How AI can transform engineering education in Africa

By Juliet Umeh

Can Artificial Intelligence, AI, play a transformative relation successful addressing the long-standing gaps successful engineering acquisition crossed Nigeria and Africa? This question is gaining momentum arsenic researchers and acquisition experts research however AI tin span the persistent disagreement betwixt mentation and applicable exertion successful engineering grooming crossed the continent.

For decades, engineering acquisition successful Africa has faced challenges specified arsenic outdated curricula, inadequate laboratories, and anemic collaboration betwixt universities and industry. These gaps person not lone hindered innovation but besides constricted the capableness to nutrient engineers equipped for the demands of the modern integer economy. With the emergence of AI, however, a caller accidental has emerged to marque engineering acquisition much adaptive, inclusive, and industry-relevant.

A Nigerian researcher based successful the United States, Edward Isoghie, has said that Artificial Intelligence tin play a transformative relation successful addressing these challenges and gathering a globally competitory engineering workforce.

Isoghie, who is presently conducting probe successful the U.S., focuses connected human-centered AI, an attack that enhances quality creativity and problem-solving alternatively than replacing it. He explained that AI tin assistance code large problems facing engineering acquisition — from outdated people contented to constricted entree to laboratories and the disconnect betwixt academia and industry.

Isoghie said: “AI should not regenerate quality intelligence; it should heighten it. “When thoughtfully designed, AI tin marque learning much adaptive, accessible, and meaningful, particularly successful engineering acquisition wherever problem-solving and creativity are key.”

A First-Class postgraduate of the University of Ibadan, Isoghie has received planetary designation for his contributions to engineering acquisition and innovation. In June, helium won the Outstanding Paper Award successful Industrial Engineering from the American Society for Engineering Education, ASEE, during its yearly league successful Montreal, Canada.

His paper, titled: “The Use of Generative AI for Rapid Development of Transcripts for Human-Centered Design,” explored however generative AI tin accelerate the instauration of learning scenarios that promote captious thinking, creativity, and real-world problem-solving among engineering students.

He said: “Generative AI allows america to simulate existent engineering challenges successful the classroom. Students tin prosecute with virtual systems that reflector existent concern processes, giving them the assurance to grip analyzable problems adjacent earlier they measurement into the field.”

In summation to the ASEE award, Isoghie besides received a National Science Foundation, NSF, Travel Grant Award from ASEE’s Manufacturing Division for his contributions to resilient manufacturing workforce development. He noted that his probe aligns with planetary priorities focused connected precocious manufacturing, AI integration, and workforce development.

However, helium emphasized that the interaction could beryllium adjacent greater successful processing economies similar Nigeria.

“Africa stands to payment immensely if we follow AI arsenic an acquisition tool,” Isoghie said. “AI tin assistance america flooded infrastructure gaps — from virtual laboratories that substitute carnal labs to intelligent tutoring systems that personalize learning for each student.”

Isoghie believes that specified innovations tin democratize entree to prime education, allowing Nigerian and African universities to connection globally competitory and context-relevant training.

“By integrating intelligent systems into our classrooms,” helium added, “we tin empower a caller procreation of engineers susceptible of solving section problems portion competing globally. The aboriginal of engineering acquisition is not astir much hardware; it’s astir smarter learning powered by AI.

AI is not conscionable a instrumentality for automation. It’s a span connecting ideas, people, and possibilities. If we usage it wisely, we tin crook our acquisition challenges into opportunities for maturation and innovation.”

The station How AI tin alteration engineering acquisition successful Africa appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.