UWA launches new Institute of Data

The University of Western Australia's expertise in applied data science will be at the forefront at a new Institute of Data. The Institute will provide a gateway for data-intensive industries and government agencies to access UWA's rich expertise in applied data science to real-world problems and our understanding of ethical and socially acceptable use of data and automation. Director of Institute of Data Professor Eun-Jung Holden, from UWA's School of Earth Sciences, brings a wealth of experience in developing transformative and innovative data science applications for industry. "Data has become a critical currency in modern society," Professor Holden said. "Cheap accessible sensor technologies support expanding networks, which when combined with digital platforms such as the web, social media and internet-based commercial transactions, rapidly increase the volume of available data, which can then be transformed into'knowledge' to enable a multitude of diverse applications. "This transformation is driving innovations in all facets of life, thanks to the adoption of data science that encompasses statistical methodologies, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence to improve our ability to identify patterns and make predictions from data.