The Diaspora Webinar Series, organized by Luiss University in collaboration with the Le Reseau Diaspora Association is coming to a close on May 25th with a final webinar entitled “Data science to Support a Changing World”. The Diaspora Series has focused on the multiple potential pathways for partnership and knowledge-exchange between Italy and the African continent. In this final Webinar, we will hear from experts in the one of the newest and most innovative fields of our time—and certainly one poised to have a tremendous impact on all of our lives: data science.

In the era of “big data” the ability to harness massive volumes of information is as valuable to a company, industry, or nation’s economic performance as any physical commodity ever was. Observation of this fact has led commentators to dub data the “new gold” or the “new oil”. Like these precious natural resources, the ability to capitalize on the tremendous potential value of raw data depends entirely on the capacity to “extract” it—in this case by processing or preprocessing it for use in analytics.

While relatively unheard of a decade ago, careers in data science are now in rapidly increasing demand. The term ‘data scientist’ itself, which was coined in 2008 by DJ Patil (former Whitehouse Chief Data Scientist under Barak Obama) now returns over 25,000 results on LinkedIn’s Jobs page, as businesses from start-ups to multinationals and even governments continue to seek out the services of experts in big data analytics. Because they possess the skills and know-how to convert raw data into a valuable commodity, it is easy to imagine that data scientists will be the petroleum engineers of the next generation. This is where universities and research institutions come in, to equip young people with the information and abilities that will prepare them to make their way in the information economy.

Thinking about big data as the new gold or oil is especially interesting from the perspective of the global south—particularly the African continent. Africa is rich in many of the natural resources that drive the world’s economy—from more traditional commodities like gold and oil to the rare earth minerals that power our cellphones and other IT devices—but the tumultuous history of exploitation and colonial domination endured by much of the continent means that the capacity for extraction of these precious resources (and consequently the bulk of the economic return) lies predominantly in the hands of foreign multi-nationals. Although the paradigm shift under way in the context of the “fourth industrial revolution” has been met with concern that too much power will become concentrated in the hands of the few tech companies which already have a big head start, it also represents tremendous opportunity for a more level field of play, as we redefine the parameters of the global economy. It very well could be the case that a new generation of young African data scientists could not only bring back some economic prosperity to their home continents, but also finally bring the tools of extraction of a powerful commodity into the hands of African people. In a recent article, Wim Delva, the acting director of the new School for Data Science and Computational Thinking at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, reminded readers of another way which harnessing the power of data science can benefit the African continent. Beyond the economic potential that data science can unlock, it is also a powerful tool to address social issues. Interpreting and operationalizing large volumes of data can help us to improve access and equity in health care, improve road safety and bolster food security. According to Delva “Data science, led by Africa-based scientists, could play a key role in addressing all of these needs.” He goes on to add that while local experts should take the lead in finding data-driven solutions for local problems, collaborations with overseas partners should not be discounted, as “these bring complementary expertise; avoid reinventing the wheel, and make it possible to make larger investments and ultimately have a bigger impact.”

We invite anyone interested in joining the conversation on how data science and data-driven solutions can shape the future of Africa and the world as a whole to join our webinar “Data Science to Support a Changing World” on May 25th at 3:30pm (CEST).

Registration is free by following this link, and simultaneous translation will be available in English, French and Italian. Full program as follows:

Professor Raffaele Marchetti, Deputy Rector for Internationalization at the Luiss will open the meeting with a welcome address and serve as moderator.

Christine Baguela Soro, founder of Digie Women School, which takes an African perspective on equality and equal opportunities in digital, communication and information technologies, will speak first.

Aristide Aly Boyarm, managing partner of the company AfricaCrm&Si, based in Burkina Faso, will discuss some excerpts from his paper “L’entreprise numerique africaine”.

He will be followed by Irene Finocchi, Full Professor of Computer Science at Luiss Guido Carli and Director of the BSC in Management and Computer Science, who will give a talk entitled “Algorithms and the future of the world”.

Vincenzo Giardina, journalist and coordinator of international news bulletins of the Dire Agency, discuss the portrayal of communities of foreign origin in the contemporary news media and present data on the areas in which diasporas have an impact, from mere remittances to entrepreneurship and associationism.

Marco Francesco Mazzù, recruiting leader and professor of Marketing & Digital at the Luiss will close out the webinar, and the Luiss-Le Reseau Diaspora Webinar Series, and discuss plans and hopes for future collaborations.

Once again, the link to join is : https://iabw-eu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwodOyrqTgrGt31j1cL0JxG4zDi7YJcusdm

How to apply: Bachelor https://forms.luiss.it/login?id_evento=74&lang=en and Master’s Degree https://forms.luiss.it/login?id_evento=75&lang=en