The teacher-turned-data-scientist leveraged knowledge from MIT OpenCourseWare and other MIT Open Learning resources for a scholarship and career change
Atou Koffi Kougbanhoun says of the MITx MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science, “I knew that if I could do it and earn the certificate, I could really do something with it, and it could be very wonderful.”
(Original article published on Medium by Lauren Rebecca Thacker on February 24, 2025)
In 2019, Atou Koffi Kougbanhoun was a high school math teacher in Togo. Wanting to pursue his interest in data science, he discovered MIT OpenCourseWare’s YouTube channel and took the first steps on an educational journey that would change his career.
“I found playlists of lectures on data analysis and AI, and thought, ‘this is where I start,’” says Kougbanhoun, who received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Université de Lomé. “I’m a French speaker, so part of my challenge was to re-learn things I had learned in school, like probability, in English. I learned these concepts and how to apply them in the real world to solve problems.”
From there, Kougbanhoun discovered the MITx MicroMasters in Statistics and Data Science. The multidisciplinary program includes graduate-level online courses covering topics from probability and statistics to machine learning with Python. While learners can use MIT Open Learning’s OpenCourseWare resources at their own pace, the MITx MicroMasters, also part of Open Learning, is structured with assignments, deadlines, and at least one online proctored exam. It would be a challenge to complete while also teaching, but Kougbanhoun was motivated.
“When I found the program, I thought, ‘ahh, this is my place, finally,’” he says. “I knew that if I could do it and earn the certificate, I could really do something with it, and it could be very wonderful.”
And he did. After earning his MicroMasters credential in 2023, Kougbanhoun applied and was accepted into the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), a pan-African, fully funded, one-year graduate program. Co-sponsored by Facebook and Google, AIMS offers a degree in machine learning.
“Combined with my bachelor’s in mathematics, the MITx certificate opened the door for the AIMS scholarship,” he says. “Once I completed my masters, I had the opportunity for my current job as a data scientist in Togo’s Ministry of Numerical Economy and Digital Transformation.”
Throughout the process, Kougbanhoun says that faculty and fellow learners were sources of motivation and support. In particular, he calls out John Tsitsiklis, Clarence J. Lebel Professor, who teaches probability, saying, “I loved his pedagogy, and he gave me the motivation to keep going.”
He also cites professors Philippe Rigollet, Gilbert Strang, and Regina Barzilay as influential, impactful teachers.
The other learners pursuing the MicroMasters certificate were influential, too. Kougbanhoun connected with people from India, Ghana, and Germany, some of whom he is still in touch with. He says the learners supported each other and shared resources and knowledge.
Kougbanhoun’s friends and colleagues saw the difference that MIT Open Learning resources made in his life and career — and one decided to give it a try.
“[My friend] saw that I was very motivated and that the certificate helped me get the scholarship. It opened his eyes, and he said, ‘This certificate can change things,’” Kougbanhoun recalls. “He completed the courses and today, he’s studying for a master’s in South Africa, also on an AIMS scholarship.”
Now, as a data scientist for Togo’s government, Kougbanhoun continues to use MIT resources to refresh his memory or revisit complex topics. When he meets interns or colleagues fresh out of college, he encourages them to look into MIT Open Learning.
“I tell them, ‘Go there,’” he says. “It’s a game changer.’”
These courses are available through MIT OpenCourseWare and MITx, which are part of MIT Open Learning. OpenCourseWare offers free, online, open educational resources from more than 2,500 courses that span the MIT undergraduate and graduate curriculum. MITx offers high-quality massive open online courses adapted from the MIT classroom for learners worldwide.
