Expert Koo Rijpkema about the world of data science

Listening to a professional talking about his work gives energy! Koo Rijpkema has been working for Eindhoven University of Technology for almost 35 years in the field of applied statistics and data science. When you hear him talk, his enthusiasm is contagious. About 30 years ago, he and his colleagues believed that academic knowledge should not just remain within university walls, but that it should be accessible to everyone. That's how they started organizing courses for businesses.

Since the start of the internet in 1992, a lot has changed in the field of data – the field is still on the rise. If you look at data mining, the insights from a few years ago are no longer new. That’s why during Koo's courses for PAOTM, the most current insights are always discussed. “So much is happening in statistics, data science and data mining! When I give another course in 3 years' time, it will be very different." Therefore, useful for business people who want to keep their knowledge up to date in a manageable way and who want to update their knowledge about data with the latest developments.

More than just some tricks
Nowadays there are a lot of people working in data science. Koo notices that there is a great need to understand the conceptual ideas behind the formulas and techniques applied, and that is exactly what he wants to achieve.''It's not the case that during the course you get a few tricks like for instance ''Here you have a program, just press that button and it works.'' Koo feels it is important to send participants home with a load of new knowledge. ''Sometimes you also have participants who think 'Give me a fantastic software package and tell me what I should and shouldn't do.'' However, that is actually not what we are trying to achieve with the course. We want the participants to really understand what they are doing so that they can get started themselves.”

Get started yourself
A nice example is learning how to drive on a roundabout. “Data science is a bit like like driving lessons. You don't have to memorize all the roundabouts – it's about learning how to safely cross them. And once you master that, you can also use roundabouts you've never seen before in a safe way.”Knowledge of the technology behind the formulas is not only important for the people who work with data themselves, but also for people who have to assess the work of others. The floodings that we sometimes deal with around the Dutch rivers are a good example to illustrate why accurate data prediction is so important. “You can predict water levels with models. But if a forecasting model does not work properly and misses the actual risk of flooding, that is really disastrous!"

Cooperating on sharing knowledge
During the courses, questions from participants are discussed in an interactive way. Together we look for solutions. Very useful for participants. Koo: “But also vice versa. The challenges emerging in business are integrated in education.” That is how we cooperate on sharing knowledge. ''I am grateful for the people who attend a course critically. I love it when people counteract in a motivated way!”

Koo’s advice
Besides an active and critical attitude of participants, Koo also feels that teachers should show a great deal of effort.“I think it is very important that you are committed to the current questions that participants deal with, and that you really bond with them.” Coming from a family of educators, teaching is in Koo’s blood. Therefore he loves to get people excited about data science. “Sharing knowledge and perhaps even more importantly, sharing your fascination about the field, cannot be replaced by anything.”

Do you work in the field of data science, and do you face a challenge? Or would you like to stay informed of the latest developments in an interactive way? Then sign up for Koo's courses in data science and applied statistics. You can find an overview of his courses and related subjects on the course page data analysis and programming. Do you have questions about the courses? Please contact program manager Mariëlle Elenbaas.