University of York

Soft Power Competition in Africa: A Comparative Study of China and India’s Influence Strategies

Intern: Nikita Walugembe
Degree course: Politics with International Relations
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I am currently studying Politics and International Relations, driven by a strong interest in global affairs, power, and development. I chose this degree to better understand how political systems, international institutions, and economic forces shape the world. Through my academic work and an internship in Nairobi supporting refugee-led businesses, I have developed a particular interest in humanitarian aid and international development. After graduating, I hope to pursue a career in areas such as diplomacy, international development, or public relations.

Outside my degree, I enjoy travelling, volunteering, and taking part in personal development and empowerment programmes.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I applied because it directly relates to my studies in Politics and International Relations and the career path I hope to pursue after graduating. I am keen to gain practical experience beyond university and to better understand how the concepts I learn about in my degree operate in a professional environment. This opportunity would allow me to develop important skills, such as communication, research, and problem-solving, while learning from professionals already working in the field. I am motivated, eager to learn, and genuinely excited about the chance to contribute to the organisation’s work while building my own experience.

What do you hope to gain in completing this project?

I hope to gain a deeper understanding of how real projects are planned and delivered within a professional setting, and how theoretical knowledge from my degree can be applied in practice. I also want to develop my practical skills, particularly in research, communication, teamwork, and time management. Completing this project will help me build confidence in a working environment, strengthen my employability, and give me clearer direction for my future career. Most importantly, I hope to make a meaningful contribution to the organisation while learning from the experience.

Investigating DNA–protein interactions governing biofilm stability

Intern: James Law
Degree course: Natural Science specialising in Biophysical Sciences
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I chose my degree in biophysics after writing an essay about the interactions between human cells and viruses for my EPQ during my A-Levels. This ignited my passion for exploring biological systems at the nanoscale.

I really enjoy my degree, as I get to learn techniques for investigating biological systems at the nanoscale, with some of my favourites being molecular dynamics simulations, single-molecule optical-magnetic tweezers, and single-molecule FRET using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence microscopy. After graduation, I plan to continue my academic journey by applying for a PhD in biophysical pathology and drug development, focusing on computational simulations and experimental biophysics.

In addition to my studies, I am the Events Officer for the Roller Disco Society. I organise weekly social events, such as craft nights, movie nights, and cafe crawls, and I enjoy roller skating with my friends.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I applied because it provides access to high-performance GPU computing facilities. This opportunity is allowing me to investigate antibiotic resistance by examining the interaction between a protein and two DNA strands using molecular dynamics simulations.

What do you hope to gain in completing this project?

I hope to significantly enhance my computational skill set and provide me with a competitive edge in computational research jobs, such as computational drug development.

Deep Learning Models for Automatic Chord Recognition in Polyphonic Audio

Intern: Facundo Franchino
Degree course: BEng Electronic Engineering with Music Technology Systems
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I am an Electronic Engineering with Music Technology Systems student at the University of York, specialising in audio DSP, real-time systems, and music information retrieval. I chose this degree because it combines my background as a musician and composer with a strong mathematical and computer engineering education, which informs my ability to build tools that analyse, transform, and generate sound.

My current work focuses on audio signal processing. Specifically, in algorithmic reverberation and automatic music transcription. I also devote a significant amount of my free time to contributing to open-source audio software. I plan to pursue a research-oriented career through graduate studies and research & development positions in industry.

Outside my degree, I compose and perform jazz and classical music, blog on my website, and explore intersections between creative practice and technology.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I was already researching automatic chord recognition in my free time, and I thought it would be a very enriching experience to explore it from an HPC lens.

What do you hope to gain in completing this project?

I hope to deepen my understanding of why chord recognisers struggle with musically important but infrequent harmonic events, and to experiment with methods that improve prediction quality in these areas. Working at HPC scale will allow me to test ideas that are not feasible on local hardware and develop a more rigorous approach to evaluating MIR systems. My goal is to contribute insight that leads to more reliable and musically meaningful chord recognition models.