Ing. Šimon Schierreich, a doctoral student, member of the G²OAT research group, and researcher of the Roboprox project at the Faculty of Information Technology (FIT) of the Czech Technical University (CTU), is one of 17 successful applicants from the Czech Republic for the prestigious Fulbright-Masaryk Scholarship. The scholarship will allow him to spend six months at Penn State University in the United States, working on research related to algorithms for collective decision-making. In addition to demonstrating excellent expertise and a compelling research topic, an important aspect in receiving this scholarship was his active involvement in civic and public life, following the example of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.
In today's increasingly globalized world, algorithmic decision-making systems have become an integral part of daily life. Nowadays, decisions need to be made almost constantly, involving vast amounts of data and factors. It’s not easy to simply choose what would be the best decision. Schierreich’s research aims to design algorithms for collective decision-making in such a way that the resulting decision has desirable properties, such as being fair to all involved parties. A practical example of applying the results of this research in everyday life could be in the division of inheritance, where different actors have varying preferences and value different things. Based on input from these individuals, algorithms can be designed to distribute the inheritance fairly and to the satisfaction of everyone involved.
Schierreich remains committed to his studies in Computer Science at FIT CTU, where he is currently pursuing his doctoral degree while also working as a researcher on the Roboprox project. After completing his research with the Fulbright-Masaryk Scholarship at Penn State University, he plans to finish his doctoral studies and defend his dissertation on the topic of Multivariate Complexity and Structural Parameters in Computational Social Choice at FIT CTU.
“It is an honor and a challenge for me to have the opportunity to conduct research in a different environment, university, and culture. My volunteer work in scouting, organizing the FIT Informatics Correspondence Seminar (FIKS) at FIT CTU, and serving as a volunteer administrator for climbing areas around Prague certainly helped me secure the scholarship. I believe that this experience, which not many people have, will bring me new contacts and open opportunities that I wouldn’t have had without it,” says Schierreich.
And what advice does Schierreich have for future applicants for the Fulbright-Masaryk Scholarship? Don’t be afraid and apply. Any interesting research project certainly has a chance.
