Come this side and see how MUT has upped its game on global recognition when Professor Alfred Msomi, Head of the Department of Mathematical Ssciences, and Darlington Hove, a Mathematics Lecturer, won third position at an Artificial Intelligence (AI) conference for performance in Machine Learning and Big Data skills in China. What a noteworthy accomplishment that has elevated MUT’s global recognition. Last week the team travelled to Guang’an Vocational and Technical College in Sichuan Province, China to participate in this competition.
Even before they travelled to China, both Professor Msomi and Hove had already been making headways in AI as mathematicians. A visit to MUT by a BRICS delegation earlier in the year ignited their interest to participate in the AI competition more than ever before. This was an opportune moment for them given how mathematics has been at the core of AI since its inception. Everyone talking about AI inadvertently mentions algorithms. The participation by MUT’s delegates puts MUT in a competitive advantage because the mathematician’s discourse on linear algebra, optimization and deep learning are all at the heart of AI.
The team was treated like dignitories from the day they arrived in China. Professor Msomi said, “Participating in the competition presented a formidable and demanding challenge, underscoring the rigorous nature of the exercise. Despite its complexity, the significance of the tasks at hand resonated with all participants. Machine learning, big data, and data science are highly pertinent subjects in today’s landscape, and our exposure to their practical applications was enlightening”. Both Professor Msomi and Hove believe this participation has made inroads for MUT to collaborate with universities in China and they also said that students and other MUT academics will be roped into the project. As the world says there is no turning back with AI, it appears that MUT will be pioneering into this greatness for good. The team thanked the DVC RIE, Research directorate and MarComms for the opportunity and Prof Sibiya, has said, “Nomndayi, there are plenty opportunities to be discussed on this great accomplishment”.