Empowering data-driven leaders: an interview with Professors De Weerdt and vanden Broucke

What motivated the creation of the Postgraduate Studies in Big Data and Analytics in Business and Management?

• Prof. De Weerdt: Our motivation stemmed from recognizing the increasing importance of big data and analytics in today’s business landscape. Organizations across sectors are grappling with vast amounts of data, and the challenge lies in extracting meaningful insights to drive decision-making. With this programme, we want to create an opportunity for data professionals to bridge the gap between technical expertise and practical business applications.
• Prof. vanden Broucke: Absolutely. From our industry collaborations, we learned that there still exists a massive opportunity to better equip professionals with the necessary skills to navigate this data-driven era. Our programme provides a holistic view, combining technical foundations with real-world business contexts.

What makes this programme unique?

• Prof. De Weerdt: The interdisciplinary focus sets our programme apart. Participants gain a thorough understanding of key technical aspects of big data and analytics technologies. Simultaneously, we emphasize business value creation—how these techniques can impact marketing, finance, supply chain, HR, and more.
• Prof. vanden Broucke: Indeed. Our collaboration with industry and governmental organizations ensures that our content remains relevant. Plus, the extensive networking opportunities—catered sessions and dinners—foster valuable connections.

Could you highlight specific course components?

• Prof. De Weerdt: Certainly. The programme covers:
  • Fundamentals of Data Analytics: Predictive and descriptive analytics, model construction, and evaluation.
  • Analytics Business Applications: Marketing, recommender systems, insurance, text mining, and more.
  • Big Data Technologies: Hadoop, Spark, NoSQL databases, and graph databases.
  • Process Analytics: Event log data and conformance checking.
  • GenAI: Essentials of LLMs, governance, business implications.
• Prof. vanden Broucke: Participants emerge with both theoretical insights and practical skills to apply these techniques across various functional areas.

Who should consider this programme?

• Prof. De Weerdt: Professionals from diverse sectors—business, government, healthcare, media, education, energy, and transport. Anyone seeking to harness big data’s potential.
• Prof. vanden Broucke: Exactly. Whether you’re a manager, marketeer, analyst, or process optimizer, this programme equips you for the data-driven future.

Closing thoughts?

• Prof. De Weerdt: Embrace the data revolution. It’s not just about algorithms; it’s about transforming businesses.
• Prof. vanden Broucke: Agreed. Let’s empower the next generation of data-savvy leaders!