MASTER OF ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
INFORMATION PACKAGE 2009-2010
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Goals of the programme
3. Contact information secretariat, ombudsperson, teaching staff
4. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) programme
- ECS: Engineering and Computer Science option
- CS: Cognitive Science option
- SLT: Speech and Language Technology option
5. Examinations
6. Facilities (classrooms, computer facilities, library)
7. Appendices:
- Timetable (preliminary)
- Plan of the campus
- Thesis form
- Thesis evaluation guidelines
Important upcoming deadlines:
Oct 15, 2009: complete your choice of individual study programme in Toledo
Oct 30, 2009: return signed form for your thesis to the MAI secretariat
1. INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Master of Artificial Intelligence (MAI) programme of the K.U.Leuven.
With this handout we want to give you some practical information about the Artificial Intelligence programme.
The most urgent thing to do at the beginning of the academic year is to register as soon as possible at the
Naamsestraat 22 in Leuven (before October 15).
All notices will appear on the MAI webpage:
www.mai.kuleuven.be (“Student information page” with link “E-Bulletin Board”).
You are supposed to regularly consult the e-bulletin board for all practical information throughout the academic
year of your studies.
2. GOALS OF THE PROGRAMME
The AI program aims at instructing and training students on state of the art knowledge and techniques in
Artificial Intelligence, with specific focus either on Engineering and Computer Science technology (ECS), on
Cognitive Science (CS) or on Speech and Language Technology (SLT), depending on the selected option
within the program. It aims at introducing the students to the concepts, methods and tools in the field. It aims at
instructing students on the achievements in a number of advanced application areas and make them familiar
with their current research directions. It aims to bring students to a level of knowledge, understanding, skills and
experience that are needed to actively conduct basic or applied research on an international level. In particular,
it aims to provide students with a critical scientific attitude towards the central themes of A.I. As a master-aftermaster program, it is assumed that the students entering this program have already achieved the general skills
and attitudes defined for any masters program. Nevertheless, it is also within the aims of the program to further
strengthen the skills and attitudes, as defined in the concept of guided self-study, within the specific scientific
context that AI offers.
ECS-option: In the ECS option, in addition to the above, the program aims at instilling a problem-solving attitude
towards the practice of AI. Upon completion of the program, students should be familiar with the fundamentals
of AI, be aware of its reasonable expectations, have practical experience in solving AI-problems and be
acquainted with a number of advanced areas within the field.
CS-option: In the CS option, in addition to the general aims, students should become familiar with the five
central disciplines involved in this multi-disciplinary domain (computer science, psychology, philosophy
(including logic), neuroscience and linguistics), including the research methods that are typical for these
domains. They should be well prepared to approach AI-subject matters from an interdisciplinary perspective
provided by the five disciplines.
SLT-option: In the SLT-option, in addition to the general aims, the program aims to provide all necessary
background and skills which are required to fully understand and to actively participate in the fast developing
multi-disciplinary field of Speech and Language processing. This includes a thorough understanding of the
theories and models that shape the field, as well as practical experience with a variety of technologies that are
used and currently developed.
3. CONTACT INFORMATION
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Danny De Schreye, Dept. Computer Science, Celestijnenlaan 200A, 3001 Heverlee, room 01.133, Tel: 016
327556, Fax: 016 327996, email: Danny.DeSchreye@cs.kuleuven.be
SECRETARIAT
Marleen Somers, address as above, room:0.002 Tel: 016 327817, Fax: 016327996, email:
Marleen.Somers@cs.kuleuven.be
OMBUDS (person to be contacted for questions concerning exams and exam regulations)
Joaquin Vanschoren, address as above, room 04.18, Tel: 016 327550, email:
Joaquin.Vanschoren@cs.kuleuven.be
(substitute: Geert Willems, email: geert.willems@esat.kuleuven.be)
COORDINATOR SLT OPTION
Prof. Frank Van Eynde, Centrum Computerlinguïstiek, M. Theresiastraat 21, 3000 Leuven,
phone: 016/32 50 84, fax: 016/32 50 95, email: Frank.Vaneynde@ccl.kuleuven.be
RESPONSABLE FOR INDIVIDUAL STUDY PROGRAMMES
Prof. Dirk Vandermeulen, Medical imaging center, UZ Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven,
Phone: 016/34 90 22, fax 016/34 90 01, email: Dirk.Vandermeulen@esat.kuleuven.be
TEACHING STAFF
Prof. G. Adriaens
Prof. B. Baesens
Prof. D. Bollé
Prof. H. Blockeel
Prof. H. Bruyninckx
Prof. M. Bruynooghe
Prof. L. Dehaspe
Prof. M. Denecker
Prof. D. De Schreye
Prof. T. Holvoet
Prof. G. Janssens
Prof. M.-F. Moens
Prof. Y. Moreau
Prof. M. Nuttin
Prof. D. Roose
Prof. W. Schaeken
Prof. G. Storms
Prof. J. Suykens
Prof. D. Van Compernolle
Prof. D. Vandermeulen
Prof. J. Vandewalle
Prof. F. Van Eynde
Prof. H. Van hamme
Prof. M. Van Hulle
Prof. A. Van Wieringen
Prof. K. Verfaillie
Prof. R. Vergauwen
Prof. J. Vereecke
Prof. J. Wagemans
Geert.Adriaens@ccl.kuleuven.be
Bart.Baesens@econ.kuleuven.be
Desire.Bolle@fys.kuleuven.be
Hendrik.Blockeel@cs.kuleuven.be
Herman.Bruyninckx@mech.kuleuven.be
Maurice.Bruynooghe@cs.kuleuven.be
Luc.Dehaspe@cs.kuleuven.be
Marc.Denecker@cs.kuleuven.be
Danny.Deschreye@cs.kuleuven.be
Tom.Holvoet@cs.kuleuven.be
Gerda.Janssens@cs.kuleuven.be
Sien.Moens@cs.kuleuven.be
Yves.Moreau@esat.kuleuven.be
Marnix.Nuttin@eng.kuleuven.be
Dirk.Roose@cs.kuleuven.be
Walter.Schaeken@psy.kuleuven.be
Gert.Storms@psy.kuleuven.be
Johan.Suykens@esat.kuleuven.be
Dirk.Vancompernolle@esat.kuleuven.be
Dirk.Vandermeulen@esat.kuleuven.be
Joos.Vandewalle@esat.kuleuven.be
Frank.Vaneynde@ccl.kuleuven.be
Hugo.Vanhamme@esat.kuleuven.be
Marc.Vanhulle@med.kuleuven.be
Astrid.VanWieringen@med.kuleuven.be
Karl.Verfaillie@psy.kuleuven.be
Roger.Vergauwen@hiw.kuleuven.be
Johan.Vereecke@med.kuleuven.be
Johan.Wagemans@psy.kuleuven.be
4. THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROGRAMME
The MAI programme consists of three options (ECS, SLT, CS). Each option has its own package of courses.
As a student from the ECS and CS option you should follow 11 courses and make a thesis.
As a student from the SLT option you should follow 10 courses and do a traineeship.
Part of the courses are mandatory, others are optional and should be taken up to an amount op 60 study points
in total.
All students have to fill out their individual program via K.U.Loket before October 15. It needs to be approved by
the ISP board of professors (ISP = Individual Study Programme) of the MAI programme.
Students from the ECS option are assumed to have taken a course on Object Oriented Programming prior to
this programme. For ECS students who did not follow such a course in a previous programme it is mandatory
to select the course “Basic Programming” within the current master AI programme. ECS students who did
follow such a course in a previous program should provide information on this course to the program director.
Note that you may ask to drop certain courses, in case these courses (or an equivalent course) were already
followed in a previous programme.
Once the program is approved by the ISP evaluation commission it becomes final.
5. EXAMINATIONS
The Master of Artificial Intelligence programme uses a 2-semester system. This implies that at the end of both
semesters an exam period is organized for all courses taught during that semester:
First semester: exam period takes place in January
Second semester: exam period takes place in June.
Students can not redo exams from the first semester in June (one has to wait until September for redoing
exams).
Students enrolled at the University are automatically enrolled for the examination in January, June and
September (if necessary).
All official regulations to pass the exams or to transfer credits between exam periods (or between academic
years) can be consulted on the following webpage:
http://www.kuleuven.be/onderwijs/aanbod/info/algemeen/e/06040101.htm
Joaquin Vanschoren is appointed as ombudsperson for the MAI program. He can provide extra information or
advice, he can also mediate in cases of conflict. We will organize an information session during the year to
explain a number of the examination regulations to students who are new in K.U.Leuven.
In order to get an idea of typical exam questions for the several courses, there is additional information
available at the MAI website with several examples for the different courses.
6. THESIS
Students of the ECS and CS options need to complete a thesis (approximately 50 pages for the thesis text).
Students of the SLT option have to do an internship.
The ECS and CS students therefore need to select a topic for the thesis. A list with thesis proposals is available
on the e-bulletin board on the MAI-website.
(this list is occasionally updated in the first couple of weeks of the new academic year, so that it is advised to
check it more than once)
An information session on thesis topics is held on 30 September 2009. Here individual supervisors or daily
advisors (who guides the student for the thesis) will provide additional information about these thesis proposals.
Students are required to take contact with the contact person mentioned in the selected thesis topic’s
description. After agreement between the student and the supervisor, the latter signs a form (see Appendix 3)
that states that the project is assigned to the student.
Signed forms need to be returned to the secretariat of MAI before 30 October, 2009.
Information on what is expected from an MAI-thesis and how the thesis will be evaluated is available in
Appendix 4.
7. FACILITIES
Classrooms
Most classes of the Master of Artificial Intelligence programme take place at the Campus Arenberg in Heverlee.
On the timetable (appendix 1) you can find the abbreviation of the rooms, the explanation of this abbreviation
and the correct address you can find on the plan (appendix 2).
Computer facilities
The students obtain a K.U.Leuven (“Ludit”) e-mail address, a login I.D. and a password while registering in the
University Hall, Naamsestraat 22, Leuven. Do not leave this building without your proper address, login I.D.
and password! You can ask all computer-related information at the “Ludit” stand in the University Hall.
PC-labs are available on several locations, e.g. Celestijnenlaan 200C. The PC-lab of the Department Computer
Science, Celestijnenlaan 200A, rooms 00.25, 00.26, 0.124 will also be available for use by students.
Students can also rent a PC at very reasonable prices. Please contact the PC Shop, W. de Croylaan 52A,
Heverlee or http://www.ludit.kuleuven.be/index_en.htm.
Library
The Campus Library is situated at the W. de Croylaan 6, 3001 Heverlee.
Opening hours are Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
You can search for books and journals using CWIS: http://bib.kuleuven.be.
Books and master’s theses (but no journals) can be borrowed for a maximum of 14 days. It is possible to
extend this period by informing the librarian or by means of the internet. If you return books late, you have to
pay a fine. The library also offers a photocopying service.
In order to make use of the library services, a “studentenkaart” is required. You receive this I.D. card after your
official registration in the master’s program at the University Hall, Naamsestraat 22, Leuven. The card gives
access to all libraries of the K.U.Leuven. The card also gives you access to the ground floor of the Computer
Science building during hours when it is closed.
Student restaurant ALMA
There are three student restaurants at K.U. Leuven where one has the choice between several meals at a
moderate cost. ALMA 3 is located nearby the Arenberg Castle.
Appendix 1: Timetable
For daily use the timetable is easily accessible via the mai-webpage:
http://www.mai.kuleuven.be/studentinfopage.html, by going to “Detailed program”, click on “Master of Artificial
Intelligence” and click then on “Schedule” (next to the clock icon).
Note: these are preliminary timetables (please check regularly for updates). The second semester
information will be available later.
Appendix 3: Thesis form
Thesis information
Name:
Option (ECS/CS/SLT):
Thesis title:
Promotor(s):
Signature of promotor(s):
Name(s) of daily leader(s):
Hand in before October 30, 2009 at the MAI secretariat, Dept. Computer Science
Appendix 4: Thesis evaluation guidelines