A group of students from the Data Science and Analytics MSc, previously Business Intelligence and Analytics MSc course, have visited Allison+ PR, a global marketing and communications agency which operates in over 30 countries worldwide, on 1 November.
Students were accompanied by Professor Thierry Chaussalet, Course Leader for the Business Intelligence and Analytics MSc course and Lead of the Health and Social Care Modelling Group at Westminster; and Rolf Bänziger, Lecturer in Computer Science and Engineering. Preparations for the visit was facilitated by Leonidas Skoutas from the University Careers and Employability Service (CES).
Upon arrival students were taken on a brief tour of the premises before having icebreaker activities over lunch, followed by a presentation and a Q&A session about performance intelligence at Allison +PR where Dan Whitney, UK Managing Director, and Lead for Marketing Innovation, was also involved. Afterwards, the students were asked to complete an exercise, translating a potential client's business request into a measurement strategy. Based on a brief and a dataset provided, students had to apply their analytics skills to identify two-three key metrics they reckoned the client would be interested in. According to Professor Chaussalet, all students thoroughly engaged and enjoyed the exercise. The day was wrapped up with an online interactive session with Kevin Convery, the Vice-President for Data Science based in Colorado, USA.
Frances Wireko, a student on the course, said: “As an international student, my visit with Allison +PR provided me with insights into how versatile and important data science and analytics are in today's world, as well as exposed me to the working cultures in the UK. I had the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of the best ways to use data, and not just any type of data, but the right type, to make informed decisions.”
Professor Chaussalet added: “It is fantastic for our students to see how their learning on the course is directly applicable and applied in the real world. The practical task they completed successfully during the visit was an excellent way to boost confidence in their abilities to succeed in their career as data scientists or analysts. I would also like to thank Allison+PR staff, Dona Bouloud and Emily Spicer in particular, for the excellent organisation.”
Learn more about Data Science and Informatics courses at the University of Westminster.
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