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World Data Science Initiative, announced earlier this year has its motto clearly defined, and that is, developing a data science talent force of 250,000 individuals by 2022 trained in advance concepts of data analytics. The initiative will cover more than 60 countries across the globe, and aims to offer educational subsidies and grants worth $300 million to about 200 educational institutes located across the five continents.
WDSI is the biggest ever data science talent development project that has facilitated the ever-increasing need to put capital investment into data science research work. Under the said research and talent-development initiative, International Centres of Data Science will be set up in the select public universities currently imparting data science education. Added to that, new data science educational programs in varied streams comprising Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Data Analytics will be introduced.
Big Subsidies on Vendor-Neutral Data Science Certifications & Institute Accreditation
Under the futuristic WDSI project, the institutes that will get selected for data science research grants will also receive huge subsidies on the costs associated with institute-accreditation, and world-class data science certifications issued by the Data Science Council of America (DASCA). The certifications that will be extended to such educational institutes will be vendor-neutral in nature, thus providing more value to the students.
Much-Critical and Vital Pieces of Information About the Initiative
Access to Virtual Data Science Labs for Selected Institutes
Institutions and universities that qualify to become the members of the WDSI project will be provided exclusive access to the cloud-powered virtual data science labs. It will give students and researchers the opportunity to learn the advance concepts in the fields of machine learning, data analytics, and artificial intelligence. The talked-about virtual labs will offer a unique opportunity to students and researchers to contribute on real projects while working online 24/7. Most importantly, students will benefit from working remotely on real data science projects.
Knowledge-Sharing on Imparting of Data Science Education
When you get selected for the WDSI grants for universities under the initiative, you become a member institution of WDSI. And hence, you get a chance to contribute on planning and strategy related to delivery of data analytics educational programs. All member-institutions contribute towards development of varied kind of educational courses in data science in accordance to the needs and suitability of learners coming from varied educational and professional backgrounds. Defining and designing the course structure, preparing examination questionnaires, developing physical and digital credentials, and strategizing on preparation of classroom learning plans are all parts of the process.
Valuable Aid to Faculty Development
Member-institutions will be provided assistance on demand in regard to the needs associated with faculty-development. The select institutes can ask for assistance on faculty-development from WDSI, and the initiative will provide for the same at subsidized costs. The program will involve assistance in trainer and teacher development. On top of it, onsite faculty development schedules can be organized, wherein master-trainers will be deployed to train the data science faculty of the member-institution.
Basic Eligibility Conditions to Join the Initiative
- A big institution (public or private) can apply for the accreditation by DASCA, which is a WDSI-approved body that issues cross-platform vendor-neutral certifications in data science.
- World-Bank funded institutions and large public universities, by default, are eligible to apply for setting up of Data Science Centre of Excellence, or International Center for Data Science (ICDS) within their respective campuses.
- Educational institutes and universities currently running data science learning programs under their umbrella can nominate their respective faculties to earn the coveted recognition, i.e. ‘distinguished data science educators’ issued under the initiative.
We wish you the best in your prospective efforts towards becoming a WDSI member-institution.
