Evergreen I
Statistics Surviving in the World of Data Science (306514)
Renette Julia Blignaut, University of the Western CapeLeonor Bosman, University of the Western Cape
*Rechelle Jacobs, University of the Western Cape
Retha Luus, University of the Western Cape
Keywords: Collaboration, Data Science, Knowledge transfer
In the last three years, two Statistics professors retired at the University of the Western Cape Statistics and Population Studies department, with no suitable candidates found to fill the roles. We are seven Statistics staff with only one female Professor. To survive and to be relevant in the world of Data Science, we embraced the collaborations with other faculties, universities and industry. In 2017, we were part of an interdisciplinary (Statistics, Computer Science, Information Systems and the School of Business and Finance) team who developed a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Software and Media Applications (with specialisation in Data Analytics and Business Intelligence). In 2018, we in collaboration with the Centre for Business, Mathematics and Informatics at Northwest University (NWU), launched a Master’s programme in Statistical Science with specialization in Data Science. We offer the same modules as NWU, their lecturers teach the modules while our lecturers act as facilitators with the objective to “learn to teach the modules’’. The students complete five modules, one in-house and one industry research project in a company. SAS and Sanlam sponsored this programme.