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DATA GURUS

Ruchi.Chopda@timesgroup.com


In keeping with the global demand for data scientists, a UK-based
university has launched a Master's in data science programme
Big data, a field hitherto associated with technology companies and businesses in
the country, has gained renewed recognition as a game changer in the Indian context
after this year's parliamentary election. As companies and political parties alike use
data to make strategies and decisions, the demand for data scientists is bound to go
up. The scene is no different across the globe where organisations are trying to
decipher the explosion of mass data.
With a view to meet the global demand for expertise in data science and big data, the
University of Glasgow has launched an MSc in data science. To be offered full-time over
12 months or part-time over 24 months, the programme is designed to prepare
students for software development positions in a range of industries including IT,
finance, government, transport, education, health, engineering, manufacturing, and
retail by providing them a thorough grounding in the analysis and use of large data
sets. In addition, graduates can pursue PhD programmes.
Says programme director Iadh Ounis, The world is facing an explosion of mass
data, which is challenging our capacity to process it, but offering competitive advantage
to those organisations that embrace it. While storage isn't a problem, the challenge lies
in analysing all this potentially useful big data and using it to our advantage. He adds,
In India, in particular, data science is a huge area of investment. Recently, Intel
Capital, the investment arm of the global chip manufacturer, invested Rs 94 crore in
Bangalore big data analytics start-up Vizury. Similarly, it was recently reported that
Indian investors Amit and Arihant Patni are planning to raise about $40m (Rs 253
crore) to invest solely in companies that provide big data analytics to customers in the
US. With this amount of money being invested in the sector, it clearly offers lucrative
career opportunities.
The programme will be delivered through a series of lectures, tutorials and
projects.
The core technical modules are: big data, information retrieval, machine learning,
Master's team project, and research methods and techniques. Students can opt for
advanced operating systems, artificial intelligence, etc as optional modules.

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