The School of Natural and Applied Science (NAS) at Sol Plaatje University (SPU) has launched its Centre for Applied Data Science (CADS) at the SPU South Campus.
The CADS seeks to promote interdisciplinary research and collaboration within the university and with external communities, and also to promote teaching, learning, and training of applied data science to solve developmental challenges faced locally, nationally, regionally, and globally.
Speaking at the launch on 1 November, Prof. Aifheli Gelebe, head of the NAS School, said the CADS will adhere to SPU’s values by promoting a culture of collaboration and multidisciplinary work, ethical behaviour and integrity, non-hierarchical-based work, and innovation and disruptive thinking.
Gelebe emphasised the importance of being a research-active university which seeks to address the world’s sustainability goals while reducing poverty and inequality.
“The School of NAS is committed to the advancement of the South African social project through the provision of first-class education in a first-class way, and to develop a reputation as a bold, courageous, relevant and research-led international school of scientific, academic excellence.”
He also said the centre would motivate focus and coherence to how data is sourced, generated, managed, and used to advance the four niche areas in NAS, as well as other disciplines within the institution.
The four niche areas are: biodiversity conservation and agriculture in arid zones; emerging technologies, data science and cyber security; environmental science, climate change and renewable energy; and sustainable resource management for sustainable livelihoods.
Prof. Andrew Crouch, vice-chancellor and principal of SPU, said in 2019 SPU received a R4,5 m investment from Absa to support the university’s and the Northern Cape’s endeavour to develop the field of data science. He highlighted the importance of building on partnerships, which are part of the university’s sustainability matrix, and thanked Absa for their partnership.
“Since its inception in 2015 with 26 students, the programme has grown to an enrolment of 91 students in 2022, and an overall total of 454 enrolment in the eight years of the programme running. A total of 54 students have graduated since 2017, and this is equivalent to 14% of the overall total graduates in the school since the beginning of the university,” said Crouch.
A BSc Honours in Data Science was introduced in 2019 to provide continued growth in the field for SPU students and other people in the field.
Dr Silas Verkijika, acting director for the CADS, said we live in an era where all aspects of modern life contribute to data generation at an unprecedented rate, and said we can make decisions to use these data and data-driven analysis to transform our world and contribute to its sustainable development.
