A Success Story from Our Graduate Pelin Erşin to LSE

Pelin Erşin, one of our 2024 graduates from the Department of Mathematics at İzmir University of Economics, has made us proud by being accepted into the Master’s Program in Statistics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), one of the world’s most prestigious universities. Pelin shared her academic journey in her own words:

"I graduated from the Department of Mathematics at İzmir University of Economics in 2024 as the top of my class. I also completed a double major in Computer Engineering this year. Throughout my undergraduate years, I aimed to combine mathematics not only with its theoretical aspects but also with applied fields such as statistics, data science, and artificial intelligence. The fact that this path is now leading me to pursue a master's degree in Statistics at the London School of Economics (LSE) is very exciting for me.

One of the first significant steps that shaped my academic interests was being accepted into an academic program in artificial intelligence and machine learning at the University of Oxford during the summer of 2022. There, I received intensive training on topics such as neural networks, CNN architectures, and developing models with PyTorch. This experience not only deepened my enthusiasm for AI but also sparked my interest in the theoretical foundations behind it.

In the summer of 2023, I was awarded a $12,000 scholarship to participate in the RIPS program organized by UCLA's IPAM (Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics) in the United States. Being one of the 35 students selected from over 4,000 applicants was a major milestone in my academic journey. As a team of three, we conducted a machine learning project based on physical principles, sponsored by AMD. We developed a surrogate model in PyTorch to solve the 2D acoustic wave equation and ran it on AMD’s high-performance computing infrastructure. This process enhanced both my technical skills and understanding of research dynamics and teamwork.

Towards the end of my third year, I began a research project funded by TÜBİTAK 2209-A with the support of Prof. Dr. Gözde Yazgı Tütüncü. Our goal was to develop a new portfolio optimization approach by using local dependence functions instead of classical correlation in financial asset selection. This project was directly connected to both statistical theory and financial applications. Prof. Tütüncü was an incredible mentor throughout the entire process—from the initial idea to the final results—always offering her guidance and sharing her expertise. Thanks to her support, our project was published in the proceedings of the EuroMed Research Business Institute conference held in Italy that year.

My true passion for statistics began when I took the Theory of Statistics course taught by Prof. Dr. İsmihan Bayramoğlu. As I delved deeper into the subject, I realized that statistics was much more than just applications—it held a profound theoretical world. Following that course, I worked with Prof. Bayramoğlu for my senior thesis on dependence measures and multivariate distributions. This was a truly transformative period in my academic life. She patiently answered every question and introduced me to a vast array of new knowledge. Our study was later published in the journal Communications in Statistics. Having the opportunity to publish while still an undergraduate was invaluable for me, but more importantly, the experience of working closely with a professor taught me the dedication and process behind meaningful research. Honestly, this experience was the main reason I decided to pursue graduate studies in statistics.

During my undergraduate studies, I also had the chance to work on various other projects. For instance, in a project analyzing participation in on-campus social activities, we examined data from students across different departments to identify factors influencing social behavior. We presented this study at the 9th International Conference on Mathematics and Computers in Sciences and Industry held in Rhodes in 2024.

Meanwhile, for my Computer Engineering senior thesis, I worked on forecasting financial time series using a Fin-GAN architecture. I explored the potential of generative models in capturing interactions between different assets. This project allowed me to combine artificial intelligence and financial modeling—two powerful areas.

Throughout all of these experiences and during my student life in general, the support of my professors and the Mathematics Department has played a critical role. I’m not sure I could have reached my goals with such clarity if it weren’t for their encouragement, guidance, and academic expertise.

During my master’s studies at LSE, I hope to deepen this foundation and develop AI- and statistics-based projects, especially in financial applications. In the long term, my goal is to pursue a PhD in statistics and contribute meaningfully to both academia and the financial world."