{"id":12031,"date":"2026-09-15T18:54:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T18:54:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/?p=12031"},"modified":"2026-09-15T18:59:26","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T18:59:26","slug":"new-years-resolution-leads-to-global-recognition-for-online-master-of-science-in-artificial-intelligence-student","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/new-years-resolution-leads-to-global-recognition-for-online-master-of-science-in-artificial-intelligence-student\/","title":{"rendered":"New Year\u2019s resolution leads to global recognition for online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence student"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Moza Kudonu squared her shoulders and marched into 2026 determined to conquer every challenge that came her way. First, she enrolled in Purdue University\u2019s online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence<\/a> (MSAI) and then she entered the Global Ethical AI Congress\u2019 2026 Specialized Talent Award of the Year competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both proved to be smart, bold moves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kudonu is already applying her AI Management and Policy<\/a> major to work projects. And she won the award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of my resolutions for this year was to be proud of everything that I’ve achieved and to be grateful at the same time,\u201d Kudonu said. \u201cI\u2019ve accomplished a lot in life, but I tend to not celebrate what I’ve achieved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Kudonu, a senior technology consultant based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, entered the competition, she was between projects. Her online classes had not started. Work was slow because of the holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One day she opened her email from the Global Ethical AI Congress and saw the contest notice. When she read it, she discovered it required her to list her accomplishments. That was the moment of truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping her New Year\u2019s resolution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Long active in the ethical AI space, Kudonu wrote three conference papers for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), two focusing on AI and one presented at an IEEE conference. As a member of several professional organizations, she advocated for safe AI practices, increased governance and strengthening the ethical framework surrounding AI. Noting these efforts would mean tooting her own horn, something Kudonu has long been uncomfortable with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI said to myself, \u2018I should learn to appreciate and celebrate myself because that’s when my gratefulness will really come out,\u201d Kudonu said.<\/p>\n\n\n

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You can’t say you’re grateful without being proud of your own self and your own achievements and the battles you overcame. So, this is what pushed me to do it. I was like, whether I win or I don’t win, at least I tried<\/p>\n\n <\/blockquote>\n

Moza Kudonu<\/p>\n

Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence student<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Soon after entering the competition, Kudonu\u2019s life found a new cadence. Her MSAI classes started. Her work and academic worlds merged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With clients in the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region, the European Union and the United States, Kudonu enjoyed hearing the perspectives of her professors and classmates from around the world and approaching work projects with new insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Join Purdue’s cutting-edge Master of Science in AI<\/strong> program<\/p>\n

\n Learn more<\/a>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn my current role, I’m doing a lot with AI governance and I wanted to learn more from other people and hear their perspectives,\u201d Kudonu said. \u201cThis is an opportunity not just for me to add academic depth to the foundation that I already have, but it helps to sharpen the edge of the knowledge that I already have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new plan for a new challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kudonu\u2019s academic background includes a bachelor\u2019s degree in forensic science and a master\u2019s degree in AI and computer science. She said she switched from a cybersecurity mindset to focusing on AI governance because she has always focused on the future. What she saw convinced her that safeguards were not being developed as quickly as the technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBack in the days when I was doing digital forensics, I was thinking of a new area that was not developed,\u201d she said. \u201cCyber had been developed. But when it came to AI, people treated it like it was the same topic. They thought, \u2018That’s been covered already. What\u2019s in cyber applies for AI.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut one thing we need to know about AI is no one fully understands it 100%. And it’s something really smart. Basically, you can instruct it to do ABC, and it will do XYZ.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That concerned her. In addition to inspiring her to search for a degree program that addressed AI governance and security, her passion led her to likeminded people who introduced her to the Global Ethical AI Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe like to be proactive \u2014 not waiting for what happens and then see what we do from there \u2014 but thinking of what could happen, what are the risks and how we can start taking care of that,\u201d Kudonu said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith the development of AI regulations around the world, you can see its importance and how it touches everyone’s life, not just a specific sector, a specific space, but basically everyone currently in this world. Having a good understanding and knowing how to be protected against this is the most crucial part.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Global Ethical AI Congress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Months passed. Kudonu, who battles data breaches as part of her current role, stopped thinking about the contest. She heard many qualified people had entered the contest and tackling data breaches took up more and more of her time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing seemed unusual about that busy morning until my phone started buzzing. And kept buzzing,\u201d Kudonu said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’m getting lots of notifications and everyone is congratulating me. I thought, \u2018I don’t remember doing anything. Why is everyone saying, Congratulations, Moza?\u2019 And then I saw it. I was really happy! It was great to feel that all the hard work and everything that I did was not gone for waste. It was being recognized. It’s really a rewarding feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The award, academic support, increase in breach occurrences, and her growing awareness that AI could be used in future crimes has convinced Kudonu that her commitment to improve the governance surrounding AI is justified.<\/p>\n\n\n

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With getting to learn more and know more, I want to give back to the clients, to help my peers, to help future generations have a better understanding, especially since we are all implementing AI. We need to understand the risk of it and the governance part of it. That’s the key.<\/p>\n\n <\/blockquote>\n

Moza Kudonu<\/p>\n

Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence student<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Learn more about the Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence program at its website.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Moza Kudonu squared her shoulders and marched into 2026 determined to conquer every challenge that came her way. First, she enrolled in Purdue University\u2019s online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (MSAI) and then she entered the Global Ethical AI<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":12033,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[],"area-of-study":[38],"person":[74],"class_list":["post-12031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-success","area-of-study-data-information","person-students"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t