Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT), the pioneer in British higher education in Sri Lanka and the country’s premier IT and Business campus, launched Sri Lanka’s first-ever BSc (Hons) Artificial Intelligence and Data Science awarded by Robert Gordon University (RGU) – UK at an Online Forum held recently.
The informative online forum was attended by Dr. John Isaacs – Head of School of Robert Gordon University – UK, Prof. Nirmalie Wiratunga – Professor Intelligent Systems Research of Robert Gordon University – UK, Shevan Goonetilleke – President and General Manager, Integration Business of WSO2 and Naomi Krishnarajah – Dean of IIT. The forum was moderated by Dr. Damitha Karunaratna – Head of Department Computing of IIT.
IIT’s BSc (Hons) Artificial Intelligence and Data Science course is designed to cater to the growing demand of ICT professionals with skills in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (AI and DS), as well as to provide the opportunity for students looking to pursue a rewarding career in AI and DS. Students will be able to gain practical understanding of contemporary AI and DS trends and technologies in developing cutting-edge solutions. The 4-year full-time degree adopts a methodical approach where modules are organised from general to specific ones as the student progresses through the years. Initially a range of modules are organised under key streams such as Systems, Mathematics, Programming and AI and DS. Subsequently, they are gradually specialised into AI and DS modules, as the student progress through Stages 1 to 4. These will include modules such as Programming, Database, Web, IoT, Algorithms, Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Machine Vision, Mathematics and Statistics, where students are exposed to both theoretical principles and state-of-the-art technological advances. This will enable students to learn about the power of automation, analytics and AI, paving the way for innovation while following the course and after graduation as well. As with all IIT degrees, Year 3 will include a compulsory 12 month industrial placement period that will provide the student additional practical skills and a competitive edge in the job market. Some of the careers associated with this AI and DS degree include Data/Enterprise Architect, Application Architect, Data Scientist, Machine Learning Scientist/Engineer, Data Analyst, Data Science Consultant, Business Intelligence Engineer, Big Data Engineer/Application Developer and Software Engineer.
Addressing the online audience, Naomi Krishnarajah – Dean of IIT stated, “Today marks another significant milestone as IIT launches the BSc (Hons) Artificial Intelligence and Data Science in collaboration with Robert Gordon University (RGU), Scotland. The growing need for AI and Data Science Professionals by the industry locally, regionally and, internationally was the main justification for launching this degree. IIT has been extremely successful with its undergraduate ICT degrees and this is another degree adding to its growing portfolio of offerings. IIT has developed a strong partnership with RGU since 2016 and has been offering, namely MSc Big Data Analytics and MSc Business Analytics, which are highly sought by graduates working in industry. The AI and Data Science degree cover multiple streams (programming, systems and, artificial intelligence and data science) progressively moving towards specialization in AI and Data Science. IIT’s strong relationship with the ICT industry enables it to identify the skills required ahead of time and provide a pathway for students to get world-class qualifications in those areas.”
While providing an introduction to the university, Dr. John Isaacs – Head of School of Robert Gordon University – UK stated, “RGU has been awarded a Gold Rating, the highest rating, in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) review. This is a framework all universities in UK submit to. This reflects consistent delivery of outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students. This places us in the top 20% of the best universities in the UK for the quality of its undergraduate teaching and learning. RGU has also been placed 2nd in Scotland and 2nd in the UK for Overall Student Satisfaction in the National Student Survey (NSS) results.”
Giving her insights to AI and Data Science, Prof. Nirmalie Wiratunga – ‘’We are very pleased to offer BSc (hons) Artificial Intelligence and Data Science in collaboration between RGU, Scotland and IIT, Sri Lanka. We have designed the course jointly which will be delivered by IIT; with RGU assuring quality and conferring of awards. Industries such as healthcare, life sciences, energy, financial services, automotive, manufacturing, and entertainment all benefit from reasoning from data. Technology giants such as Facebook, Google, and Microsoft are opening their deep-learning platforms for all to use. We have designed this degree; with modules that are essential to meet industry demands. Hot applications like self-driving cars, personal assistants that can make reservations on your behalf or IoT sensing platforms that can manage smart homes, automated language translation or video captioning on mobile devices all rely on AI and data science technologies. This degree will impart strong conceptual understanding of technologies behind AI and Data Science, extend the reach and relevance for opportunities to gain employment and thrive in professional careers’’.
Shevan Goonetilleke – President and General Manager, Integration Business of WSO2 commented, “Advances in Artificial Intelligence technologies have proven to disrupt and improve how we work across all industries, globally. The AI and Data Science program launched by IIT is very timely as it will impart much needed skills and knowledge to budding technology professionals in the country who can leverage this to build Artificial Intelligence solutions to improve Sri Lankan industries as well as provide expertise to advance these technologies on a global scale.”
IIT was established in 1990 as the first private higher education institute that awards reputed British degrees in the field of ICT and Business. IIT is an award-winning campus offering internal postgraduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of Westminster, UK and the Robert Gordon University, UK. IIT has played a pivotal role in strengthening the IT and Business sectors in Sri Lanka over the years by producing world-class graduates. Since its inception in 1990, IIT has produced over 5,000 graduates who are now based in many countries around the globe. These graduates have gone on to become successful entrepreneurs and IT/Business professionals in both local and international corporate and government entities. They have played a pivotal role in empowering over 250 multinational and local blue-chip companies by holding key strategic positions while contributing immensely towards the growth of their respective organizations.