As artificial intelligence takes center stage, Northwestern Qatar student Abenezer Bekele is using the technology for meaningful impact. Loan Relief, an AI-based job aggregator he developed, is helping students at Qatar Foundation with loan repayment options.
Students funding their studies through the Qatar Foundation’s financial aid program have the option to repay their loans by working at an approved organization in Qatar after graduation. Bekele’s platform uses advanced AI algorithms to aggregate job listings in companies in the list of QF-approved organizations in a streamlined, online platform accessible for students in Education City, helping them match with and apply for relevant and qualifying opportunities.
“Across the world, university loan repayment is an overwhelming topic for students, especially those who are graduating in the current state of the global economy,” said communication senior Bekele. “Through Loan Relief, I hope to assist students benefiting from the Qatar Foundation loan program like me by offering them a streamlined job hunting process and making it much easier for them to repay their loans.”
An international student from Ethiopia, Bekele became interested in AI and data after taking courses as part of his data science minor at Northwestern in Evanston. In the years since, he continued to nurture his passion in and out of the classroom, founding the school’s first data science club, interning at the Qatar Computing Research Institute as part of the Qatar Center for Artificial Intelligence, and most recently, using his coding and data science skills to develop the Loan Relief platform.
“As a storyteller with a data scientist’s toolkit, most of the work I do in fields of media and technology is geared toward making the world a better place,” said Bekele. “From designing job websites to using AI-powered algorithms to match students with paid service opportunities, I hope that my work leaves an impact on the lives of students in Education City and around the world.”
Students funding their studies through the Qatar Foundation’s financial aid program have the option to repay their loans by working at an approved organization in Qatar after graduation. Bekele’s platform uses advanced AI algorithms to aggregate job listings in companies in the list of QF-approved organizations in a streamlined, online platform accessible for students in Education City, helping them match with and apply for relevant and qualifying opportunities.
“Across the world, university loan repayment is an overwhelming topic for students, especially those who are graduating in the current state of the global economy,” said communication senior Bekele. “Through Loan Relief, I hope to assist students benefiting from the Qatar Foundation loan program like me by offering them a streamlined job hunting process and making it much easier for them to repay their loans.”
An international student from Ethiopia, Bekele became interested in AI and data after taking courses as part of his data science minor at Northwestern in Evanston. In the years since, he continued to nurture his passion in and out of the classroom, founding the school’s first data science club, interning at the Qatar Computing Research Institute as part of the Qatar Center for Artificial Intelligence, and most recently, using his coding and data science skills to develop the Loan Relief platform.
“As a storyteller with a data scientist’s toolkit, most of the work I do in fields of media and technology is geared toward making the world a better place,” said Bekele. “From designing job websites to using AI-powered algorithms to match students with paid service opportunities, I hope that my work leaves an impact on the lives of students in Education City and around the world.”
“I am proud of Abenezer and the many Northwestern Qatar students who are making an impact in the region and the lives of people around the world through their work and mediamaking”
- Marwan M. Kraidy, dean and CEO of Northwestern Qatar
Marwan M. Kraidy, dean and CEO of Northwestern Qatar, commended Bekele for his initiative, saying it reflects the far-reaching impact of the work of Northwestern Qatar students. “At Northwestern Qatar, we educate students to become creative, ethical, and impactful communicators, and Abenezer’s initiative to support his fellow peers at Northwestern Qatar and within Education City does just that,” said Kraidy. “I am proud of Abenezer and the many Northwestern Qatar students who are making an impact in the region and the lives of people around the world through their work and mediamaking.”
Loan Relief is now available online. To access the platform, visit https://loanrelief.netlify.app/
Loan Relief is now available online. To access the platform, visit https://loanrelief.netlify.app/
