UK (Liverpool Hope University) Prestigious summer school sets Computer Science graduate up for success
A Computer Science graduate has embarked on her dream career as a software developer after winning an award at a prestigious international summer school whilst studying at Liverpool Hope University.
Maisha Sadia attended the tenth edition of VISUM in July 2022 before going on to secure a full-time role with a market-leading digital platform creating administration solutions for the education sector.
VISUM, which stands for VISion Understanding and Machine intelligence, provides learning opportunity for students, young researchers and professionals with interests in computer vision and machine learning.
Based in the Portuguese city of Porto, it is widely regarded as one of the best summer schools in Europe and allows selected candidates to participate in theoretical and practical sessions with world renowned scientists.
It proved to be a rewarding experience for Maisha, who was recognised as one of VISUM’s top students and received an award for her performance in a mentorship programme that saw her work directly with one of the school’s industry experts.
“VISUM helped me understand how computer vision is being used to solve some of the world’s complex problems,” she said.
“I learnt from people who are trying to use their knowledge of tech to help everyone around them, such as those who are using computer vision to try and find solutions for infertility.
“To be recognised with an award was an amazing feeling and completely unexpected because I was competing against Masters and PhD students on the mentorship programme.”
VISUM was one of several opportunities Maisha benefited from whilst studying at Hope.
She was a course representative and also undertook a work placement with Liverpool-based SixIntoSeven, who provide technology solutions to help local authorities and academy trusts transfer pupil information between primary and secondary schools.
Maisha was invited to work with the company on a part-time basis during the final year of her degree, and has since been appointed as a full stack developer.
Taking inspiration from her VISUM experience, her aim is to progress into a research positon that will allow her to continue to use her knowledge and expertise in problem-solving roles.
“Attending VISUM allowed me to grow and understand what I am really capable of,” she added.
“It has helped me recognise the power of the knowledge I have and how it can be used to bring change to the world.
“My dream is to be a researcher in the future and SixIntoSeven is very much accommodating of what I want to do and achieve.”