News and Views
A DECADE OF IMPACT: 10 Years of Data Science Africa
Since the first summer school in 2015, held in Nyeri, Kenya, Data Science Africa (DSA) has grown from a small gathering into a pan-African movement for capacity building in data science and artificial intelligence (AI). In a decade, DSA has reached participants in 34 African
- Data Science Africa (DSA)
DSA Founders' Quick-Fire Question and Answer
As Data Science Africa (DSA) marks a decade of impact, its founders reflect on the moments, meanings, and milestones that shaped a movement. In this quick-fire Q&A, DSA’s pioneers share personal insights into what the community represents to them, from nurturing the next generation of
- Data Science Africa (DSA)
“Data Science Africa gave me the courage to found my startup”
I never imagined a 20-hour bus ride could change my life. In 2016, as a PhD student in Tanzania, I had no idea how data science could shape my future. My mentor, Morris Agaba, urged me to attend the Data Science Africa (DSA) summer school
- Dina Machuve, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of DevData Analytics.
"You don’t have to know everything to give back"
I first heard about Data Science Africa (DSA) through a friend, Dr. Sekou Remy, who thought I’d find the community interesting. At the time, I was searching for spaces that aligned with my interests. Sekou, who was then at IBM, introduced me to DSA and
- Elaine Nsoesie, Data scientist and global health researcher at Boston University, United States.
“I grew from writing code to data policy. I trace everything back to Data Science Africa.”
When I started out, I was just a software engineer trying to write cleaner code. Data, policy, AI weren’t part of my plan. But life has a way of changing direction and for me, that turn began with Data Science Africa (DSA).
- Morine Amutorine, Africa Sandboxes Forum Lead at the Datasphere Initiative.
“Data Science Africa taught me anything is possible”
I first saw the call for the Data Science Africa (DSA) summer school back in 2017. At the time, I was just finishing my undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Lagos in Nigeria, dabbling in front-end software development, and teaching myself Python
- Tejumade Afonja, Co-founder of AI Saturdays Lagos and PhD researcher at the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security and Saarland University, Germany.
“Data Science Africa expanded my horizons.”
I work as a researcher at Bowen University in Nigeria, specializing in electrical and electronics engineering and AI. When I started my PhD in 2015, I was fascinated by how AI could be applied to improve agricultural productivity and over the years, my research has
- Segun Adebayo, Associate professor and director of digital services at Bowen University.
“Data Science Africa is the future.”
I always thought I would become an electrical engineer, but in 2001, the internet was just arriving in Zambia, and I got hooked on computers instead. That curiosity led me to a bachelor’s in Computer Science in 2007, a master’s in South Africa in 2011,
- Lighton Phiri, Lecturer and Researcher at The University of Zambia, African AI Research Awards 2022 recipient.
“My Startup dream led me to AI and global impact”
I still remember the day I realized my first startup dream wasn’t going to work out. I had poured my savings into building a mobile app to help people with type 1 diabetes predict their blood sugar levels. The idea was simple but ambitious: because
- Irené Tematelewo: Data scientist at Microsoft, United States.
“I found my path through Data Science Africa”
I grew up in western Uganda, in Bushenyi, and stumbled into computer science almost by chance. My cousin mentioned the course, my dad encouraged me to apply for it, and soon I was enrolled at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda’s capital. I had no idea
- Godliver Owomugisha: Senior lecturer, Busitema University, Uganda. DSA 2020 Research Awards recipient & 2022 African AI Research Awards recipient.
“I thought I had to leave Ghana to work in AI. Then I found Data Science Africa”
In 2019, when I finished university, I wasn’t sure how to turn my passion for artificial intelligence (AI) into a career. In Ghana, people told me, “You can’t really do AI here, you have to go abroad.” I believed that, until I attended Data Science
- Emmanuel Brempong: Research Engineer at Google Research, Ghana.
“Without Data Science Africa my journey wouldn’t be the same”
I grew up in rural Kenya, surrounded by farmlands. It was a simple life, but it shaped the way I think about problems and solutions. I learned early on how important observation and curiosity are, noticing how crops grew and how animals behaved. Later, I
- Anthony M. Gitau: Intern at Google Research Africa; 2024 DSA fellow