Long before Abubakar Essel (‘23, M ‘25) arrived on Ashesi University’s campus for his undergraduate studies, one sentence on the university’s website stayed with him.
“We will be with you every step of the way.”
“I felt I would be supported,” he recalls. “And I needed the support and guidance.”
After completing a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Ashesi in 2023 as a Mastercard Foundation scholar, Essel continued to pursue a Master’s in Mechatronics Engineering with the Ashesi-ETH program.
Over the six years he spent at Ashesi, that support shaped his journey from undergraduate engineering student to a researcher exploring how machine learning can help predict failures in power systems.
During his third year of undergraduate studies, an internship with the Systems and Operations Department and the SCADA team at GRIDCO introduced him to the world of automation and power systems.
“I spent most of my time in the Control Room with the Dispatchers and the SCADA team,” he says. “That experience really sparked my interest.”
After the internship, Essel wanted to continue exploring automation through his coursework. When he realized its related course was no longer available, he approached Engineering faculty member Dr. Stephen Armah to discuss possible options. Dr. Armah encouraged him to gather other interested students to meet the minimum number of students required for the course to run that semester.
Their efforts were successful, and the Automation and Production course was reinstated. The experience reinforced something Essel would continue to value throughout his time at Ashesi: the faculty’s willingness to support students’ curiosity and growth.
For his undergraduate thesis, Essel researched Transmission Insulator Tower Washing with Drones, a project that further deepened his interest in intelligent systems and industrial applications. By the time he completed his undergraduate studies, he knew he wanted to continue researching automation and its potential impact on infrastructure and development.
“The Ashesi-ETH Master’s in Mechatronics Engineering program was exactly what I was looking for,” he says.
As a recipient of the Ashesi Financial Aid scholarship, Essel pursued his graduate studies while focusing fully on his academic and research interests.
“I could explore my passion because a group of people were generous enough to support my education,” he shares.
During his graduate studies, Essel took a Reliability and Risk course taught by faculty from ETH Zurich’s Risk and Reliability Laboratory. Drawn to the kinds of problems the lab was solving, he reached out to Dr. Andrej Stankovski, the course teaching assistant, to express his interest in conducting his master’s thesis with the lab. The connection led him to a research area that closely aligned with his interests.
His graduate research focused on predicting power system failures using machine learning and weather data. The project explored how predictive models could help transmission system operators anticipate potential failures and improve power system reliability, particularly during changing weather conditions.
For Essel, the work represented more than an academic exercise. It reflected his growing interest in developing practical engineering solutions that can strengthen critical infrastructure systems.
Since completing his academic work in December 2025, Essel has continued to contribute to the Ashesi community as a faculty intern in the Engineering Department. In this role, he supports teaching and learning activities while collaborating with faculty members on ongoing research projects.
“Being a faculty intern gives me the flexibility to contribute to teaching and learning, build those skills, and still have time to involve myself in research projects,” he says.
Years after first reading the words, “We will be with you every step of the way,” Essel now finds himself contributing to the same community that supported his growth while continuing his research journey.
