On May 26, 2017, Applied Mathematics Department hosted the Workshop on Data Science Curriculum Development.

The workshop was initiated by Yuri Demchenko, Senior Researcher of the System and Network Engineering Research Group, (University of Amsterdam), and Oleg Chertov, Head of the Applied Mathematics Department.

Applied Mathematics Department was represented by:

• Dan Tavrov, Assistant Head of the Department for methodology
• Sergiy Syrota, Associate Professor
• Volodymyr Malchykov, Assistant Professor
• Viktor Valeev, PhD student

The following representatives of higher educational institutional and research institutes accepted Prof. Chertov’s invitation and actively participated in the workshop:

• Alexandra Antoniouk, Supervisor of the Department of Mathematics of Kyiv Academic University, Senior Researcher at the Department of Nonlinear Analysis, Institute of Mathematics of NASU
• Yaroslav Vyklyuk, Vice-rector on science and international cooperation, Bukovinian University (Chernivtsi)
• Yuriy Zaychenko, Professor, Department of the Mathematical Methods of System Analysis, Igor Sikorsky KPI
• Leonid Lyubchyk, Head of the Department of Computer Mathematics and Data Analysis, NTU «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute» (Kharkiv)
• Oleksii Molchanovskyi, Program Coordinator, Senior Teacher, Ukrainian Catholic University (Lviv)
• Volodymy Nochvai, Senior Researcher, Institute of Mathematical Machines and Systems Problems of NASU
• Bogdana Oliynyk, Head of the Department of Mathematics, NU «Kyiv-Mohyla Academy»
• Ivan Pyshnograyev, Deputy director, World Data Center for Geoinformatics and Sustainable Development
• Vitalij Shadura, Supervisor of the Department of Theoretical and Mathematical Physics of Kyiv Academic University, Senior Researcher at the Department for Theory of Nuclei and Quantum Field Theory, Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics of NASU
• Danylo Yakymenko, Researcher, Institute of Mathematics of NASU

In addition, the following IT sector representatives attended the workshop:

• Borys Pratsiuk, Head of R&D Engineering, Ciklum
• Yurii Bukhtiiarov, Director, Video Internet Technologies

During the workshop, Yuri Demchenko gave a talk “Professional issues in Data Science and their implementation in university curricula,” in which he introduced the EDISON European Project. The project is devoted, among other directions, to creating the EDISON Data Science Framework (EDSF), a collection of documents that define the Data Science profession. The framework also includes general guidelines for creating curricula in universities that train students in Data Science (or related) majors or tracks.

Two talks were given covering the current experience of teaching Data Science in Ukraine. The first one was delivered by Oleksii Molchanovskyi, the Master’s Program in Data Science Coordinator at the Ukrainian Catholic University.

The second one was presented by Oleg Chertov, under whose supervision Applied Mathematics Department opened the “Data Science and Mathematical Modeling” track this academic year.

During the discussion that took place after the official part, workshop participants reached the following decisions:

• Actively promote the usage of a new translation of the “Data Science” term into Ukrainian (“датистика”)
• Initiate the formal procedure of establishing the Ukrainian Data Science Association (the temporary website is available via the link)

Main goals of the newly created association are:

• Create sample educational programs for training Bachelors and Masters majoring in 113 Applied Mathematics and 122 Computer Science (in appropriate tracks)
• In collaboration with business associations, create the Professional Standard in Data Science
• Establish a network of universities/departments, which adhere to the association standards in teaching data science, in order to enable further academic mobility of faculty and students

More workshop photos are available via the link (photo credit: Yuri Demchenko).