Ashesi alumnus Evans Kumi ’25 has been named one of 38 global finalists for the McCall MacBain Scholarships. Applicants came from more than 2,300 universities worldwide, and 280 advanced to a first round of interviews in October and November. The top 38 international candidates will attend the final round of interviews in Montreal, joined by 53 Canadian finalists.
The McCall MacBain Scholarships are leadership-based awards for master’s and professional studies, attracting applicants from more than 2,300 universities worldwide. Candidates are assessed on character, community engagement, leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit, academic strength, and intellectual curiosity.
A Mastercard Foundation Scholar, Kumi graduated from Ashesi with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. While on campus he founded and led the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Club at Ashesi, creating a platform to explore how artificial intelligence can be applied to address African challenges in health, education, and other sectors. He also co-founded MyScholarsHub, a youth-focused platform that connects students to scholarships and educational opportunities, where he served as Information Technology(IT) Manager. In addition, he founded Hopscof Inc., which provides web development training to high school graduates and teachers in selected communities.
Among his notable projects is SignWithMe, an AI-powered sign language learning platform developed to support communication with deaf individuals within the Ashesi community. For his undergraduate thesis, Kumi also designed BreathWise, a neural network and IoT-based system for the early detection of lung disease in low-resource settings, which earned recognition as a notable thesis project.
“Being named a McCall MacBain finalist is deeply humbling,” shared Kumi, who is applying for a master’s program in Computer Science at McGill. “Ashesi created the space for me to dream and experiment, with consistent support from faculty and staff, which contributed to this opportunity. I hope to deepen my training at the intersection of artificial intelligence and biomedical engineering, exploring how data-driven models can improve healthcare access and outcomes.”
Kumi was one of two candidates from Ashesi recognized this year. Martha Chaitezvi ’25 also earned a C$10,000 McCall MacBain Regional Award for being among the top candidates in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Regional Award can be applied to eligible studies at any public university in Canada.
