Dr. Osamuyimen (Uyi) Stewart – Renowned Nigerian Scientist & The Chief Scientist of IBM Research Africa
Dr. Osamuyimen Stewart or Uyi as he is commonly referred to by most of his friends was born in Nigeria. In his teenage years, he was driven by interest in Computer Sciences. He joined the University of Benin and graduated with a First Class Honors in the year 1987. He wished to further his studies, but the existing education infrastructure in Nigeria at the time was not adequate enough from him. Luckily, Stewart secured a scholarship from the University of Cambridge where he went for his Masters Program. Stewart says he only had a bus fare to the airport and the plane ticket when he left Nigeria for England some 25 years ago. During his studies in Cambridge he got elected Fellow of the Cambridge Commonwealth Society since he was an exemplary student. He graduated with his Masters degree from the University of Cambridge in 1991. He later on obtained his doctorate from McGill University, Canada in 1998.
From his exemplary professional achievements in the field of Computer Sciences, Dr. Steward got a job at the IBM’s Service Innovation Lab: an international program, that Stewart was tasked with the responsibility of technical strategy at 8 global facilities. With over 20 years studying and working overseas, he acquired tremendous experience and skills in software and services research which includes: machine translation, speech interfaces, natural language processing, social and mobile computing. This has lead to Dr. Stewart being recognized as an Outstanding Technology Transfer Specialist, with demonstrated works in implementation of numerous real-world solutions provision what are currently in use by millions of people globally.
In the Information Technology (IT) services industry, Dr. Stewart was instrumental in the formation of the IBM’s Services Innovation Lab which is responsible for technical strategies and program management for more than 200 research projects distributed among 8 global labs worldwide. You may want to know that the service industry is actually the largest segment for the Information Technology (IT) marketplace.
Dr. Stewart co-led an IBM strategy of setting up its 12th research lab in Nairobi, Kenya in the year 2013. The research lab dubbed IBM Research – Africa, focuses on the technological innovations being made in the African Continent. IBM has been setting up a global network of research labs with its latest one being established in Nairobi, Kenya last year. Dr. Stewart is the current serving Chief Scientist of the IBM Research Africa, a development in his career which prompted him to champion the campaign for professionals working in diasporas to come back to Africa and make real changes.
He currently has 6 patents to his name, and has authored more than 45 publications in top journals and conferences. He has numerous high profiled recognitions and awards, one being the IBM’s Outstanding Technical Achievement Award, IBM Research Awards and one very recent the Black Engineer of the Year Award in USA (2014) for his Outstanding Technical Contribution – History. To view Dr. Stewart’s publications click here.
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