Backed by a $50 million commitment in research grants, computational resources, and API access, this initiative aims to accelerate scientific progress and provide students and educators with the tools needed to enhance AI’s sustainability.

The programme brings together institutions across the United States and beyond, including Harvard University, the University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Duke University, and Texas A&M University, among others. 

Through this collaboration, OpenAI seeks to create an environment where academic research and AI development intersect, producing innovations that could have wide-ranging impacts across industries.

AI-Driven Research and Innovation

One of the objectives of NextGenAI is to bolster AI in scientific research. The Ohio State University is leveraging AI to boost multiple sectors, including digital health, energy, manufacturing, and agriculture. 

Meanwhile, researchers at Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital are using AI to expedite the diagnosis process for patients with rare diseases and refine AI’s role in medical decision-making.

Duke University, on the other hand, is focusing on metascience research—studying how AI can optimise the scientific process itself.

“Ohio State is at the forefront of a multidisciplinary approach to the benefits of AI, significantly impacting both research and education. We are excited to join OpenAI and this elite research partnership, which will enable us to drive even more groundbreaking discoveries and advancements in medicine, manufacturing, computing, and beyond,” said Peter J. Mohler, executive vice president for Research, Innovation, and Knowledge at The Ohio State University.

Beyond research, NextGenAI is designed to prepare students and educators for an AI-driven world. Texas A&M University has launched the Generative AI Literacy Initiative, aimed at training students in responsible AI use. 

Similarly, MIT will leverage OpenAI’s API and computing power to help students develop and fine-tune AI models, while Howard University plans to integrate AI into its curriculum and administrative processes.

Dr. Robert H. Bishop, vice chancellor and dean of the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University, emphasised the importance of this initiative:

“We look forward to collaborating with OpenAI, whose support will enable us to empower our students, researchers, and the broader academic community with cutting-edge knowledge and skills in the rapidly evolving field of generative artificial intelligence.”

AI in Libraries and Universities

AI’s impact is also expanding to historical preservation and public access to knowledge. The University of Oxford’s renowned Bodleian Library is digitising rare texts, using OpenAI’s API to make centuries-old documents searchable for scholars worldwide. 

Similarly, Boston Public Library is employing AI to improve accessibility to public domain materials, ensuring that information is more readily available to diverse audiences.

“This new collaboration marks an exciting step forward, offering fresh opportunities to enrich our research, expand our AI capabilities, and foster skill development. By working together, we can learn from one another, advancing the frontiers of artificial intelligence, understanding its impact on education, and unlocking its vast potential for the benefit of our university community and beyond,” said Anne Trefethen, pro-vice-chancellor, Digital, at the University of Oxford.

Strengthening the Link Between Academia and Industry

Beyond boosting AI research, NextGenAI strengthens the collaboration between academia and industry, ensuring that AI’s benefits extend beyond university labs to libraries, hospitals, and classrooms worldwide. 

According to OpenAI’s Chief Operating Officer, Brad Lightcap, “The field of AI wouldn’t be where it is today without decades of work in the academic community. Continued collaboration is essential to build AI that benefits everyone. NextGenAI will accelerate research progress and catalyze a new generation of institutions equipped to harness the transformative power of AI.”

This initiative follows OpenAI’s earlier launch of ChatGPT Edu in May 2024, which provided universities with access to ChatGPT for academic use. NextGenAI builds on this effort by providing institutions with the necessary resources to drive AI innovation at scale.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had dissolved the Board and Management of Polaris Bank on Wednesday.

In a statement by Mrs Sidi Ali, Hakama, the acting director of Corporate Communication of CBN, on the Bank’s verified X handle @cenbank directed Mr. Lawal Mudathir Omokayode Akintola, the newly appointed MD/CEO of Polaris Bank to assume his role with immediate effect.

SO, who is Lawal Mudathir Omokayode Akintola?

Lawal Mudathir Omokayode Akintola has a strong educational background that has equipped him with the knowledge and skills to excel in the banking industry. Here are some of his educational qualifications:

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos.

He has a Master of Business Administration degree from the Netherlands Business School.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

He is an Alumnus of the Lagos Business School, the Columbia University Graduate School of Business and the University of Oxford.

Career

Lawal Mudathir Omokayode Akintola has a long and successful career in the banking industry, spanning over 25 years.

He has worked in various capacities and sectors, such as corporate and investment banking, treasury, risk management, and business development.

He has also led and executed many strategic projects, initiatives, and transactions that have added value to the organizations he worked for and the customers he served. Here is a summary of his career path:

He started his career in 1998 as a Senior Manager at Prime Merchant Bank, where he was responsible for managing the bank’s treasury operations and foreign exchange dealings.

In 2000, he joined Ecobank Nigeria as a Group Head of Corporate Banking, where he oversaw the bank’s portfolio of corporate clients in various sectors, such as oil and gas, telecommunications, manufacturing, and infrastructure.

In 2003, he moved to Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria as a Regional Executive of Corporate and Institutional Banking, where he led the bank’s business development and relationship management activities in the South-West region of Nigeria.

In 2006, he was appointed as the Executive Director of Corporate and Investment Banking at Sterling Bank Plc, where he was in charge of the bank’s strategic business units, such as corporate banking, institutional banking, project finance, structured finance, and trade finance.

In 2018, he left Sterling Bank to set up Intermediate Equity Partners Limited, a Lagos-based firm that provides advisory and consultancy services to corporate and institutional clients in various sectors and markets.

In 2020, he became the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Fractional Investment Services Limited, a real estate company that offers innovative and affordable housing solutions to Nigerians.

In 2024, he was appointed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as the Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Bank, one of the largest commercial banks in Nigeria, with over 300 branches and millions of customers.

He led the successful acquisition and integration of Equitorial Trust Bank by Sterling Bank in 2011, which increased the bank’s assets, branches, and customer base.

He initiated and executed several landmark transactions in the corporate and investment banking space, such as the $1.2 billion MTN Nigeria syndicated loan, the $1 billion Dangote Cement bond issuance, and the $300 million Lafarge Africa rights issue.

He was instrumental in developing and implementing the Sterling Bank’s corporate transformation strategy, which improved the bank’s performance, profitability, and reputation.

He received several awards and recognition for his leadership and excellence, such as the Banker of the Year Award by the Nigerian Leadership Awards, the Most Outstanding Banker of the Year Award by the Nigerian Bankers’ Merit Awards, and the Most Influential Banker of the Year Award by the Nigerian Banking and Finance Awards.

The partnership between FMDQ and Oxford will accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s startup ecosystem and nurture a future generation of young Nigerian leaders in entrepreneurship, through knowledge exchange and collaboration. 

Benefits

The collaboration will support Nigeria’s future business leaders and high-growth start-ups to access the networks and skills they need to grow and sustain their businesses, create jobs and inclusive socio-economic growth, and facilitate the growth of Nigeria’s venture ecosystem.

Applications are currently open for the Young Entrepreneurs Leadership Programme and the Innovate Nigeria Programme which will commence in April 2022.

The Young Entrepreneurs Leadership Programme (“YELP”) will offer twenty (20) young emerging Nigerian leaders – to be known as ‘OXFO-FMDQ Young Entrepreneur Leaders’ – with a bespoke leadership training programme delivered over four (4) months from April 25, 2022, to August 26, 2022.

The 2-week Innovate Nigeria Programme is designed to support innovation-driven Nigerian startups, helping them become scalable enterprises that have the potential to create transformative social and economic impact within the Nigerian economy.

Successful applicants will benefit from:

• Bespoke curriculum focusing on core entrepreneurship and venture building skills
• 1-to-1 coaching with Oxford Foundry network of resident experts
• Tailored leadership training curriculum, directed towards building resilient entrepreneurs
• Introductions to investors
• Opportunities to pitch to these investors

How to apply 

Apply for the Young Entrepreneurs Leadership Programme or the Innovate Nigeria Programme before the deadline on Monday, January 31, 2022.