Universities are diving deep into data science | University Affairs

Nearly everything we do now generates reams of data, and universities are helping Canadians to make productive use of it by Sharon Aschaiek, Author at University Affairs.

Universities are diving deep into data science
Photo: University Affairs

We are living through the datafication of our society and its impacts are broad and deep. Everything from how much credit we can access, to how doctors diagnose and treat us, to what we pay for airline tickets, to our dating website matches, are influenced by our growing ability to draw conclusions from raw data. The rise of supercomputers, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and web-enabled devices dramatically improve how we capture, analyze, share and make inferences from large, complex data sets. The value proposition for organizations is massive, which is why more and more are racing to embrace data-driven decision-making to stay competitive.

Over the last decade, several universities across Canada have invested significant resources into studying and applying the principles and processes of data science, and preparing students for what Harvard Business Review called “the sexiest job of the 21st century.”

One example is the University of British Columbia’s Data Science Institute (DSI), which is conducting leading-edge data science research with a particular focus on biomedicine. Of the 16 studies that have emerged from the DSI across its almost five-year history, 11 have focused on various aspects of understanding, diagnosing and treating human illnesses such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and autism...

Queen’s University, in partnership with McGill University, is investigating another side of data science through the Conflict Analytics Lab, a research-based consortium applying data science and machine learning to dispute resolution. According to an article on the Queen’s website, the lab “brings together more than 30 lawyers, technology experts and the business community to provide both citizens and businesses with the tools they need to resolve small cases in a fair way,” says Samuel Dahan, a Queen’s law professor and director of the lab.
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Source: University Affairs