This year has been a complete whirlwind. When I first arrived at Durham to pursue my MSc in Advanced Computer Science, specialising in Artificial Intelligence, I knew the academics would be intense. What I didn’t expect was that the university ecosystem, alongside the incredible support of the Saïd Foundation, would completely transform me from a student into a startup founder.
During my time here, I’ve been leading the development of Asher, a real-time AI translation system. We are specifically building this to support Arabic Sign Language, which represents a massive and deeply underserved community. My goal is to use advanced computer vision and machine learning to bridge this communication gap, proving that AI can be a powerful tool for social good.
More than just academics: Finding my mission
A massive part of my journey this year has been my connection to the Saïd Foundation. Being part of a network of highly driven, impactful individuals has been deeply inspiring. It was actually at a recent Saïd event where I was discussing my startup journey that I was inspired to share this story with you today.
The Foundation constantly encourages us to think about how we can use our education to make a tangible, positive impact in the world. For me, that meant taking complex theories from my lectures and turning them into a real product that solves actual human communication challenges.
Finding the ultimate launchpad in the North East
That drive to build real-world solutions led me straight into the local startup ecosystem. One of the absolute highlights of my year was joining the Platvix Build Studios cohort. This accelerator program was a massive turning point, forcing me to shift my mindset from just writing clean code to thinking about investments, product scaling, and pitching to investors.
The support from the Durham Venture Lab team was also an absolute game-changer for me. The people there are incredibly kind, brilliant, and always ready to offer practical advice or point you toward the right resources.
Thanks to that amazing community, Asher was recognised with a Venture Recognition Award earlier this year. Seeing the university and local ecosystem back my vision gave me the confidence to keep pushing the boundaries of our AI translation models.
From student to founder: The next chapter
As my MSc dissertation deadline approaches this September, my journey with Durham isn’t actually ending. I’m incredibly excited to share that I’ve been selected to join the Durham Venture School program starting right after I submit my final project.
It feels like the perfect culmination of my postgraduate experience. I’ll be diving straight into a dedicated entrepreneurship bootcamp to take Asher to the next level, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the platform Durham and the Saïd Foundation have given me to launch my career.
Discover more
To see how our translation system works, you can check out Asher’s tech in action by visiting Asher’s website at ashertranslator.com.
Download our latest prospectus and college guide here.
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