Damien Garreau
Professor for the Theory of Machine Learning, University of Würzburg
Postdoc, Theory of Machine Learning (Ulrike von Luxburg), Tübingen AI Center
What is your connection to Tübingen, Damien?
I was a postdoctoral researcher in Ulrike von Luxburg’s group from 2017 to 2019. With a background in mathematics and statistics, those years marked my transition into machine learning. Tübingen was an ideal place for that step, already home to an exceptional concentration of talent. Beyond the intellectual environment, I was especially grateful for the academic freedom, strong material support, and the overall positive atmosphere.
Tübingen was an ideal place for my transition into machine learning, already home to an exceptional concentration of talent. Beyond the intellectual environment, I was especially grateful for the academic freedom, strong material support, and the overall positive atmosphere.
Damien Garreau
Is there a memory from your time here that had a lasting positive impact on you?
I have many fond memories of Tübingen. Perhaps the most vivid dates back to my first visit, when I got lost in the Altstadt. I was immediately charmed by the city: the colors, the calm, the atmosphere. What a change from hectic Paris! I could already picture myself spending a peaceful period there, fully focused on research ... I also met my wife in Tuebingen at that time, how much more positive can it get?
Where has your career taken you since, and did your time in Tübingen play a role? If so, how?
Since 2024, I have been Professor of Theory of Machine Learning in Würzburg. My time in Tübingen was instrumental in bringing me there. The research I did during those years gave my career a real boost, and I also learned a great deal about the German academic system. The connections I made in Tübingen have remained important as well, and I still regularly cross paths with many of the brilliant people I first met there.