Exploring AI frontiers in the Netherlands

21 April 2025 

Chai Ai Fang visiting Campus Fryslân, part of the University of Groningen, in the first quarter of 2025.

Chai Ai Fang’s journey at the university shows how her passion for research can open doors globally. Currently pursuing her PhD at the School of Information Technology (IT), Ai Fang’s research focuses on generating realistic human talking face videos using audio and images. Her work pushes technological boundaries and responsibly addresses ethical concerns related to AI-generated content.

“My research aims to synthesise lifelike facial movements and expressions in sync with speech, ensuring ethical outputs free from hateful or harmful content,” Ai Fang shares. Her interest in artificial intelligence and speech technology was sparked during her undergraduate studies in Computer Science at Universiti Sains Malaysia, leading her down the fields central to her doctoral studies today.

One of the major highlights of Ai Fang’s academic career was her participation in Monash’s PhD Global Mobility Program, which enabled her to spend valuable research time at Campus Fryslân, part of the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands. Ai Fang chose Campus Fryslân for its speech technology expertise and robust research culture. “My co-supervisor has a senior colleague there who is an expert in Speech Technology. Given my strong interest in speech synthesis, speech recognition, and emotion classification in speech, Campus Fryslân stood out as an ideal destination for collaboration,” she explains.

During her stay in the Netherlands, Ai Fang embraced the distinctively independent and open educational culture. She noted a marked difference from ASEAN academic settings, observing how Dutch students are encouraged to explore their interests freely early on. “The experience broadened my perspective, enhanced my confidence, and deepened my understanding of global research culture,” Ai Fang reflects.

One memorable moment was delivering her first guest lecture on hate speech detection in multilingual datasets. “Before presenting, I felt quite anxious, worrying that I might not be able to answer questions from the students. However, soon my concern was unfounded. When students asked questions, I saw it as a positive sign of engagement, and it opened up the discussion,” she recalls.

Ai Fang also appreciated the unique differences between the research cultures of Monash University Malaysia and Campus Fryslân. While the Dutch approach encouraged independence and self-direction, the Malaysian system provided close mentorship and structured support. “Both cultures have their strengths, and experiencing both has helped me grow academically and personally,” she says.

Beyond academics, Ai Fang encourages students to explore opportunities abroad boldly. Her advice to peers is simple but profound in meaning, “Brave people experience the world first! Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, as every mistake is a chance to learn and grow. In fact, we often learn more from our failures than from our successes. So, take the leap, embrace the unknown, and trust that every step will lead you closer to where you’re meant to be.”