The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, has launched out two new courses in the field of statistics and data science. The academic senate and board of the institute have approved new 4-year BS and 5-year BS-MS programmes in Statistics and Data Science from the coming academic year 2021-22. The admissions to the programmes will be through JEE (Advanced) score. The new programmes will focus on areas of fundamental statistical and mathematical, computational, and data science.

“Data Science, Artificial Intelligence/ML are playing increasingly important roles in finding solutions to diverse real-world problems. Research in data science in the next 20 years is expected to focus on developing mathematically rooted models that can be implemented,” Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur said.

The new programmes will focus on areas of fundamental statistical and mathematical, computational, and data science.

The synergy of theory and applications requires training specific to a unique set of skills, and the BS and BS-MS programmes in Statistics and Data Science have been launched in response to this need for effective implementation in real-life situations, Karandikar added.

In collaboration with the proposed School of Medical Research and Technology (SMRT), students would also work on health-related data and digital health to give a much-needed boost to research and analytics in this important emerging area.

“Students undergoing this programme will be exposed to various types of structured and unstructured data with applications and will not only be well suited to build flourishing careers in industry and the new entrepreneurial India but also to pursue higher studies,” Karandiar said.