Cohort of Mastercard Foundation Scholars poised to become AI leaders in Africa

Arizona State University is celebrating a significant milestone in expanding the university’s global access mission by welcoming the newest cohort of Mastercard Foundation Scholars, who will participate in the new Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence in Business (MS-AIB) from the W. P. Carey School of Business — the first AI graduate degree from a business school in the nation.

Hailing from Ghana, Uganda, Cameroon and Nigeria, the five earned full scholarships to join the W. P. Carey School's new MS-AIB on ASU’s Tempe campus, beginning this fall.

“Africa is on the cusp of a technological revolution, and AI has the ability to address crucial challenges facing the continent. Africa needs leaders who understand the technology and have the business mindset to implement it in ways that are scalable and culturally relevant,” said Julia Rosen, vice president of ASU’s Global Academic Initiatives. “As part of the inaugural cohort enrolled in ASU’s new AI master’s degree in business from W. P. Carey, these five Mastercard Foundation Scholars will experience a cutting-edge AI education with practical leadership and entrepreneurial training. 

"By the end of their time at ASU, they’ll be prepared to implement their new knowledge in industries across the continent.”

Chosen from a competitive pool of over 2,000 applicants with strong backgrounds in technology, business and entrepreneurship, five were selected as finalists for the scholarship, and 10 of the applicants were chosen to receive support to enroll in the W. P. Carey Certificate in Artificial Intelligence in Business online program.

The new cohort of Mastercard Foundation Scholars includes: Abang Faith Timoh (Cameroon), Esther Oyiyechi Abel (Nigeria), Francis Xavier Inyangat (Uganda), Florence Ofori (Ghana) and Samuel Ninsiima (Uganda).

This group is at the start of a transformative journey, not only for themselves but for their communities, said Mina Ahmad, director of the ASU Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.

“They were selected for their academic excellence, leadership potential and commitment to creating positive change through technology and innovation,” Ahmad said. “For example, during her time as an AI research resident for Google Ghana, Florence Ofori worked with a team to develop models for predicting locust outbreaks in Africa, which has the potential to have a major impact on the agricultural industry and food security in the region.”

ASU celebrated the five recipients on Sept. 27 with a welcoming event as they embark on a yearlong academic and practical training program in artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and AI technical skills. They will cap off their stay with a three-month business internship in Arizona.

“Everything the (Mastercard Foundation Scholars) will learn in this program will be mindful and an enablement to their continent,” said Dan Mazzola, clinical professor in the Department of Information Systems at the W. P. Carey School of Business “We will be teaching them what we call ‘mindful artificial intelligence' — an approach to doing business that is enabled by artificial intelligence to look for new opportunities to improve outcomes, reduce costs or provide better service. And they’ll have the skills to apply it in a way that is cross-disciplinary, cross industry.”

Mazzola said he believes this group also has the right attitude and mindset.

“They’re young, they’re energetic,” he said. “They believe the world is going to be a better place than I could ever envision. And they’ll be able to do it in a mindful, ethical way using principled innovation, which is one of the core tenets here at ASU.”

Timoh, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ashesi University in Ghana, said she wants to use learn how to create a fitness app for women.

“I’m a fitness enthusiast and I want to create something for African women in rural areas who don’t have good access to the internet,” said Timoh, who is an acceleration analyst in ASU’s Enterprise Technology division. “Something that will help them without having to contact a fitness coach and put them in charge of their health.”

Ninsiima, who has a degree in statistics from Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, wants to use his skills to build up the agriculture sector in Uganda.

“Nearly 80% of Africa’s economy is agriculturally based, and I’d like to get the farmers on the AI train before they’re left behind,” said Ninsiima, who wants to introduce them to new markets through digitization and other technological efforts. “Many people there are not willing to digitize and are stuck in the traditional ways of running businesses, but my hope is to show them how artificial intelligence can really help them and they’ll embrace it.”

Oyiyechi Abel, who earned her degree in information technology from The Federal University of Technology Owerri in Nigeria, said she will use this year to sharpen her AI skills to help shape industries and communities across Africa.

“AI in Africa is not that advanced when it comes to utilizing those applications in finance and business,” Oyiyechi Abel said. “I want to find a way to solve those issues, which will make those sectors more advanced and improve our way of life all the way around.”

After earning his degree in computer engineering from Busitema University in Uganda, Inyangat launched his career at Standard Bank, where he quickly made a mark in software development. With the knowledge and skills gained from the program, he plans on focusing on regulation and governance.

“When it comes to technology and artificial intelligence, we’re playing catch up in Africa in terms of regulation,” Inyangat said. “Using my skills, I’m able to give back to my government by putting some guard rails in place (so we can) use AI in a responsible and ethical way.”

Ofori also shares a desire to solve some of Africa’s most pressing societal issues through technology.

“My focus will specifically target supply chain sectors because I feel like these are very big issues in Africa,” said Ofori, who has a degree in management information systems from Ashesi University in Ghana. “I’d like to be able to help automate the supply chain process to move things from one place to another quickly to help boost the economy and preserve Africa’s financial well-being.”

In between her studies, Ofori is also going to “visit every tourist attraction available.”

“I haven’t gone to the Grand Canyon yet, so I’ll definitely be doing that,” she said. “I’m also looking forward to celebrating Halloween. Next week, I’ll be going with friends to a haunted house, and that should be fun.”

Having fun is important, said Nkosinathi Mzembe, one of 314 alumni of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program since 2012, who greeted the five new Mastercard Foundation Scholars at the Sept. 27 event.

“The program was challenging but I was never given anything that my skill set couldn’t handle,” Mzembe said. “The (Mastercard Foundation Scholars) should use this time to build connections with their professors, with their peers and make the most of their time here. Their year will go by quickly, so they should learn, make connections, adjust to the culture and enjoy themselves.”