Some thoughts after internship

I can’t believe how fast time flies, but today I have to say goodbye to everyone at MPI-SP as it marks the official end of my 4-month internship in Marcel’s group. First and foremost, I want to extend my deepest thanks to Marcel for giving me this incredible opportunity. Together, we worked on a new vulnerability-oriented path search strategy Vital (where we suggest using type unsafe pointers to approximate the vulnerability behavior of a path and utilize a new unsafe pointer-guided Monte Carlo Tree Search algorithm to navigate vulnerability-oriented path searches) and began exploring structural input generation for symbolic execution (ongoing work).

I’d also like to share a few important lessons I learned during my time here (these are just my personal opinions).

• “Insight must precede application”. I was deeply inspired when I saw this phrase for the first time at MPI (see Picture #1): I think this is exactly what a real researcher should do and the essence of true research. We must thoroughly understand the problem before jumping into solution design, following the saying “A well-defined problem is half solved”. It’s crucial to grasp the true nature of the problem, identify the inner challenges or pain points, and justify why I am the right person to solve it. This insight is something I will carry with me in all my current and future projects.
• Talk to people, don’t be shy. MPI promotes a great initiative called Spark(l)ing Science, which encourages scientific and social exchange (see Picture #2, where I was presenting the Vital work at Spark(l)ing Science). I believe it’s quite important not only to discuss our research with peers but also to engage people from other fields, helping them understand what you do and why. Significant discoveries often come from standing on the shoulders of giants and then seeing beyond them. I will try to talk more to different people for my future projects.
• Try to balance work and life. I understand that many PhD students (of course including me) often struggle with the stress of various tasks, especially when a paper gets rejected. However, it’s important not to focus too intensely on a single task for too long. Personally, when a paper is rejected, I set it aside for a week before carefully reviewing the feedback and planning improvements. It’s essential to take time for other enjoyable activities (research isn’t the only thing that a PhD student should do!). I was fortunate enough that, as an avid tennis enthusiast, during my stay, I went to the Olympic Games in Paris and watched the 60th head-to-head clash between two former No. 1 tennis players (see Picture #3) and also visited the Louvre Museum (see Picture #4). I will try to improve productivity by balancing work and life.

(Please find the pictures mentioned in X.)

Again, the above are all my personal opinions and may not apply to every PhD student. I’m still on my journey to doing good research and eager to learn new things along the way. Finally, I wish the best of luck to my friends at MPI. I will miss you all and look forward to meeting you again, whatever the circumstances. Glück auf!