The AI ecosystem is growing fast and Borealis AI, RBC’s AI research centre, is helping create the next generation of AI talent. Thanks to Borealis AI’s Let’s SOLVE it undergraduate mentorship program, students actively learn new skills while discovering how the latest technologies can positively impact their communities.
The eight-week program, held twice a year, provides undergraduate students from different backgrounds with the guidance and training to solve community problems of their preference with the help of AI. And this couldn’t happen without the Borealis AI employees who volunteer to mentor the students.
We spoke to Dr. Eirene Seiradaki, the founder of Let’s SOLVE it from Borealis AI, and other employees to learn more about the initiative and why they volunteer to be mentors and guide new student teams through their AI learning journeys. Furthermore, we looked into how the program impacts the student participants.What is Let’s SOLVE It? Dr. Eirene Seiradaki, Let’s SOLVE it Founder; Director, Research Partnerships, Borealis AI: It’s a mentorship program we created about three years ago for undergraduate students interested in learning how they can employ AI and machine learning to address issues in their local communities. The students work collaboratively as project teams for eight weeks with the guidance and support of Borealis AI researchers and engineers, who serve as mentors. During the program, the students learn about AI and machine learning and develop problem-solving skills which they apply to their project. What makes them excited is seeing how their newly acquired knowledge enables them to find solutions to problems they face in their own communities.Why was Let’s SOLVE it created?Eirene: The program has three goals: to develop the next generation of AI leaders, to empower youth to bring social good to local communities by helping solve problems, and to help underrepresented student groups in AI, including women, visible minorities and others, become interested in the field early on and consider it as a career option when they graduate. Inclusivity is an important aspect of the program, which is why it attracts a wide variety of students not only from underrepresented groups, but also from different educational, even non-technical programs, including psychology, behavioural studies and commerce. This diversity of backgrounds brings different experiences and ideas to the program every time and makes every cohort different from the others and unique.The program has already attracted attention from impactful partners, like the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), who is playing a key role in moving the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy forward. CIFAR has included Let’s SOLVE it in its suite of NextGen AI Training Programs, such as the famous Deep Learning and Reinforcement (DLRL) Learning Summer School. These programs are dedicated to diversifying and developing the Canadian Machine Learning and AI ecosystem. Last year Let’s SOLVE it was featured at an event during the international Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) among other international initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion in AI. The Partnerships team at Borealis AI is working on new strategic initiatives and collaborations to scale the program’s impact in helping youth pioneer AI solutions that benefit communities. This is what leaders do; they work to improve society as a whole. And this is what Let’s SOLVE it does; it develops the leaders of tomorrow.
Why do you volunteer with Let’s SOLVE it?Elahe Rahimian Najafabadi, Let’s SOLVE it Mentor; Research Engineer, Borealis AI:
I’m passionate about giving back to the community and supporting the next generation in learning about AI and machine learning. But I also learn from the students, as they are curious, inquisitive and bring new ideas to the program. I work closely with them during the two months of the program, but it’s been great to stay connected with them even after they graduate from Let’s SOLVE it, and they return to their studies, bringing along the new skills and knowledge they gained from the program.
Vin Bhaskara, Let’s SOLVE it Mentor; Research Engineer, Borealis AI: The students take the lead during the program, and I’m constantly amazed at the problems they propose solving and how passionate they are. They’ve taught me a lot along the way, and I’ve been able to apply some of the learnings to my day job. I’ve transitioned from theoretical physics to AI, and due to the interdisciplinary approach to the program, I’ve also been able to broaden my perspectives.How do the students evolve during the program?
Elahe: Progress is slow at first, because the students are new to the mentorship experience. In the first couple of weeks, they work on getting onboarded to the program, and dedicate their time to understanding how Let’s SOLVE it works, the goals, the deliverables and the process to get there. But as soon as they define the problem they’re going to solve, they pick up the pace and progress is faster and more visible from week to week. You also see their confidence grow as they start working well as a group, and they achieve milestones towards tackling the social issue they picked.
How do you think the program impacts the students?Vin: All the students have different educational backgrounds, and when they see that they can solve their domain-specific problem with AI, something many of them didn’t think it was possible, they gain a strong sense of confidence. As a result, many of them choose to study AI in school; some have even gone on to study AI in a master’s program at university. They really believe in their abilities by the end of the program.
Why did you decide to take part in Let’s SOLVE It?India Tory, 2024 Let’s SOLVE It Alumna; QTS Software Developer Intern, RBC Capital Markets: I’m studying Engineering Science at the University of Toronto, majoring in Machine Intelligence, where I’ve learned many foundational skills in machine learning. After seeing Borealis AI’s post about the program on LinkedIn, I shared it with two classmates. I thought it would be a great opportunity for us to work together on a real-world project rather than an academic one. We were particularly interested in the opportunity to work within Borealis AI and have a mentor from the organization. When you are still in school, it’s quite rare to have the chance to collaborate so closely with someone in the AI industry. What are some of the important things you learned during the program?
Anjola Adewale, 2024 Let’s SOLVE It Alumna; Software and Biomedical Engineering student, McMaster University: I was the oldest in my project team, heading into my fifth year at McMaster. My team members were heading into their first, second, and third year respectively in science and math-related programs. Through this experience, I learned the value of a diverse team. It was so cool to see how our different strengths contributed to the project and how much we learned from each other! The program also made me realize the importance of a good mentor and a structured learning environment. AI and machine learning always seemed like broad and complicated fields, however through this program, I was able to ask clarifying questions and gain hands-on experience in using AI for community solutions. This demystified the field for me, and broke it down into understandable concepts. In addition, I was given guidance on how to use technology and software I’m sure, I’ll use again in the future. Let’s SOLVE It also helped me become a better communicator. I learned how to better explain my ideas and present them clearly.
What was it like working with a mentor?
Guy Morgenshtern, 2022 Let’s SOLVE It Alumnus; Machine Learning Software Engineer, Borealis AI: Our mentor was incredibly helpful throughout the problem-solving process. He really treated us like professionals, which motivated us and gave us confidence. Despite the pandemic at the time, he made sure to check on us through our weekly meetings and additional video chats, so we could see each other in between regular stand-ups, and we could message anytime on Slack. He put a lot of emphasis on fulfilling the vision we set for our project from the beginning. He also ensured we had help on technical challenges, and advice on difficult design decisions. It was exactly that type of support that made each of us have faith in our own abilities.
Would you recommend Let’s SOLVE It to other students?
Anjola: Absolutely yes! The program pushes you out of your comfort zone, connects you with great AI mentors in a carefully organized environment, and enables you to work with and meet amazing peers. Presentations Day was an especially fantastic opportunity to meet students from other universities all over the country and connect with them. Through this program, you get to listen to different ideas, gain knowledge in AI and machine learning, and learn from industry leaders!
Guy: 100 percent! In fact, I’ve already been doing that, when people ask how I came to work at Borealis AI. It’s a great way to get footing in AI, meet experts and get to do cool things with them. My experience during the Let’s SOLVE it program is part of the reason why I applied to work at Borealis AI full-time.
India: I would definitely recommend Let’s SOLVE it to students at all levels of technical abilities and from diverse university programs. It’s a great opportunity to find out if you’re interested in machine learning by working on a real-world problem. And it was a lot of fun! The final presentations event allowed us to learn about the projects of the other teams and meet students from other universities across Canada. Let’s SOLVE It is a fantastic way to connect with industry professionals at Borealis AI, develop machine learning skills and apply them to a project that can make a difference to the community.
