Frustrations as a Universiti Malaya Computer Science student
TL;DR - if you're going to pursue your studies in Universiti Malaya, specifically in AI, **DONT.** There's little to no infrastructure here
As a Computer Science student from Universiti Malaya, the supposed number 1 university in Malaysia, we have a blockchain lab, and it's just rotting away here for no goddamn reason, and it even became a store for storing raya decorations and even chairs and tables. In this very same room, there's a bunch of GPUs (unused, and even RUSTING)
The Artificial Intelligence department, has **zero infrastructure** to assist them in their AI training, as well as exploring more about Generative AI applications, without forking out money for a GPU Cloud subscription! (which mind you, costs RM80/month, and resorting to using Kaggle GPUs is very much unsustainable because we're full-time degree students not doing the degree on the side)
This is just outrageous. The number one university in Malaysia, having this shit infrastructure, as well as having a dedicated Artificial Intelligence department for students to come here and do their degree, just for them to pay to even support their education journey. For all I know, most people come to University because of two reasons, number 1 is getting that degree paper for further use, and number 2 being that they don't have infrastructure at home to learn the stuff they need themselves
AI students come into the faculty thinking they have proper infrastructure to assist them in their academic AI-related pursuits, and yet boom they get hit with a goddamn wall with NO INFRASTRUCTURE, and when recommending to the higher ups of the university, they just shrug it off as "things take time".
So you're telling me this room, which has been here since 2018, no lecturers from the AI department ever thought "Hey, maybe we should have our own GPU clusters so that we can actually do research instead of having the blockchain lab, filled with a ton of GPUS, rot there"? Damn man
Anyways, that's just what I wanted to vent. Seeing that we're moving towards a more AI-centric future, seeing a goddamn university having little to no infrastructure to even support this is quite depressing, even more so being a student in this "prestigious" institution.
The problem is endemic in malaysia. In bahasa malay, tenat.
1. We pump money into relijen 2. For maruah (dun want admit they failed), money is spend on redundancy. LCS ship? Juz tip of ice berg. 3. Overspend on over priced procurement. Is dis even secrets anymore? 4. Rasuah. 5. Oversized civil service. 6. Reject talents bcuz they are non.
"Hey, maybe we should have our own GPU clusters so that we can actually do research instead of having the blockchain lab, filled with a ton of GPUS, rot there"?
I'm certain there are or most lecturers there had this questions back then or even now.
either no one wants to step up because of their workload or have other more important projects/grants to attend to
unless got incentive from the uni/gov, I think no one will want to take charge
more to budget and human resources (no staff willing) punya masalah, but I can at least 70-80% certain it is about budget
This is my experience when i was a Research Assistant in a local Uni last time. I can only wonder if it has become worse...
1) Simply apply for gov grant by using ideas from the Iranian/Middle East students 2) Get the grant, but some of the money the lecturer will songlap. Not sure how maybe through salaries/crony vendors etc. 3) Just barely do some research to publish a paper or two in a low impact journal/publication 4) Lecturer misuse the money to "present" the paper in a foreign country 5) ??? 6) Profit and rinse and repeat
@azarimy, maybe you can clarify this if i am wrong.
The last I know comp science was a popular course in UM. Those top birds from stpm or matriculation were usually aiming medicine, dentistry, law, ME, CE ,EE, architect, actuarial, accounting, business, and economy.
But thoooooose were the time la.. things could have changed.
If someone really want to learn AI, they can just go online and find the resources if they really want to and join those AI community such as "Hugging Face". Traditional academia is where people go and learn basic and foundation of computer science and tech. AI is cutting edge, it is just too fast for "traditional academia" to chase it.
The benefits of a university and proper teachers is that they will guide and steer you away from many mistakes and missteps.
Can you learn it on your own? Sure, but expect to spend 2-3 times the amount of time compared to a proper university education. And some people without the discipline and wherewithal will just say "fark this shitto, imma gonna go play diablo"
Any program related to AI offered by any Uni outside Western & East Asia world (especially those 3rd world country) is a scam. It 's like suddenly many uni/prof/lecturer claim to be expert on chip/space/ai.
Later i will called my Jamban as "A.I. Jamban"
LOL
This post has been edited by ApocalypseSoon: Jul 16 2024, 10:34 AM
Hmm thought it was the other way around, hearsay their high impact research facility so many pakai buang research equipments cost up to millions from grants funded by taxpayer
fyi, only in 2014 UM department of electrical engineering has its own bulding which is from leftover from fakulti alam bina...before 2014 all like nomad here and there campak2...
now? i even not sure how they maintain that...when it was new its very good...
This is my experience when i was a Research Assistant in a local Uni last time. I can only wonder if it has become worse...
1) Simply apply for gov grant by using ideas from the Iranian/Middle East students 2) Get the grant, but some of the money the lecturer will songlap. Not sure how maybe through salaries/crony vendors etc. 3) Just barely do some research to publish a paper or two in a low impact journal/publication 4) Lecturer misuse the money to "present" the paper in a foreign country 5) ??? 6) Profit and rinse and repeat
@azarimy, maybe you can clarify this if i am wrong.
my gf AI grad from UM
1. lecturer apply grant/take projects externally 2. force students to do the work 3. songlap money 4. if you reject, lecturer will make your life difficult and fail you
1. lecturer apply grant/take projects externally 2. force students to do the work 3. songlap money 4. if you reject, lecturer will make your life difficult and fail you
Jul 16 2024, 08:11 AM, updated 2y ago
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