Yusuf Brima is originally from Sierra Leone and furthered his academic journey by pursuing a Research MSc in Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2018. This endeavour was made possible by the Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarship (QECS) and the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital (NINH), Bangladesh.
Since then, Yusuf has continued traversing continents, moving from Bangladesh to Rwanda, and then to Germany. His journey has also been marked by research projects and impactful initiatives, each contributing to meaningful local, national, and international changes.
‘The QECS Scholarship has empowered me to help drive change at multiple levels by enhancing digital education in Sierra Leone, helping to promote healthcare Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Bangladesh, and promoting diversity and inclusion in higher education globally. These achievements align with local, national, and international development priorities, demonstrating the transformative impact of the scholarship on my career and my commitment to leveraging AI for global good.’
Developing artificial intelligence (AI) models for diagnosing brain tumours in Bangladesh
Yusuf had his first research exposure to AI while studying at the University of Dhaka during his Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarship. He was drawn to the vibrant AI research community in Bangladesh, a discovery about a country that he did not know much about beyond being a lower-middle income nation with a rich cultural heritage and a high population density.
‘The QECS Scholarship profoundly changed my perception of Bangladesh. During my MSc in Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Dhaka, I experienced firsthand the country’s vibrant academic community and its growing emphasis on innovation and research. I collaborated with local researchers at the NINH, which opened my eyes to the country’s dedication to improving healthcare through technology. This collaboration showcased Bangladesh's potential to leverage AI for substantial societal benefits.’
Collaborating with his supervisor and the National Institute of Neuroscience and Hospital in Bangladesh, Yusuf modelled data from brain scans to develop AI models for brain tumour diagnosis. This work demonstrated the potential of AI in improving diagnostic efficiency, reducing healthcare costs, and even saving lives in the Global South, offering possibilities to transform healthcare in developing countries. The collaboration also led to the publication of an open-source dataset from his work and an article in the Dhaka University Journal.
The Master's programme at the University of Dhaka equipped Yusuf with a robust track record in research, which laid a solid foundation for him to secure the prestigious scholarship from the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Rwanda, one of the pan-African centres of excellence, dedicated to training the next generation of African scientists in tackling prevailing societal challenges from climate change and food systems security to artificial intelligence. Yusuf pursued Master's in Mathematical Sciences at AIMs and completed a ten-month intensive training course in 2021.
‘The QECS prepared me to make out my career trajectory. It gave me the bedrock for my academic and professional journey. Because if I hadn't gone through with my Master's degree in computer science and engineering, I don't think I could even survive this very intensive training programme in the first place.’
Examining bias in AI healthcare models for application in the global south
After completing his Master's degree from AIMS and with a solid background in computer and mathematics sciences, Yusuf moved to Germany to pursue his PhD at Osnabrück University. His doctoral research focuses on Cognitive Science and AI with applications towards low-resource settings, particularly in the Global South. By investigating how current data models were trained in AI for Healthcare, Yusuf aims to address the critical bias and fairness in the correlation predicted through the algorithms in the clinical setting.
‘One of the things that are impeding the adoption of current AI in clinical settings is bias; some of these models have bias like they're not very fair. Maybe the data they were trained on is from the global north. So, if you say you’re going to adapt it to the global south, it could be a problem. A technical term for this is ‘distribution shift’. It could be misdiagnosing people, which we will want to mitigate in safety-critical settings like healthcare.’
Apart from his doctoral research project, Yusuf also worked as a Research Associate at Osnabrück University and conducted research at the intersection of Cognitive Science and Deep Learning, focusing on representation learning. He has published and presented over four papers in top Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning journals and conferences, such as Springer Nature BioData Mining, NeurIPS (The Conference and Workshop on Neural Information Processing Systems), and ICLR (International Conference on Learning Representations).
Seeking development opportunities for youth in Sierra Leone
Despite being far away from his home country, Yusuf has continued seeking development opportunities for Sierra Leone's youth. He believes that human capital development is the cornerstone of transforming the industry sector and the country.
‘If we can strengthen the human capacity, that will organically lead to some other sectors of development, whether in health care, research and development, transportation, or even governance.’
Studying in Germany, which has a robust vocational education and training (VET) system, reminded him of his previous work with African Accent International NGO, where he helped provide out-of-school youth and other vulnerable and marginalised groups with technical and vocational skills training, including digital literacy, computer skills, plumbing, electricity, carpentry, tailoring, etc. Having laid out the situation in his home country to his doctoral supervisor, who put him in contact with the Osnabrück University administration, Yusuf helped establish ties between the African Accent International NGO and Osnabrueck University. As a result, 27 computers and various accessories were donated from Osnabrück University to the African Accent International NGO, which facilitated the setup of a computer lab where local youth can access digital education and technical training. Over 100 young people received basic computer skills, coding, and digital literacy training, significantly enhancing their employability and contributing to the local economy.
Recently, Yusuf has been playing a pivotal role in bringing the Deep Learning IndabaX event to Sierra Leone for the first time. This event is one of a series of locally organised events across Africa that aims to share knowledge, build capacity, and foster a vibrant AI community. It provided a platform for local researchers and students to connect with international AI experts and be exposed to the latest developments in the field, offering the potential to drive innovation and technological advancement in Sierra Leone.
Widening access to higher education for underrepresented international student groups
Drawing upon his experience in a supportive and collaborative academic environment, Yusuf has been actively mentoring students on their study projects, theses, and seminars, contributing to their educational and professional growth and fostering a collaborative scientific community. Moreover, in 2022 Yusuf co-founded and led the Graduate Assistant Initiative Network (GAIN), an international student-run mentorship program that supports underrepresented groups from low- and middle-income countries in securing STEM admission into higher education.
‘We've got opportunities through scholarship programmes, so I think it's important to give back to society. So, in 2022, we set up the Graduate Assistance Initiative Network (GAIN)...The network, now cumulatively comprising over 100+ volunteers across 20+ countries, matches mentors with mentees and organises events to promote academic and professional development.’
The QECS not only shaped Yusuf’s academic journey but also helped improve his view of the Commonwealth as an entity fostering cooperation among member states to a more dynamic, changing agency empowering individuals and communities to address global challenges.
‘Before receiving the QECS Scholarship, my understanding of the Commonwealth was largely limited to its historical context and role as an intergovernmental organisation of former British colonies. It transformed my perception of the Commonwealth, revealing its significant impact on education, research, and development. The scholarship demonstrated the Commonwealth's dedication to empowering individuals and communities, fostering inclusivity, and driving sustainable development.’
Looking ahead, Yusuf is committed to a career that ensures underrepresented groups have a stake in the new transformative technology. He envisions that one day, he will be able to bring a centre of excellence in AI research and innovation back to Sierra Leone.