Time changes Everything

Couple of weeks ago in September, which marked exactly a year since I relocated to London to work in the hectic and erratic financial markets and a well deserved summer break, which included cycling for 30 consecutive days around the City of London (Stats on Strava), I enrolled to do a Master’s in Data Science at Durham University, one of the top and most prestigious universities in the United Kingdom. (Fun Fact, some of the best scenes in the Harry Potter sequel were filmed in Durham)

As I reflect on my academic journey, it is one that has been shaped by

1. Pure dedication to hard work
2. Big and bold ambitions to become the best version of myself
3. Determination to achieve goals my forefathers never had and
4. Inspired by leaders who understand the cause beyond the present moment.

I recall during my undergraduate studies at the University of Johannesburg , when the then Vice-Chancellor,?Professor Tshilidzi Marwala チリツィ マルワラ [丸笑] , spoke eminently and wrote extensively about Artificial Intelligence and how Africa had a chance to use it to leapfrog the economic development, and this was way before Chat GPT or AI in general became prominent. At that point, I was indifferent about artificial intelligence, and while I listened and read all of the Vice Chancellor's letters and messages (my favourite activity on a late Friday afternoon), I never understood why he was so focused on Artificial Intelligence when I, on the other hand, as a student, was more concerned about NSFAS delaying payments and my next semester test.

Couple of years later and with the rise of AI, I now understand why Professor Marwala was so articulate on the topic, and it stems from the fact that as a great leader, he was more focused on the bigger picture.

As I began this incredible journey of completing my Masters, I resonate with the words of our former first black president, Nelson Mandela, that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”, and I hope that my upcoming contribution in data science, which forms the backbone of Artificial intelligence, has significant impact in the world, particularly in Africa.

~ Picture taken from London Bridge (Not Durham)