Iris Yuping Ren

From April 2021 until August 2021, Iris replaces Anne as University Council member.

2012 is the first time I came to Utrecht University for a short summer school of two weeks. Five years later, I came back for a much longer time: in 2017, I started my PhD at the Department of Information and Computing Sciences. My research topic is musical pattern discovery, whereby I compare annotated patterns and algorithmically extracted ones. During my PhD, I have learnt and am still learning a lot about research, but also noticed that there are many more influencing factors from life than objective intellectual pursuits. What fuels me includes a range of unfortunate experiences, such as RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury), discrimination, and inappropriate behaviour towards me, as well as a range of fortunate ones, including a considerate supervisory team, supporting friends, colleagues and students, and great learning and teaching opportunities. I would love to do what I can to eradicate some of the existing issues and provide a voice for people and for myself that can be helpful, speaking up for diversity, cultural and language awareness, innovation and technologies, and effective communication. I hope to represent a diverse range of PhD candidates, connect with students, and facilitate communication with other employees.

In the University Council, I am a member of the committee on Education, Research and Students (OOS).
I’m also a member of the Science Faculty Council.