ENS Paris-Saclay provided me with a high-quality education, allowing me to acquire both theoretical and practical knowledge. It also opened up numerous opportunities for international exchange, which enabled me to apply my knowledge in an academic research setting. The faculty listened to me and guided me throughout these years, both when I was developing my specific study proposal and during my thesis research.
Ludovic De Matteis is a doctoral student at the Laboratory for Systems Analysis and Architecture (LAAS), as part of the Gepetto team, and Inria Paris. He looks back on his time as a student in the Department of Teaching and Research (DER) in Electrical and Digital Engineering Sciences (SIEN), formerly known as Nikola Tesla and EEA.
What is your educational background?
What was your department at the ENS?
I attended a PTSI preparatory class at Lycée la Martinière Monplaisir in Lyon and enrolled at ENS Paris-Saclay (still known as Cachan at the time) in 2018.
I entered the first year of the SAPHIRE program and decided in the second semester to switch to the EEA department. The following year, I pursued the first year of the E3A master’s program. I spent the second semester of my first year of the master’s program in Switzerland at EPFL, where I was able to take courses on topics related to those in the E3A master’s program.
I completed my Master’s 1 research internship at the Intelligent Systems Laboratory (LIS) at EPFL, during which I worked on a human-machine interface for drone fleet control. Following this internship, I was able to publish my first conference paper for IROS 2021 (and in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters).
I then embarked on a rather unconventional path following a request for a specific study project (developed with the help of Mr. Rodet, director of the EEA department).
I completed a year of pre-doctoral research abroad (ARPE) at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. There, I was able to work for 10 months on a robotics research project at the RAIL laboratory and publish a second article in a journal.
Top graduate in the Agrégation exam in Industrial Sciences for Engineering, with a specialization in Computer Engineering (SII-II).
I then returned to ENS Paris-Saclay for a preparatory year for the Agrégation exam (INTRANET). Following that year, I took the Agrégation exam and ranked first in the 2022 session in Industrial Sciences for Engineering, with a specialization in Computer Engineering (SII-II).
What Master’s 2 program did you pursue?
I then pursued the Master’s 2 in Mathematics, Vision and Machine Learning (MVA), which allowed me to take a more mathematical approach to the research problems that interest me. From the wide range of courses offered in the MVA program, I chose to focus on optimization courses, setting aside machine learning courses somewhat.
Which specialized year did you complete? Why? Did you take the agrégation exam? Why?
I therefore chose to complete two specialized years.
I completed an ARPE year to apply my knowledge and immerse myself in the world of research, which already appealed to me at the time and which I had previously had the opportunity to explore through my M1 research internship.
I also completed a year of preparation for the agrégation exam, which was a unique opportunity for me to deepen my knowledge while learning how to convey it effectively. I had already had the opportunity to try my hand at teaching on several occasions before taking the agrégation exam, notably through a teaching internship at a middle school and by writing a popular science article on Artificial Intelligence for the journal 3EI. Since I wanted to pursue a career combining teaching and research, I felt it was important for me to take the Agrégation exam.
At that time, there were only three specialized tracks: ARPE, Agrégation, and ARIA. The coordinators of the ARIA program refused to let me enroll without first taking a course that conflicted very slightly with my exchange program at EPFL. I don’t regret at all having prioritized EPFL, since I was able to enroll in a specialized master’s program in this field without having to complete the ARIA year.
Did you know from the start what you wanted to do?
I’d say I’ve always wanted to pursue a career in research, which for me represents the opportunity to learn continuously, but my years at ENS Paris-Saclay helped solidify that choice, both through research experiences and through numerous discussions with the faculty members in the department. In that regard, I’d like to thank the faculty members in the department who gave me sound advice during my time at ENS Paris-Saclay.
In addition, ENS Paris-Saclay allowed me to explore teaching in depth and provided me with many experiences that greatly influenced my decisions. Once again, I would like to thank the faculty—and especially Mr. Juton—for guiding me in this direction and for offering so many opportunities to explore the transmission of knowledge.
What did the school offer you during these (5) years of your degree program?
I believe that ENS Paris-Saclay provided me with a very high-quality education, allowing me to acquire both theoretical and practical knowledge. It also opened up numerous opportunities for international exchange programs, which allowed me to apply my knowledge in an academic research setting. The faculty listened to me and guided me throughout these years, both when I was developing my specific study proposal and during my thesis research.
What are you doing after graduation?
I am currently in my first year of my Ph.D. program, working between the Laboratory for Systems Analysis and Architecture (LAAS) as part of the Gepetto team, and Inria Paris, in the Willow team. I am supervised by Nicolas Mansard and Justin Carpentier (a former student of the EEA department).
My dissertation topic, titled “Predictive Control for Robot Locomotion with Complex Actuation,” focuses on control issues for walking robots.
Throughout my thesis, I’ve wanted to continue teaching; this year through part-time teaching positions at the IUT GEII in Toulouse and at ISAE Supaero, and next year through teaching assignments.
What are your professional plans for the future?
I plan to continue working in research and teaching, pursuing a career as a research professor in the field of mathematics applied to robotics.
What advice would you give to students who are hesitant about coming to ENS Paris-Saclay?
I would say that ENS Paris-Saclay is an ideal place for anyone wishing to pursue a career in research—whether in academia or the private sector—or a career in higher education. Many different fields are available at ENS Paris-Saclay, which will allow everyone to find the path that suits them best.