ADS 2017 Highlights Event Report

On Thursday 07 December 2017, Amsterdam Data Science held their annual Festive Drinks & Data afternoon. The event was a chance for ADS to share their many 2017 highlights and big plans for 2018 with the Data Science community. The event was followed by networking over drinks & bites.

Maarten de Rijke (ADS Director, IvI UvA) introduced and chaired the event, attended by over 120 Data Science enthusiasts, despite the less favourable weather conditions!

The event included 15 x 4-minute madness presentations on the “ADS strategic directions: 2017 Highlights & looking forward to 2018″, with two presentations (one 2017 highlight and one plan for 2018) on each of: Foundations of Data Science, Health & Life Sciences, Digital Business, City Analytics, Responsible Data Science, Education & Entrepreneurship 

Speakers were from across the ADS partners, our thanks to: Peter Bloem (VU), Paola Grosso (UvA), Mark Hoogendoorn (VU), Jasmijn Baaijens (CWI), Frans Feldberg (VU), Stevan Rudinac (UvA), Nanda Piersma (CWI), Frank van Harmelen (VU), Aysenur Bilgin (CWI), Evangelos Kanoulas (UvA), Geleyn Meijer (HvA), Vincent van den Brekel (CWI), and Yulia Bodnar (ACE).

The event was closed by Lynda Hardman (CWI), who will now join the ADS Management Team in Maarten de Rijke’s place. Maarten was thanked for the time he has dedicated to ADS projects over the past years, and in true Sinterklaas style Lynda read a poem (see below).

Want to view the slides from the event? Check them out HERE

Presentation titles and more pictures from the event are available HERE

Photo: The event was followed by networking over drinks & bites

The Poem: Sir Maarten Retrieve-a-lot(*), and the Knights of the FAIR Data

(*) Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely intentional.

 

Hear this ballad of noble deeds

Of heroes, monsters and trusty steeds.

It all began in a lowly polder

Where data gathered and began to moulder.

 

The monster lies within its lair

Collecting our data while we despair.

Our click behaviour is observed;

All we say is overheard.

 

“Oh no!”, our hero cried aghast!

“Our data is accruing fast!”

At breakneck speed we must now act

To save our data – that’s a FACT!

 

Call our bravest Knights to arms!

Our data needs our FAIRest charms.

Fear not that Fair may come too late.

All data must be Accurate!

 

Users have to be assured

that their lives aren’t shared abroad.

There can’t be any show and tell:

All must be Confident-i-al.

 

We’re nearly there but not quite yet

Just one more thing not to forget.

To conclude our data rant

is the requirement: Transparent.

 

If the di-ag-no-sis says

“Three pills a day to reduce stress,”

Then the system has to say

Why the choice was made that way.

 

And so our Knight goes on his quest

It’s Transparent he’ll do his best.

Sir Maarten of the YOU VEE EIGH –

His duty is to save the day.

 

But UvA Knights they are too few

So help comes from the Knights of VU.

From H v A and C W I

Come more brave Knights prepared to die.

 

All for one and one for all

Unite together at Maarten’s call.

The bond of heroes from East and Wes’

Known to all as ADS.

 

The monster lies within its lair

Collecting data, so unFair.

The Knights approach, their daggers drawn

And so approaches the new dawn.

 

Gwendolyn (*)

(*) Lynda Hardman

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