“I feel like I am Kung Fu Panda,” a bold statement to make. For those who haven't seen the DreamWorks franchise, Kabir explains:
“I’m Kung Fu Panda, because he is this person who is struggling, but when he started to learn Kung Fu, despite having many naysayers, he proved he can be a Kung Fu master. I related strongly to this, because everyone told me I can’t do coding.”
Kabir worked hard as a student in Computer Science, first as a teacher’s assistant in programming and later as a junior teaching fellow at their alma mater, the Asian University for Women in Chittagong. Unfortunately, they were not always encouraged to do so. “I had to fight it for myself, but at the same time, I felt fighting it just for myself was not a solution.”
So Kabir made a point to mentor other non-men to overcome their fear of programming and developing. Kabir realised early on their strength was in their innate curiosity. That, and the tenacity to persevere in the face of very little support in terms of being non-male entering a male-dominated field. “I don’t give up easily.”
Upon arriving in Sweden to study Human Computer Interaction and Social Media at Umeå University, they were able to deepen their understanding and dedication to LGBTQ+ activism. When they started looking for work in Umeå and found their place as a developer at Aeterna Labs, it was a match made in ethics & inclusion heaven. Kabir’s lived experiences make them value Aeterna’s core values from a personal perspective.
Kabir (they/them) is available to talk Star Wars, machine learning, lussebullar or ethical AI at kabir@aeternalabs.ai.