Data Analytics MSc Students Take a Trip to Microsoft’s Irish Headquarters
On Friday 4th October, a group of students from the full-time Master of Science in Data Analytics programme visited Microsoft’s headquarters in Dublin. The students enjoyed a particularly informative and lively presentation from Martin Perry, Group Manager, who is responsible for Reporting and Analytics services.
During his presentation, Martin spoke about the need not only for digital literacy, but also data literacy, topic of particular significance for these students. After a tour of the campus, Stephen Howell, Academic Lead and Accessibility Evangelist for Microsoft, made a presentation detailing some of the work being undertaken at Microsoft in Dublin, in addition to speaking about career options.
Head of Department of Accounting and Business, Trevor Prendergast, commented that visiting industry giants such as Microsoft affords students the opportunity to extend their learning beyond the classroom and to gain an insight into real-world applications of Data Analytics. In addition, it also gives students an insight into career possibilities that area available to them once they graduate.
An educational powerhouse defined by a commitment to academic excellence, Athlone Institute of Technology has enjoyed considerable successes in the academic arena, most notably being named one of U-Multirank’s ‘Top 25 Performing Universities’ in the world for interdisciplinary research the second consecutive year. Further solidifying its reputational prowess, the institute continues to enjoy the highest ranking nationally in the Irish Survey of Student Engagement – 69% versus 29% national average. These accolades build upon the institute’s success in winning the Sunday Times Good University Guide ‘Institute of Technology of the Year’ award in 2018 and Runner Up award in 2017.
