Four years of hard work and sacrifice bore its fruits yesterday as 31-year-old Shiu Kumar graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering.

It was a joyous moment for the Kumar family who knew just how much effort and dedication had gone into this achievement.

Mr Kumar who is originally from Waiqele Labasa said the last four years had included many sleepless nights.

“I have a family, so I tried to take out time for them also especially for my daughter Patricia,” he said.

“I would put my daughter to bed and then my studies usually started after 10 pm and go past midnight.”

The thesis for his PhD was based on Brain-Computer Interface.

“It was about human-computer interactions so developing algorithms to classify brainwaves,” Mr Kumar said.

“Whatever you think, you can record it using EEG (electroencephalography) signals.

“So, I have developed algorithms to classify those EEG signals.”

“It can be used to develop improved brain-computer interface systems that will be beneficial for rehabilitation purposes and also for detecting sleep stages and seizure attacks,” he said.

He intends to continue his research in the area.

Mr Kumar thanked his parents, Hem Wati and Durga Prasad, and wife, Keshni Kumar, for their support and encouragement.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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