Data scientists will be in high demand for their expertise as the Internet of Things (IoT) and big datareshape the world.
IN the digitalisation era, everything in the world is becoming more automated.
The Internet of Things (IoT) and big data are about to reshape the world, with the potential to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues, such as climate change, health and disease outbreaks, poverty, global warming and smart city infrastructure.
While IoT would primarily collect data from physical objects via various sensors, big data enables faster and more efficient data storage and processing.
However, in its raw form, data is meaningless. This is where data analysts, data innovators, intelligence developers, data engineers and machine learning scientists come in, as they piece together the complicated “jigsaw” of data to extract useful insights.
Demand for talent
According to a commissioned study by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Malaysia’s big data analytics market is anticipated to grow to US$1.9bil (RM8.7bil) by 2025, with up to six million jobs expected to be created.
In other words, data scientists will be in much higher demand for their expertise in analysing, cleaning, filtering and connecting all of the complex data sets, so that it can be used to solve human problems.
To meet the demand, Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) offers high- quality industry-relevant programmes such as BSc (Hons) in Computer Science and BSc (Hons) in Computer Science with a specialism in Data Analytics.
“Everyone is talking about data science, IoT and big data as the next big thing in technology,” says APU vice chancellor Prof Dr Ho Chin Kuan.
“Technology is always evolving, so the chance to do something truly revolutionary could be right around the corner.
“More specifically, data scientists may be able to save more lives and solve more problems by critically evaluating design paradigms, languages, algorithms, patterns and techniques used to develop more complex software systems.”
IoT and Big Data are two of the most transformative technologies of our time, and they are already havinga positive impact on the world in many ways.
Making the impossible, possible
If you are interested in subjects related to mathematics and statistics, and have good analytical and problem-solving skills, the Computer Science and Data Analytics specialism programmes may be the best option for you to explore.
The programmes offer subjects such as operating systems, networks and databases, as well as system and computer architecture.
Students will also dig into specialised modules such as artificial intelligence (AI), C ++ and Python programming, data structures, concurrent programming, data management, business intelligence systems, algorithmics, real-time systems, behavioural science and marketing analytics, text and sentiment analytics, emergent technologies, optimisation and deep learning, database security and investigations in data analytics.
These modules will be offered over a three-year full-time study period.
APU School of Computing head Assoc Prof Dr Tan Chin Ike explains that data scientists rely on numbers for programming languages to carry out their work, so students will need to have a mathematical brain and some working knowledge of programming languages.
“This may seem daunting at first, but it is nothing that cannot be learned over time with practice,” he says.
“It is not just about crunching numbers and sharing your data, sometimes, you will need to dig deeper to understand what is really going on.”
Computer Science and Computer Science with specialism in Data Analytics programme head Mohamad Firdaus Che Abdul Rani shares that Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) and big data in healthcare can reduce unnecessary hospital visits and the burden on healthcare systems by connecting patients to their physicians and allowing the transfer of medical data over a secure network.
He adds that APU students were able to build an IoMT market consisting of smart devices, which associate real-time location, telehealth and other services, for their final year project.
These smart devices, which include wearables and medical/vital monitors, are strictly for healthcare use on the body – be it at home, or in clinic and hospital settings.
The project was carried out by Data Analytics students Nityanantan Balakrishnan, Chia Ve Ka and Devendra Sathiyananthan, who were mentored by Firdaus and three other lecturers Hema Latha Krishna Nair, Amad Arshad and Ir Ts Dr Yvette Shaan-Li Susiapan.
“The research focuses on nasopharyngeal carcinoma cancer post-diagnosis healthcare and lifestyle monitoring to ensure they are consistently in contact with medical personnel, and mentally confident to pursue their journey living with cancer,” says Firdaus.
“The implementation of IoMT and LoRaWAN telecommunication network is proposed based on success stories on business use cases such as smart homes, smart cities and hospitality.
“The research is expected to deliver the proposed technological framework including LoRaWAN communication, the medical wearable devices and a healthcare mobile app to test on information accuracy and reliability.”
APU’s purpose-built campus with an ultra-modern design is strategically located in MRANTI Park, KualaLumpur.
APU and SAS (a statistical software suite) have signed a memorandum of agreement in partnership to develop data scientists in Malaysia.
SAS also has endorsed the undergraduate and postgraduate level programmes in data analytics by providing tools and educational material support for learning and research purposes.
All undergraduate and postgraduate data analytics students will even receive a Joint Professional Certificate from SAS.
APU also offers the APU-DMU dual degree programme, where students can receive two-degree certificates upon graduation: one from APU and another from De Montfort University in the UK, renowned for its 150 years of experience in providing higher education.
This dual degree enhances the employability of graduates, growing their competencies towards maintaining APU’s 100% employability track record.
For more information, please visit www.apu.edu.my.
