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Alumnus Kyunghyun Cho supports women who study data science and artificial intelligence

Kyunghyun Cho, Associate Professor at New York University and an alumnus of Aalto University School of Science, has made a significant donation of 30,000 euros to the Department of Computer Science. His donation will be distributed as scholarships to female computer science students from outside the EU.
Suomessa kehitettiin tekoäly, joka ymmärtää paremmin ihmisen tavoitteita

The scholarships from Kyunghyun Cho’s donation will be awarded to foreign female students who have chosen Machine Learning, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence as the main subject of their master's studies. The subject develops competencies that are central in solving the major challenges of our time, such as combating climate change, and understanding the causes of epidemics.

‘I thoroughly enjoyed my years at Aalto University, and these years have had a profound impact on my career and personal life. With this contribution, I hope that a more diverse set of students from all over the world can enjoy and benefit from studying at Aalto University, just like I did. A bit selfishly, I also hope some of these students will become role models in the field of artificial intelligence for my niece and our younger generation’, says Kyunghyun Cho.

‘We are grateful for this impactful donation from Kyunghyun Cho. We at Aalto University also consider him a role model. This donation advances equality and inclusion that are central goals for Aalto community’, says Jouko Lampinen, Dean of the School of Science at Aalto University.

Increasing the number of female students is a key goal in all Aalto University’s technical schools. For instance, Aalto University organises events like “Shaking up Tech” which offer young women facing career and study choices a deeper understanding of technology as a field.

Targeting a donation is also an effective way of encouraging and supporting more and more women to choose careers in technology.

Kyunghyun Cho

Kyunghyun Cho studied for a Master’s degree and a PhD at Aalto University under the supervision of Professor Juha Karhunen, Dr. Tapani Raiko and Dr. Alexander Ilin, completing his PhD in 2014. He was awarded Alumni of the Year by the school of Science in 2020. He is an associate professor of computer science and data science at New York University.

Kyunghyun Cho: It’s time to give back to Aalto community

Aalto University has given me so much, both for my career and life in general. This is a chance for me to give back and support Aalto to become even more international and diverse.

Read Kyunghyun Cho's blog post about the donation
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