Out of the Ivory Tower and into the Cloud: Driving Innovation in Business Analytics Education
Drawing from both academic and industry experience, this session will show how integrating experiential learning with cloud technologies can better equip early-career data professionals with diverse skill sets while generating value for organizations through partnerships. Traditionally, coursework has focused on specific skills (e.g., Python, SQL) with a fragmented approach to business applications and technologies. Leveraging cloud platforms allows educators and professionals to create a more cohesive, seamless pathway that delivers tangible benefits.
The growing availability of cloud computing services offers the opportunity to leverage scalable, all-in-one/ “one-stop shop” technologies in the classroom, enhancing both internal and external value. This talk will explore trends in the adoption and demand for cloud computing tools in business schools and organizations. By collaborating with external, industry partners to create case studies that address real business challenges and providing cloud access to live data, academic institutions, educators, students, and partner organizations including participating executives can all benefit. The cloud enables the seamless execution of end-to-end data projects—using just a web browser—from formulating business questions to accessing, processing, analyzing data, and generating visualizations and reports. This session will discuss strategies to drive innovation in higher education, form industry or university partnerships, and share example case studies and outcomes. In summary, this talk will highlight the following:
- How to leverage cloud technologies in higher education and manage academic colleague, student, and business partner expectations
- Evolving adoption trends and employer/organization skill set needs
- The benefits of collaborative case studies and industry projects
- Further strategies and ideas for innovation