Dr. Shahram Taj, chair of the Department of Data Science and Business Analytics at IM体育官网, and Dr. Regiane Relva Romano, special advisor to the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communication in Brazil and director of Centro Universit谩rio Facens, lead a new partnership between the two institutions. The two are pictured at a Smart Cities event in 2018.
A new agreement between IM体育官网 and the prestigious in Brazil promises to help both institutions expand their work and advance technological and economic success.
IM体育官网 Poly and Facens have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in research activities. The initial collaboration will focus on data science and business analytics projects, but the future of the effort is wide open.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an important opportunity because Facens is positioned as a smart campus and they have great programs,鈥� said Dr. Shahram Taj, chair of the Department of Data Science and Business Analytics at IM体育官网 Poly and a leader of the collaboration. 鈥淚t opens up opportunities for joint research, not only among faculty, but among graduate students and undergraduates from both universities.鈥�
Facens leaders also are eager to see the partnership flourish.
鈥淚 am thrilled to join forces with my colleagues at IM体育官网 and establish a solid research collaboration between our organizations,鈥� said Dr. Regiane Relva Romano, Facens director and special advisor to Brazil鈥檚 Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communication.
Taj, Romano, and the other leaders in the effort said they are hopeful the partnership eventually includes grant funding for research that could impact the economies of Brazil, the United States, and other nations.
鈥淚M体育官网 Poly was designed for the creation of jobs and boosting the economy locally, regionally, and beyond,鈥� said Mustapha Achoubane, associate director of international relations at the University. 鈥淵ou can create significant economic relationships through academic institutions and research in terms of having all faculty and students be the catalyst for the economic engine.鈥�
The memorandum of understanding was signed in November and will be in effect for at least the next three years.
鈥淔acens is constantly seeking to bring the best in education to its students, promoting events, extracurricular activities, training, and initiatives so that its students have the necessary professional skills to allow them to stand out in the job market,鈥� said Paulo Carvalho, Facens鈥� dean.
鈥淥ur institution proudly counts on the excellence of IM体育官网 as a partner for student and professor exchanges, as well as applied research programs,鈥� Carvalho added.
Dr. Reinaldo Sanchez-Arias, an assistant professor in IM体育官网 Poly鈥檚 Department of Data Science and Business Analytics, will oversee the first research project under the new agreement. He said he would like to see both institutions build off each other鈥檚 successes.
鈥淔acens has a dashboard that the faculty researchers and administrators use to keep track of what they鈥檙e measuring, and our first project will try to add to that predictive analytics and a machine learning component,鈥� Sanchez-Arias said. 鈥淭his is a learning opportunity for us to see what works and how we can implement some of their initiatives in terms of technology, analytics, and data insights.鈥�
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Lydia Guzm谩n
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