• A
  • A
  • A
  • ABC
  • ABC
  • ABC
  • А
  • А
  • А
  • А
  • А
Regular version of the site

HSE and University of London: Joint BA Programme in Applied Data Analysis

HSE and University of London: Joint BA Programme in Applied Data Analysis

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lseinpictures/

In 2018, the Higher School of Economics will launch an English-taught double degree programme in partnership with the University of London in Applied Data Analysis. Graduates will be awarded an undergraduate degree from HSE in Applied Mathematics and Information Science and a Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Business Analytics from the University of London.

How does the programme work?

The aim of the programme is to educate highly qualified analysts and professionals in data science, giving them an understanding of applied economics, including finance, and teaching them to be creative in applying their knowledge and skills to solve tasks in this field of science.

The Faculty of Computer Science has led the charge in responding to the increasing international demand for finance experts. They have already launched a master’s programme this year in Financial Technology and Data Analysis (in Russian) in partnership with Sberbank; a leader in IT transformation in banking. In 2018, a whole new generation of professionals will be undertaking undergraduate studies at HSE.

In addition to fundamental theoretical training, the joint BA in Applied Data Analysis will provide students with practical experience that will empower them to navigate the ever-changing world of information technology and to exploit its influence in the fields of finance and economics. Graduating with two degrees, graduates will be well-equipped to apply for the world’s leading Master’s programmes. Proficiency in economics and finance will give candidates who wish to apply for prestigious Master’s programmes in IT-related areas a competitive edge.

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), part of the University of London, has been HSE’s partner for 20 years. LSE has designed the economic segment of the programme while the HSE’s Faculty of Computer Science is responsible for mathematics, programming and machine learning.

The programme will be administered according to an approach long-established by the HSE’s International College of Economics and Finance and one that has been optimized over the years. It begins with enrolment in the first year of the HSE undergraduate programme. Intensive English courses are an integral part of the first-year curriculum. Those who successfully pass the exams at the end of the first year are able to enroll in the second year at HSE and the first year at the University of London. The second, third and fourth years of studies at HSE coincide with the second and third years of studies at the University of London. Since our British partner’s curriculum constitutes three years, students graduate both from the University of London and HSE at the end of their fourth year of studies. Following successful thesis defense, students are awarded degrees from both universities.

Who will be teaching?

The HSE Faculty of Computer Science has an excellent track record in training developers and researchers in this field. The Faculty’s programmes integrate the approaches of leading American and European universities, such as Stanford University and Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, as well as the Yandex School of Data Analysis, which administers one of Russia’s most respected Master’s programmes in computer science.

The Faculty employs some of the country’s best experts in data analysis and internationally recognized research groups carry out their research on-site. This includes groups led by Prof. Nikolay Vereshchagin in theoretical information science; Sergei Kuznetsov, tenured HSE Professor, in complex structure data analysis; Prof. Irina Lomazova in business administration systems’ modeling, analysis and design; Dmitry Vetrov, Research Professor, in deep learning and Bayesian methods; and Andrey Ustyuzhanin, Associate Professor, in big data analysis and high energy physics. They have published in leading international journals such as IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Software and Systems Modeling, ACM Transactions on Algorithms, Machine Learning, and Theory of Computing Systems.

The programme also draws on the expertise of several international teachers, including  Bruno Bauwens, Assistant Professor at the Big Data and Information Retrieval School, as well as Geoffrey Decrouez, Attila Kertesz-Farkas and Quentin Paris, assistant professors at School of Data Analysis and Artificial Intelligence. All of the aforementioned specialists will be teaching segments of the programme and the list of international teachers contributing to it grows each year.

In addition, the Faculty of Computer Science collaborates with many renowned researchers from international universities, including Vladimir Gurvich (Rutgers University), Mikhail Zakharyaschev (University of London), Yurii Nesterov (Catholic University of Leuven), Vladimir Spokoiny (Humboldt University of Berlin), and Andre Scedrov (University of Pennsylvania).

The scientific expertise and experience utilized by the Faculty ensures a Bachelor programme of the highest caliber.

Professors from the Faculty of Economic Sciences are also involved in the programme. ‘It’s essential not only to be able to identify quantitative relations in big data, but also to find the systemic relations in the area characterized by this data. We then aim to use our understanding of the relations to find possible solutions and opportunities for their implementation, particularly in relation to tasks which involve collection, processing and analysis of the data’, says Alexander Belenky, member of the academic council of the programme and Leading Research Fellow at the International Laboratory of Decision Choice and Analysis. ‘The new programme aims to provide students with skills that will make them unique professionals; creative in research, practice and consulting. They will have a competitive advantage on the Russian and international job markets’.

The Tutoring Centre at the Faculty of Computer Science boasts highly qualified professionals who run workshops and mentor students for individual and group projects. Banking, consulting and finance professionals will be involved in this aspect of the new programme.

What career opportunities are there?

Students at the Faculty of Computer Science are regularly invited by leading Russian and international companies to undertake internships. Facebook, Yandex, Google, McKinsey&Company, Kaspersky Lab, JetBrains, Samsung, Sberbank, and Tinkoff have all hosted our students and will continue to do so.

‘Programme graduates will be able to apply for positions at financial and consulting firms, IT companies, and start-ups. With knowledge and experience in complex software product development, team work, big data analysis, and advanced analysis with the use of machine learning, students will be ideal candidates for management positions and will be able to carry out the digital transformation of businesses’, says Tamara Voznesenskaya, Academic Supervisor of the programme.

‘Knowledge of machine learning algorithms, the ability to use intellectual data analysis tools, and the ability to use these tools in problem-solving considerably increases an expert’s value’, believes Vadim Strizhov, member of the academic council for the programme and editor-in-chief at the journal of Machine Learning and Data Analysis.

Prospective employers include:

  • Banking, investment and insurance companies (Sberbank, Alfa Bank, Tinkoff, WorldQuant, Moscow Stock Exchange);
  • Leading IT companies (Yandex, Mail.ru, Google, Facebook, Rambler);
  • Leading software companies (Microsoft, SAP, SAS, Qlik etc);
  • Consulting companies (PWC, McKinsey&Co, Accenture, BCG, Glowbyte);
  • IT departments and big data departments at big mobile providers (Beeline, MTS, Megafon).

According to Mikhail Petrovsky, head of academic programmes at SAS, the market demand for applied data analysis experts is huge, and is continuing to grow: ‘Over the last two years, we’ve seen an overwhelming increase in customer requests to find analysts and interns. While banking and telecom companies were once the most active in this area, now our clients seeking such experts include companies from the retail, insurance, health care, oil & gas, and transportation sectors’.

‘Machine learning methods are becoming more and more popular and are available to most companies. At the same time, competition in quality of services is growing. As such, there is a demand for experts who possess a comprehensive understanding of mathematical methods and algorithms as well as managerial skills and knowledge of how businesses work. The new Bachelor programme trains such professionals’, says Alexander Belugin, project office head at Yandex Data Factory.

HSE offers 50 fee-paying slots. Discounts may be offered to high-achieving students.

Learn more about the Joint BA in Applied Data Analysis by talking to academic supervisor, Tamara Voznesenskaya, as well as the instructors, at our Open Day, which will take place on December 3 at 12pm at the HSE Faculty of Computer Science. Address: 3 Kochnovsky Proezd, Moscow.

See also:

Pivot to the East: A Comprehensive Study of the Cultural and Civilisational Centres of the Non-Western World is the Top Priority

China and the Chinese world, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Arab countries, Iran, Turkey, Central Asia and Africa are gaining new significance in Russia’s foreign policy. However, we do not know enough about the Eastern countries. It is necessary to change the priorities in education, starting from grammar school. Prospects for the development of domestic Oriental studies in the context of the new stage in the development of the system of international relations were discussed at a round table at HSE University.

‘I Admire HSE Students’ Eagerness to Learn, to Discuss, to Broaden Their Perspectives’

Robert Romanowski was a ‘Digital Professor’ at HSE University in November 2021. In his interview for the HSE News Service, he talked about the specifics of online teaching, his course on Strategic Branding, and the skills that are essential for marketing professionals today.

Russia and Africa: Time to Expand Cooperation

There is major potential for economic and humanitarian cooperation between Russia and African countries. Particularly, Russian organisations and universities can help transfer competencies and knowledge in the fields of agriculture, energy, industrial production, environmental management, climate change, and public administration. Experts and representatives of African embassies in Russia discussed these issues at the round table ‘Russia-Africa Sharing Knowledge’ hosted by HSE University.

The Brain in Space: Investigating the Effects of Long Spaceflights on Space Travellers

As part of an international project conducted with the participation of Roscosmos and the European Space Agency, a team of researchers used differential tractography to analyse dMRI scans ofcosmonauts’ brains and found significant changes in brain connectivity, with some of the changes persisting after seven months back on Earth. The paper is published in Frontiers in Neural Circuits.

HSE University-Perm and the Training Centre of the Uzbek Ministry of Finance Sign Cooperation Agreement

HSE University in Perm has become the first academic partner of the Training Centre under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The parties have signed a cooperation agreement in education and research. 

HSE University Strengthens Ties with Netherlands in Agricultural Research and Education

On November 9, 2021, HSE University signed a memorandum of understanding with Wageningen University & Research, a major university in the Netherlands and one of the leading agricultural research institutes in the world. Participants of the signing ceremony included HSE University Rector Nikita Anisimov, President of the Wageningen University & Research Executive Board Professor Louise Fresco, and Dutch Ambassador to Russia Gilles Beschoor Plug.

The Majority of Russians Do Not Support Microchip Implants

The majority of Russians would not agree to being fitted with microchip implants for any purposes—medical or otherwise. A joint study conducted by HSE University’s International Laboratory for Applied Network Research and Aventica found that respondents believe the risks of personal data leaks and misuse to be too high.

‘We Can Now Say That the Finance Conference Is Global’

The 10th International Moscow Finance Conference, organized by HSE ICEF, took place on October 29–30 online. Vladimir Sokolov, Head of the International Laboratory of Financial Economics, which hosted the conference, talks about the participants, the key presentation topics and how they will impact the global economy.

HSE University Scholars Study Green Transition Risks and Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulation

The UN Climate Change Conference is taking place from October 31 to November 12 in Glasgow. The conference focuses on preventive measures against the catastrophic and irreversible consequences of rising average global air temperatures. Igor Makarov, Head of the HSE Laboratory for Economics of Climate Change, will be taking part in the Glasgow conference. In the following interview, he speaks about the pressing problems Russia and the world are facing, and the research HSE scholars are doing on climate change.

Applications to Speak at eSTARS 2021 Conference Accepted Until November 15

HSE University and Coursera are bringing together the world’s leading researchers, professionals, education and technology leaders, and business community representatives for the fourth international research conference eLearning Stakeholders and Researchers Summit 2021 (eSTARS). This topic of this year’s summit, which will run from December 1–2, 2021,is ‘Digital Transformation: Global Challenges to the Education System’.