Dr. Muhammad's fellowship at Imperial aligns with the EDI strategy of the Department of Computing
The Department of Computing at Imperial College London proudly announces the appointment of Dr. Shamsuddeen Muhammad as a Google DeepMind Academic Fellow. This prestigious three-year fellowship, part of Google DeepMind's generous Academic Fellowship Programme, aims to support groundbreaking research in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) while promoting diversity and inclusivity within these fields.
Dr. Muhammad's fellowship at Imperial aligns with the EDI strategy of the Department of Computing. The department is a proud member of the Race Equality Charter and the Athena Swan Charter, with a commitment to increasing racial and gender representation across staff and student populations. Dr. Muhammad's appointment further strengthens the department’s diversity and its impactful research. Apart from doing research, Dr. Muhammad will receive innovation training, help with outreach, and act as mentor for underrepresented groups in computing and AI.
Dr. Muhammad stated, "I am deeply honored to have been selected as a Google DeepMind Academic Fellow and to join the esteemed community at Imperial. This fellowship provides an unparalleled opportunity to further my research in AI and contribute to creating a more inclusive academic environment. I am particularly excited about working within the I-X initiative and hope my work will inspire and pave the way for future researchers from diverse backgrounds."
Professor Michael Huth, Head of the Department of Computing, said, "We warmly welcome Dr. Muhammad to our department. His talent as a researcher, dedication to fostering diversity, and social impact with his work closely fit Imperial’s new strategy of Science for Humanity. His appointment underscores our commitment to equality in computing and AI research and will prepare him well for his next career stage."
Obum Ekeke OBE, Head of Education Partnerships at Google DeepMind, said, "We are delighted to have the chance to support fantastic early career researchers such as Shamsuddeen. By supporting top universities with Fellowships funding, we hope to help create opportunities suited to researchers from backgrounds under-represented in AI - to thrive in their careers and become the leaders of tomorrow."
The Google DeepMind Academic Fellowship at Imperial supports early career researchers by providing them with the freedom to pursue any research direction within AI and related fields. Dr. Muhammad will spend at least 70% of his time on research, where additional activities include supervising Master's and PhD students, receiving training in tech innovation, and engaging in outreach to encourage students from underrepresented backgrounds to study computing or AI. This balanced approach aims to cultivate a new generation of researchers equipped to tackle the challenges of the future.
As part of its strategy to increase diversity, the Department of Computing is eager to increase the diversity of its early-career researchers and to support them through mentorship programs and access to peer networks. Dr. Muhammad has the opportunity to participate in outreach activities at Imperial’s White City Campus, which engages with communities in one of London’s most disadvantaged areas.
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Mr Ahmed Idle
Department of Computing
