Huge success for the first Data Science Entrepreneurship Summer School. Students learned about technical, ethical and business side of Data Science.

Last week marked the end of the first Data Science Entrepreneurship Summer School organized by the Data Science Institute at Imperial College London in collaboration with the Centre for Continuing Professional Development and led by Professor Yike Guo.

This three-week summer school was designed for students in the final two years of their undergraduate courses, with an interest in data science. 

A selected group of students from five well-renowned Chinese universities were introduced to the basic concepts of data science by a multi-disciplinary team of academics and researchers. They had the opportunity to get a technical understanding alongside a business awareness of data science working with professors from the Business School, the department of Computing and the Dyson School of Design, among others. 

The Summer School included 76 hours of classes over 3 weeks, with lectures, workshops, tutorials, project work and visits. The classes covered a variety of topics, from the history and future of Data Science to its statistical foundations, the use of visualisation tools and machine learning methods, big data management, and the importance of data privacy and ethics.

Students worked in groups on a project assigned at the start of the summer school. At the end of the second week, they had a chance to present their work to the entire cohort.

There were also cultural and social activities organised by Imperial student ambassadors, both on campus and around London.

The final week included a tour to Bletchley park and company visits.

Betty Yue, who leads the Centre for Continuing Professional Development said: “We are very pleased with the success of this Summer School. It has been an incredibly intense experience for the students who have learned about Data Science, developed valuable professional skills through collaborative project work, made new friends and explored London and its surroundings. The summer school has also expanded our reach to prospective international students to inspire and attract the brightest students.”

Professor Guo added: “We are delighted by the success of this year's summer school. We have received a very positive feedback from the students and are looking forward to the next year, with another rich programme of activities”.