Since June 15, Yusra has been part of our chair as a research assistant. In this interview, she tells us about her academic interests, how her academic path developed, and what continues to motivate her in both her research and teaching

Yusra studied Informatics Engineering in Syria, where she became especially interested in AI-related topics. A turning point came when she received full marks in a test on image processing. From that moment on, she knew that this was the field she wanted to pursue, she recalls. In addition, her strong interest in mathematics made the choice feel like a natural fit. After moving to Germany, she went on to pursue her master’s degree in computer engineering at the University of Duisburg-Essen, where she further deepened her focus on artificial intelligence. For her master’s thesis, she worked on LLMs (Large Language Models) in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute. At our chair, Yusra is now working on ZIRKULAR-X, where she helps develop AI methods, particularly NLP, to analyze building documentation and structure it into a semantic knowledge platform that supports circular construction.

Enjoying the environment the university provides, Yusra especially values the opportunity to continue combining theory with practice. Alongside her research, teaching has always played an important role throughout her academic journey. She began supporting teaching during her bachelor’s studies and later supervised students during her master’s degree, which strengthened her interest in sharing knowledge and working with students. Now she is excited to teach her own classes and support students at the chair!

We are very happy to have Yusra on board and look forward to working with her on ZIRKULAR-X and beyond.