Two McClure School graduate students are awarded scholarships to pursue AI certification

Two students in the Masters of Information and Telecommunications Systems (MITS) program in the J. Warren McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies at Ohio University have been awarded scholarships from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) to get the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Professional (AIGP) certification. Lydia Adarkwah-Pepra and Hassan Cessi Ibrahim were both notified in September of the award.

“There were only 75 of those awards distributed world-wide,” said McClure School Assistant Professor of Instruction Bruce Tong. “The award comes from the IAPP, which is focused on privacy and the law. This certification deals with governance, which is focused on policies and practices for the use of AI.”

Adarkwah-Pepra is from Ghana in West Africa and came to Ohio University to pursue her dream of a career in IT. She wants to use her background in international relations and combine that with IT skills to support the work of non-profits around the globe.

“I want to look at how IT can be used to make work for non-profit organizations more flexible,” said Adarkwah-Pepra. “I want non-profits to be able to work together better and figure out how they can reach people they are trying to help without physically being there.”

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Professional (AIGP) certification aims to address the need for professionals in all industries to understand and execute responsible AI governance. While pursuing the credential, students will establish foundational knowledge of AI systems and their use cases, the impacts of AI, and comprehension of responsible AI principles; demonstrate an understanding of how current and emerging laws apply to AI systems, and how major frameworks are capable of being responsibly governed; show comprehension of the AI life cycle, the context in which AI risks are managed, and the implementation of responsible AI governance; and present awareness of unforeseen concerns with AI and knowledge of debated issues surrounding AI governance. After completing the credential, students will have the skills to ensure safety and trust in the development and deployment of ethical AI and ongoing management of AI systems.

“This is an opportunity for me to upgrade my skills, and I am truly thankful,” said Adarkwah-Pepra. “I will learn how AI can help non-profits and companies protect assets and data from hackers and intruders.”