Meet Qudirat Akanji, a Graduate Research student at COSMOS.
Please introduce yourself
My name is Qudirat Akanji. I am from Lagos, Nigeria. I am studying Business Information Systems and Analytics at UALR, learning business skills and using data analytics tools. I also work on the Indo-Pacific team at COSMOS.
What was your inspiration for joining COSMOS?
I became interested in COSMOS because of its research and analytics focus. It provides an excellent opportunity to learn and practice on real-life, impactful projects. It means a lot for me to work on a team that is doing cutting-edge research.
Are you working on any papers or publications? Can you share any insights into the topic?
I am working on a paper about politics focusing on one of the Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia.
Malaysia is a country where we can see how the internet helped usher them into a more democratic government. I particularly find it interesting because Malaysia’s political culture is divided along deep ethnicity and religious lines, which is quite similar to Nigeria’s political culture. My research on Malaysia is around gaining more insight into how the internet influenced the political terrain, especially in this new era with bots and fake news.
What makes you feel the most appreciated and understood?
I feel most appreciated when I receive positive acknowledgement for my work from my colleagues and supervisors. I also love receiving feedback, as it helps me grow.
What is something you like to do outside of school/work?
Outside of school, I enjoy participating in community events. Community is essential, especially as I have just moved to a new country. For fun, watching Kdramas is how I like to spend my free time.
What would you tell your younger self?
To my younger self, I’ll say thank you and well done.
What is a big world problem that you would like to change?
An extensive world problem I would like to change is Access. People should be able to access healthcare, education and information that will help them thrive. Access should not be a closed-off resource as it currently is right now. Also, joining COSMOS is the right step in this direction, as one of our primary focuses is identifying Misinformation on the internet.