Letters / Motivational Letter to JEMARO Program [3]

Japanese-European Master program application

Hey there! I am writing my motivational letter for the Japanese-European Masters in Advanced Robotics Program, indicating my interest in the Control Systems field.

Would really appreciate if you can take a look at it and give me some feedback on it.

Here's the Letter Template:
1- Personal intro
2- Recall of your undergraduate curriculum and highlight links to the JEMARO Master Program
3- State in short why you want to apply to JEMARO and why you chose a given robotics-related research topic (Control, Mechatronics - Robotics, Human Interface - Signal Processing, Comp Sci, Biological Info) to work on during the research track

4- Develop your strongest qualifications, past experiences, and qualities that will help you to succeed in JEMARO
5- Develop what will be your professional project after getting your master's degree

Motivation Letter

I am writing to express my interest in applying for the Japanese European Master on Advanced Robotics (JEMARO) program, starting in Fall 2022. My goal is to become an expert in control systems and to bring that knowledge back to the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, to improve scientific research and development, and to deploy the knowledge in applications that are useful to the people of this region. Being part of the program will train me in numerous fields of advanced robotics and controls, and this will help me reach my goal.

Having graduated top of my school with honors, I received a scholarship to study Engineering at Cairo University. Initially, I wanted to pursue an undergraduate degree in Mechatronics, but it was not offered, and so, I majored in a field that comprised of similar areas of study, and also that interested me the most - that being Aerospace Engineering. I studied dynamics, flow mechanics, thermal fluids, programming, engineering design and modeling, circuits, control, feedback systems, etc. I went on to take classes that relate to the subfield of control systems, such as Automatic Control, Power electronics applications, Digital control, and Micro-controllers, System Dynamics, and Mechanics control system.

While researching the controls and robotics fields, I discovered that according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for controls and robotics engineers is growing at a rate of 9% from 2016 - 2026, which ranks the field amongst the top emerging compared to other engineering disciplines. Control systems are present in air conditioners, refrigerators, etc. up to processes within cars - such as cruise control. As for industrial examples, we find control systems in quality control of products, transportation systems, space technology, robotics, and much more. Seeing the impact of control systems on our daily lives and understanding its substantial potential is what convinced me to choose it as a professional career.

I am fascinated by the field of control systems because of how it revolutionized human lives. Machines now take on redundant tasks, freeing up people's time to devote it to more challenging tasks. They are faster, more reliable, and do not get tired from doing repetitive tasks. This led to massive improvements on the commercial and industrial levels. Efficient building energy systems, better production lines, car control mechanisms, security, etc. not to mention the creation of Artificial intelligence and machine learning, where computers learn to improve and iterate themselves solely without human intervention. All of this made me realize that this is the field of the future and that I want to be part of it, but I can be a positive contributor to this field with the knowledge and experience that I currently have. So I started researching MSc programs that relate to my goal, and after reading thoroughly about this program, I found out that it provides the opportunity to study what I want to become.

I want to attend the JEMARO program because of the widely known outstanding educational system and facilities. After I read carefully the curriculum and the course requirements, I believe that it perfectly matches my research interests. With many distinguished scientists and professors, I know that I will gain expert knowledge at the forefront of discovery. Moreover, by combining my theoretical and specialized education with hands-on research, I will gain critical work experience. All of these strong positives allow me to research control systems and to pursue my dreams and ambitions.

Throughout my undergraduate years, I made sure to involve myself with projects that boosted my experience in the field of control systems. Therefore, during my sophomore year, I set forth and applied to be part of the university's car racing team. The team designed and built a Formula 1 car, and participated in the Formula student engineering competition in the UK. My main role was to design an efficient control system software using Matlab and to simulate a test of the Engine recovery system using Matlab Simulink. Our goal was to reduce the waste energy created while braking. As for my class projects, my most challenging one was during my junior year, when I took a class named Aircraft Flight Mechanics. Our final term project was to model the motion of a Boeing 737 in longitudinal and lateral axis and to design a control system for the longitudinal axis. It was after successfully completing the project that I was sure I wanted to pursue an MSc in Control systems.

As for my study abroad experience, I was selected among top students across all of Egypt to attend a summer program at the Advanced Institute of Industrial Technology (AIIT), Japan. During our program, we shadowed a team whose objective was to develop a mobile application that monitored a residential area in order to caution the residents in case of any natural hazards to occur. This would ideally provide the residents with enough time to evacuate safely.

Having developed the aforementioned knowledge and experience in control systems, when it comes to thinking about real-world applications of my research track, I want to be part of the engineers who develop and improve the concept of autonomous vehicles in the MENA region. Autonomous vehicles have a multitude of benefits, most known are reducing traffic accidents, and improve traffic flow. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 94% of car accidents are due to human error. As for the traffic flow, smart systems within cars can theoretically communicate with each other via servers and communication channels, and hence, an algorithm can optimize the traffic by analyzing the flow patterns, resulting in reducing travel time and preventing congestions. Moreover, the applications of autonomous vehicles can be extended to vital industries such as the supply chain & distribution industry, and to enhance scientific research of less accessible terrestrial areas, using vehicles such as drones.

Since the outbreak of covid-19, online shopping has increased drastically, resulting in increasing the demand in having a more optimized supply chain and distribution system. Whether it is delivering raw materials from suppliers to manufacturers, or delivering products, the need for a fast, reliable and optimized system is more needed than ever. I believe that drones can play a vital role in increasing the efficiency of supply chains, especially that now drones enjoy a longer range than before, which means longer distances covered, and lesser waiting times for goods to be shipped. As a matter of fact, drones have been used in regions of the world to deliver products, but it is still a relatively new concept in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region. Hence, I see a promising business idea as an outcome.

Secondly, studying the earth's natural phenomena is essential for the understanding of our planet and can help us learn why such phenomena occur. Think of a hurricane, it would be too dangerous to set up a campsite nearby a hurricane site, but it would be safer to send a drone, capture footage of the phenomena, and transmit the data back to the site, to be better analyzed, all done without risking any lives. Think of rovers that can be sent deep underwater to help us unravel the mysteries of the seas and oceans.

As I am passionate about innovation and finding solutions to the most pressing industry challenges, I am planning to work as a controls systems engineer after graduating. Joining the JEMARO program will definitely provide me with the necessary analytical and practical tools to succeed in this role. In the end, thank you for taking the time to read through my motivation, and I look forward to hearing from you.