Mission

The UHasselt Data Science Institute brings together high quality data-driven research, education and industrial collaboration, both at a local and global level to facilitate the data-driven future. Through their expertise in data sciences, our students, staff, researchers and alumni help to make our society more sustainable, healthy, inclusive, agile and smart.

The years 2020-2030 will not only be characterized by big data but also by an increasing demand for multi-cloud support, machine learning, real-time (often sensor-driven) monitoring and forecasting, the use of real-world data, explainable algorithms, and many other data-driven technological innovations. With the right data science methods and tools, the value of data can be maximized and data scientists can contribute to solutions for global challenges (UN Global Pulse Report 2017).

Supporting UHasselt’s mission as a 'civic university', DSI has the ambition to stimulate growth in the region and beyond with an integrated portfolio of scientific methods and tools. To develop relevant civic-driven research we also invest in fundamental data science research.

Vision

As a UHasselt research institute we want to deploy people and knowledge in data sciences to tackle society's major challenges, in full collaboration with others. The institute performs research across the spectrum from fundamental to applied; its impact ranges from scientific excellence to civic relevance. We measure our success in achieving this goal by the research institute's continuous growth in impact and reputation. Therefore, we will

• break down the silos between research disciplines. The institute aims to provide a collaborative and serendipitous environment for data science experts across disciplines and domains, as well as the necessary technological base that this research can build upon.
• impart our students with knowledge, skills and insights into the world around them, in order to make them high-quality trained data scientists as well as critical and engaged global citizens who are aware of both the opportunities and risks associated with data science.
• collaborate with other universities, research centers, governments, businesses and civil society organisations in order to enhance knowledge on local, regional and global challenges, support decision-making processes and develop new ideas and solutions. The UHasselt Data Science Institute acts as a catalyst for data-driven research valorisation and as a sounding board for discussion on the role of data in society.

The Data Science Cycle

Our scientific and technological offer to potential collaborators covers the full data science cycle as shown below. The concept of the data science cycle helps to make services and expertise of DSI visible and demonstrates the interdisciplinary nature of DSI.