As part of the ENSURE-6G project, I had the opportunity to do a secondment at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST). During the months of March and April, I furthered my research on improving the state-of-the-art on zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs).
ZKPs are a technology that allows proving virtually any computation’s correctness. Until now, this technology has often been met with slow performance, restricting its usefulness. My continued work at LIST has been about improving the performance (both theoretical and practical) and opening up the possibilities of where ZKPs can be deployed, making it more suitable for general use in security protocols.
I had the opportunity to talk to multiple talented researchers about their research and daily work. As the focus at LIST is more about practical results instead of fundamental research, being able to experience the different mentality and way of evaluating ideas was interesting to me. It opened another way to look at my own work, and I will probably take up some of the lessons I learned.
Working at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
My workplace was at the new campus at Belval. The site was once a factory of the heavy metal industry giant ArcelorMittal. Its roots are still visible as the entire campus is built around the old factory, making it akin to an art piece. Everywhere you look, you can still see the colossal metal structures that once made up the metal factory. This is most notable in the library, which was built around a part of the factory itself. When you walk between the bookshelves, you still tread on the metal platforms of the factory.
Being a new site allows many modern facilities to be never far away. You are always within walking distance of multiple good coffee shops, food stores, and restaurants. The good coffee also allowed me to bond with some of my colleagues at LIST.
Beautiful Nature
During my stay at LIST, I had the opportunity to experience the nature that Luxembourg has to offer. With the excellent free public transport, any big adventure is just a short train ride away. I had multiple occasions of making long walks through the red earth. The name was also not undeserved, as the ground is full of iron and thus has a noticeable brown-orange. As my stay started in March and ended in April, I also had the chance of seeing all the trees change from barely having leaves to being in full blossom.
Conclusion
Attending LIST has opened my horizons and allowed me to make great connections. It is a place where great research is being done and great care is taken for the well-being of the people working and living in the neighborhood. It is an experience I very much enjoyed and will miss once I am back in Belgium.
