2025 Young Leaders Fellowship: Ignite Global Change

Please answer the following questions in no less than 200 words and no more than 500 words.

Identify an issue in your community that concerns you. How would you address this issue?

Throughout my journey, I have developed a keen interest in Neuroscience. My background in software engineering and deep passion for neuroscience drive me to contribute to this interdisciplinary field that bridges technology and human cognition.

I have set two main goals for myself: short-term and long-term. In the short term, I aim to work at Neuralink on brain-computer interfaces. I think combining computational neuroscience with new technology can really help people with neurological disorders. Later on, I plan to get a Ph.D. and become a university teacher. I want to share my knowledge and help future scientists and engineers.

I am from Uzbekistan, a young and developing country that currently lacks adequate technological support for individuals with disabilities. There are very few experts in computational neuroscience. When I share my plans with Ph.D. students (ps: i usually talk with them over linkedin and other socials), they are surprised yet encouraging, affirming that I am on the right path. I am driven to make a positive impact in my country.

Many people in Uzbekistan live without the ability to enjoy life fully due to disabilities, whether from birth or acquired later. For example, both of my cousins are disabled-one since birth, the other during development. They can only lie down; they cannot talk or engage in activities. I know firsthand the challenges they face, as they often come to Tashkent for medical treatment. After gaining expertise in computational neuroscience, I aim to collaborate with organizations like Neuralink to make advanced technologies accessible in Uzbekistan. I want to improve their quality of life and help them reconnect with their families and friends.

I see myself as a research-oriented student, and my current professor shares this view, noting my dedication to thorough research before tackling any task. I have authored five research papers, one of which is indexed by Scopus and published by Springer; the others are under review.

During my undergraduate studies, I undertook research projects to broaden my understanding. One project focused on making brain MRI diagnosis easier, cheaper, and faster. I developed a model combining Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Natural Language Processing (NLP), achieving 95% accuracy as of October 2023. We are planning to conduct clinical trials under medical supervision. I have also studied and did comprehensive research on AlphaFold. Then, I proposed accelerating protein 3D structure prediction applying quantum matrix multiplication. Currently, I'm working on this project.

I love teaching and sharing the knowledge and skills I've gained from inspiring leaders. Since February 2023, I've mentored over 200,000 young people, helping them with technical challenges. I've also worked on open-source projects like Anarchy Labs and Langflow. This inspired me to start Open Community. We 150+ young creatives collaborate all together to build accessible open-source AI-powered projects and tools to accelerate human workflows, help them with smart research, and that benefits all humanity. For me, teaching and open-source work go hand in hand because both are about sharing knowledge freely without expecting anything in return.

Describe one time you have faced a challenge and used a leadership skill to come up with a solution.

I am the Founder and CEO of Open Community, leading a diverse group of over 150 AI developers, designers, and builders from more than 10 countries. Guiding such a large community is challenging, but I strive to support and unite them as one family, especially during hackathons.

From October 5th to 6th, the NASA International Space Apps Challenge was held locally in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The winners of this event would advance their projects to the global competition.

I participated with a team of four girls. Believe it or not, we faced many challenges.

Firstly, I had my university midterm exams just before the hackathon. It was a tough decision whether to participate, but I chose to join and lead the team. I wanted to show that girls are equally talented in coding, just like Ada Lovelace.

Secondly, selecting a single idea was challenging due to our different backgrounds. Fatima and Zukhra were AI Engineers, Kamola was a Mechanical Engineer, and Oydin was a Storyteller and Speaker. During brainstorming, everyone had their own favorite ideas, making it hard to agree on one. As the team leader, I encouraged open discussions and guided us toward a shared vision.

Thirdly, we had to adapt quickly as we changed the project structure three times. I divided tasks based on each member's strengths and swiftly built MVPs. We consulted various mentors and, using their feedback, made the final decision for our project.

Despite the challenges, the next day was enjoyable. We worked together on presentation slides and took time to relax over coffee and sweets, boosting team spirit.

We showcased our project on stage and received our certificates. I saw the words, “Thanks for active participation...”. Thinking we hadn't placed, I grabbed my backpack and told my team we could go home. I had seen this phrase over 60 times in past hackathons.

But Kamola said, “Just ignore it. Let's wait for the final decision.” We stayed for four hours. When I heard that Open Community took second place, I was shocked. I couldn't believe that we finally won.

Our hard work paid off. We won the hackathon. Girl power!

Short Essay:

Please describe any experiences you may have had in community or grassroots work.

I have been mentoring since February 2023. When I first joined lablabai. There I wrote tutorials on various AI technologies, tools for over 100,000 developers. I mentored 10,000 teams to overcome technical challenges. Later on I joined Nobel Learning PBC. There I facilitated an Introduction to Design course for over 20 people. They all were from different countries and had different backgrounds. Then my sister asked to mentor and help her team in the Technovation Girls competition. Of course, I joined and did my best to support 7 young and curious school girls. At the same time, I started my YouTube channel. I still film tutorials there. When I joined HeadOn (prev. Dugree) as an AI Researcher, we did research on over 30 papers. At present, I am the 1st AI/ML API Regional Ambassador in Central Asia. Where, I help developers to integrate AI tools to their workflows. I am also a youth mentor at The Earth Foundation. An AI startup mentor at Moonshot Pirates. I love teaching others and sharing my knowledge. And last but not least, I'm the Founder & CEO at Open Community. We Build Open-source AI-powered projects and tools to help people with stuff.

The needs assessment

The needs assessment is an opportunity for you and MCW Global to understand your community issue in more detail. This should be the same issue you addressed in the Essay 1 of Round One of the Application. There are three parts to the assessment:

1. Community Issue
2. Survey
3. Analysis

Community Issue: We want to establish that you understand your community issue and are prepared to speak on it. You are required to answer four questions.

What is your community issue? (in 50 words or less)

Many individuals in Uzbekistan with disabilities lack access to advanced technological support and expertise in computational neuroscience, leading to diminished quality of life and limited opportunities for rehabilitation and social integration.

Who are the people affected by your community issue? (in 75 words or less)

Individuals in Uzbekistan living with disabilities, whether congenital or acquired, are directly impacted by the insufficient technological support and lack of expertise in computational neuroscience. Their families also face challenges in accessing necessary medical treatments and support services. This affects their ability to fully participate in society, pursue personal development, and maintain a high quality of life. Additionally, the broader community misses out on the potential contributions of these individuals.

What is the Mission Statement of your community action project (25 words max)

Empower Uzbekistan's disabled community by providing advanced technological support and fostering computational neuroscience expertise to enhance their quality of life and inclusion.

What is the Vision Plan of your community action project (25 words max)

Create a technologically advanced Uzbekistan where individuals with disabilities access cutting-edge neuroscience solutions, achieving improved health, enhanced quality of life, and full social integration.

Survey: You are required to ask five questions to 5 people in your community (these questions should be asked to members of the community you believe are being affected by the issue you are concerned with). It could be conducted online too.

1. What do you see as the most serious issue in the community affecting you?
2. Why do you see this as the most serious issue for you?
3. What do you believe is the best solution to the issue?
4. How would you participate in the proposed solution (talk about the solution you proposed in your application)
5. Question of your own choosing

MCW Survey Sample When conducting your survey people might not see the issue you are concerned about as their biggest issue. This is fine. You will have an opportunity to reflect on this in the analysis portion of the application. Above you will see a sample questionnaire sheet that you can give to 5 community members. You can use the sample or create your own questionnaire. The questionnaire can be conducted online or in person and be uploaded to this application. Analysis: After conducting your survey you are required to answer the question "What information did you learn from the responses from your survey and how will you use it to address your community issue." Your response to the question is in video format and should be 90 seconds or less. You will be required to submit your video analysis through YouTube. You must share with us the link to your "unlisted" YouTube video upload To learn how to upload an "unlisted" YouTube video, please click and watch here Copy the link to your "unlisted" YouTube video and paste it to the "Video Response" section of your application.

From the survey responses, I learned that people are concerned about issues like the abuse of women, the effects of social media on mental health, the clash between tradition and modernization, gender inequality in STEM, and harmful stereotypes. Many believe that solutions involve better education, creating open discussions, supporting role models, and developing technology responsibly. They suggest working together as a community, involving everyone's voices, and measuring success by counting who participates, who benefits, and how attitudes improve over time. I will use this information to focus on awareness programs, workshops, and community events. I will try to bring different groups together to talk and learn from each other. I will support projects that help women and other underrepresented groups in STEM. I will promote the responsible use of technology and offer educational programs that help people think more deeply about the information they receive. By doing these things, I hope to create a more united, understanding, and fair community.

Resources for applicants:

Conducting Needs Assessment Surveys- Community Tool Box, University of Kansas Comprehensive Needs Assessment Report Example- Office of Migrant Education Community Needs Assessment Survey Guide- Utah State University