tool to accelerate what we can do, not to replace humans. When used smartly, it can unlock new possibilities, but it is still up to us to guide it and apply it effectively.”
Professor and mentor
Professor Fergus said: “Well done Jeffrey, you did a fantastic job. It was an absolute pleasure having you on the course. You have got a fantastic career ahead of you. Enjoy, have fun, and never lose your passion for doing good.”
His professor’s input was key, he says: “Working with Paul on my dissertation has shown me how valuable good mentorship can be. He has a way of guiding you to think deeply, ask the right questions and connect theory with practice.
“Being able to continue working with him in a PhD would be an incredible opportunity.”
IMAGE: Professor Paul Fergus with Jeffrey.
Today at graduation
Jeffrey Shijo was among more than 700 graduates who received awards at Liverpool Cathedral today.
Today’s graduates were from:
- The School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment
- The School of Computer Science and Mathematics
- The School of Engineering
- The School of Biological and Environmental Sciences
- The School of Sport and Exercise Sciences
- The Astrophysics Research Institute
- The School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
- The School of Psychology
