Opening ceremony for SNU Big Data Institute

On April 16, the SNU Urban Data Science Laboratory announced plans to continue its Big Data Academy, a free education program for Seoul residents. In 2017, the SNU Big Data Institute and the Seoul Metropolitan Government paired up to establish the City Data Science Research Institute at Gaepo Digital Innovation Park in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The laboratory specifically aims to lead data research and education efforts relating to urban issues such as transportation, environment, and city development.

Cha Sang Kyun, director of SNU Big Data Institute and professor of the SNU Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, emphasized that the goal of the program was to “go beyond simply teaching citizens about big data by giving them opportunities to directly practice and utilize big data skills.”

The 14-week education program consists of lectures and projects that focus on both theoretical and practical training. Managed and taught by SNU faculty members, the course curriculum covers a wide range of subjects including Marketing Research Methodology, Artificial Neural Networks and Natural Language Processing. The first course of this year, Python Programming, will begin on April 30.

Open to all Seoul residents, the program begins accepting applications two weeks prior to each course. Approximately 50 to 70 participants are selected following an interview and examination process.

Lee Sang Goo, vice-president of the program and professor of the SNU Department of Computer Science and Engineering, said that through the program, “we hope to not only educate but also provide citizens with the tools and skills they need to lead Korea in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era.”

More detailed information about the program can be found at: http://udsl.snu.ac.kr

Written by Frances Seowon Jin, SNU English Editor, seowonjin@snu.ac.kr
Reviewed by Professor Travis Smith, Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations, tlsmith@snu.ac.kr