Advancing AI research in Africa and Canada: IVADO welcomed new talent from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS)

IVADO had the pleasure of welcoming students from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) as part of their partnership, with the aim of training the next generation and thus advancing artificial intelligence research in Africa and Canada.

Seven talented students have completed supervised research internships on various topics at the end of 2023:

Victoria Oluwakemi Okesipe: Victoria is originally from Nigeria and holds a Master’s degree in Data Science and Climate from AIMS Cameroon. She completed her research internship at HEC Montréal’s Tech3Lab under the supervision of Pr. Pierre-Majorique Léger and Pr. Théophile Demazure. Her research project focused on the “Investigating the Predictive Physiological Metrics of Consumer Behaviour and Recommandation Intentions in Ecommerce”.

Testimonial: “I would like to express my gratitude for the incredible experience I have gained through the AIMS-IVADO Fellowship Program. I look forward to engaging in learning and contributing to my field of research. I’m also pleased to have the opportunity to continue my studies with a PhD at Tech3Lab, which demonstrates the program’s commitment to helping us progress.”

Mohamed Eldaw Elabbas: Mohamed is originally from Sudan, and holds a Master’s degree in Machine Learning from AIMS Senegal. He completed his research internship at Polytechnique Montréal, at the Poly-Grames Research Center under the supervision of Pr. Gunes Karabulut Kurt. His Research Project is entitled: “Solar Flares Prediction and Modelling using Machine Learning”.

Testimonial: “The AIMS-IVADO Fellowship has provided me with opportunities and connections, for which I am deeply grateful. My passion lies in the use of machine learning and megadata. I am determined to conduct my research well, driven by the mission to protect our critical infrastructure and make a significant contribution to scientific knowledge.”

Uriel Nguefack Yefou: Uriel is originally from Cameroon, and holds a Master’s degree in Mathematical Science, specializing in Data Science, from AIMS University Cameroon. He completed his internship at the Montreal Heart Institute (UdeM) under the supervision of Pr. Julie Hussin. His research project focuses on: “Patient’s ancestry prediction from ECGs using Computer Vision models”.

Testimony: “My research interests lie in the field of machine learning, computer vision and robotics applied to health, safety, agriculture and transport. I’m happy with this experience, looking forward to working on exciting projects in these fields in the future and contributing to the research community.”

Ange Clément Akazan: Ange is originally from Côte d’Ivoire, and holds a Master’s degree in Mathematical Sciences, specializing in climate science from AIMS Rwanda. He completed his internship at the University of Montreal (Mila), under the supervision of Pr. Ioannis Mitliagkas. His research project is entitled: “Multimodal Diffusion Models”.

Testimonial: “I’ve had the privilege of being in contact with well-established scientists in my field who continually support, motivate and guide me through this process. I look forward to continuing my work and, circumstances permitting, pursuing a PhD with a focus on healthcare applications.”

Revian Awuor Omollo: Revian is originally from Kenya and holds a Master of Science in Mathematics from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Ghana. She completed her internship at Polytechnique Montréal in the Department of Mathematics and Industrial Engineering under the supervision of Pr. Julie Carreau. Her research project is entitled: “Spatial Interpolation of gauged meteorological data with baseline approaches”.

Testimonial: “The AIMS-IVADO fellowship program provided me with opportunities for networking, collaboration and strong communication skills. My field of research covers a very intriguing topic on climate change, namely the spatial interpolation of measured meteorological data with baseline approaches. I’m excited at the prospect of making valuable contributions to the research community as part of a PhD and reducing climate-related risks through artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML).”

Anthonia Oluchukwu Njoku: Anthonia is originally from Nigeria, and holds a Master’s degree in Data Science from AIMS Cameroon. She completed her internship at Polytechnique Montréal in the SENSE Laboratory, under the supervision of Pr. Zohreh Sharafi. Her research project is entitled: “Application of machine learning in studying developers problem-solving strategies: a review of methods, performance, and challenges”.

Testimonial: “I’m delighted with my experience and research at Polytechnique Montréal’s SENSE laboratory, which focuses on human studies to collect and analyze eye gaze data. I am passionate about research in the field of Data Science and Machine Learning, my goal is to explore innovative ways to understand and exploit data for practical and impactful solutions.”

Ange Ernestine IRADUKUNDA: Ange is originally from Rwanda, and holds a Master’s degree in Mathematical Sciences, specializing in climate resilience from AIMS Rwanda. She completed her internship at HEC Montréal in the Department of Logistics and Operations Management and at the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche sur les réseaux d’entreprises, la logistique et le transport (CIRRELT) under the supervision of P. Martin Cousineau. Her research project is entitled “Predicting Mental Health Outcomes in Africa using Social Media Data”.

Testimonial: “I’m happy to be involved in advancing data on my research topic. This study will add to the growing body of research on the use of social media data to predict mental health outcomes in Africa, and it may help shape future policies and interventions aimed at improving mental health outcomes in the region.”