Future Leader Profile: Bridget Azubuike
Position: Providing research support to organisations such as the British Educational Research Association (BERA) as an independent consultant, having worked as a researcher with academic institutions, NGOs and international research organisations.
Within the international development and education sector, I have designed research programmes across several countries, trained researchers and fieldworkers, implemented school, household and online surveys. I have analysed large-scale quantitative and mixed-methods data and published peer-reviewed articles, reports, and blogs.
Education: PhD in Advanced Quantitative Methods in Education from the University of Bristol and a masters in economics from the University of Sussex.
Whilst at an internship as a research assistant conducting international trade research with a bespoke software called TradeSift, I was also analysing education survey data for my masters dissertation, and despite juggling the two roles, I truly enjoyed the process, and I knew then that I wanted to continue working in research and working with data.
Leadership Philosophy: Leadership revolves around influence. It's about inspiring and motivating others to pursue a shared vision or objective, but it starts with self-leadership.
To me, being able to motivate ourselves to take action, make sound decisions, and reach our own goals lays the foundation for leading others. Leadership also involves empathy and the ability to communicate one’s vision for others to buy into.
Motivations as a Future Leader: Empowering individuals with skills and making a lasting impact on the people and communities I encounter.
I saw the RSS Future Leaders Programme as an opportunity to connect with likeminded individuals, acquire new skills and facilitate my active involvement in the RSS community.
Role model: Professor Barry Reilly, lecturer at the University of Sussex
Barry offered unwavering support throughout my academic journey. As a teacher, he demonstrated genuine interest in his students' success and well-being. Looking back, I now realise that Barry was not only an exceptional educator but also an ally for minority students like me. His example inspires me to aspire to become an outstanding academic and teacher in the future.
Advice to aspiring data scientists: Have the mindset of a lifelong learner.
The researcher is a student, learning something new from each research process, method, procedure, and research findings. A researcher should be open to finding answers that contradict previous beliefs and theories and must be willing to learn from the data or research work being conducted.
Hobbies: Spending quality time with my family and exploring new destinations.