Mastering Data Analysis: Dr. Abdhul's Interactive Sessions in R, Python, MATLAB, Excel, and More!

Find out more about Abdhul Khadhir

• Can you tell us about your first experience using a computer?

  The very first time ever used a desktop computer was when I was 7 years. The good old Windows 98 came preloaded as the default operating system. My father bought the PC for managing his accounts. I was immediately fascinated by the amount of time it saved him. He used to spend all his weekends entering ledgers, tallying and the likes. But with the new PC, he had more time for us. I started using computers at that stage for mostly entertainment. I started making PowerPoint slides for school, which I would later print to take to school. Being one of the earliest adapters of PowerPoint in my class, I received appreciation from my peers and the teachers, which encouraged me further. Such motivations have fuelled me to make simple yet attractive PowerPoint slides till date.

• What is the technological evolution that has marked you most and what will be, in your eyes, a turning point in this field?

  The technological evolution that had the most impression on me is the advent of the broadband internet connections From having to wait for ages to browse the internet using good old dial-up connections, the convenience of using internet has come a long way. The field of communication is only going to get better and faster with newer generations (5G, 6G, etc) of communication protocols. This would facilitate more seemly and more real-to-life sharing of ideas and information. I look forward to a time when virtual meeting become 'almost real' with the help of advanced 3D (or even 4D?) hologram projections and the likes.

• 3) Explain your expertise, your interest in it and, more broadly, its importance in the computer world.

  I am a engineer at heart with deep interest in physics. Mathematics being the language of physics, maths fascinates me too. In mathematics my expertise lies in statistics and I love building statistical models. With the large amounts of datasets being generated everyday using a plethora of sensors and by virtue of our connectedness, putting use of these statistical techniques using data analytics has caught my interest over the past 3-4 years. I think, in this computer world with ready made Artificial Intelligence models for most tasks, having a better understanding of the inner workings of these AI models becomes vital for the efficient use of such models. A deeper knowledge of mathematics in general and statistics in particular would help us in achieving this.

• Do so-called 'visionaries', such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg inspire you or do you have other role models?

  Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg are all indeed visionaries. People would say some of them were lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time or some of them were lucky enough to have the kind of background they had. But, I strongly believe in the saying that "Fortune facours the brave". An addition I would like to add to this list of modern tech great s is Elon Musk. Mr. Musk is someone I would say is a modern day generous when it comes to the field of computer and tech.

• What would you say to an uncomfortable person in front of a screen who says that "IT is too complicated"?

  The times when someone could get away with an excuse of "IT is too complicated" is fast passing into oblivion. IT and tech in general is getting more user-friendly these days. The more complicated the algorithms are becoming, the easier it has become for the end users. What I would say to a person who says IT is too complicated is that, if you have the patience and the zeal, no topic is complicated enough to get your heads around.

• What are your other passions, related or non-related to computers?

  I am passionate about better managing and controlling road traffic. I work towards using computers and advanced AI and ML-based techniques to come up with means of better managing road traffic and to make roads safer and more efficient for everyone.