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Students are empowered by IBM work experience opportunity

23/04/2024
Computer science students standing looking at the camera at the IBM conference

University of Wolverhampton students recently benefited from some hands-on data experience after being offered the opportunity to work alongside industry specialists from the IBM User Group (i-UG) on their intensive IBM i Power systems Node-Red course developed by Mike Ryan, i-UG Chairman.  

The seven students studying for Master’s degrees in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Science, gained invaluable industry experience by building and running applications which required the communication of two IBM Power servers located in Birmingham and Manchester within a frictionless hybrid cloud environment.  

This collaboration culminated in the students tackling the very complex Brewery Challenge, which has been designed to test students’ ability to optimise the number of cases produced in this interconnected system. 

The students also attended the IBM User Group Conference South at the IBM London Offices and presented their experiences on this course to a room full of industry professionals. 

Dr Andrew Gascoyne, Senior Lecturer Mathematics & Computer Science at the University, said: “The students are currently studying on the University’s conversion courses in Data Science and AI and are not necessarily from computing backgrounds.  The course has given students from a wide variety of disciplines amazing opportunities in the tech industries which has some of the fastest growing and prominent companies - including tech giants like IBM.” 

Olukorede Oyewoga, Data Science student, said: “On the course and through this valuable work experience, I learnt how to use a new highly interactive software that has real-time abilities. I studied Chemistry as my first degree and I have professional working background in Marketing and Sales. I decided to study Data Science for my Master’s degree because I wanted to be able to infuse the use of data into marketing for better decision making in business. Data Science/AI is the present and the future.” 

Akinyemi Arabambi, studying AI, said: “Learning Node-Red enlightened me on how to work swiftly and automate IOT devices. It also helped to improve my problem-solving skills, further strengthened my teamwork and collaboration skills and also provided deeper insights into hands-on industrial applications. The opportunity to network and hear about different technologies, as well as see some of the educational knowledge in implementation, was a major source of inspiration. 

“My background is in Mechanical Engineering, Oil, Gas and Energy Engineering. I chose to study AI to further advance my career, get deeper knowledge and develop solutions that can improve life.” 

Anyone interested in courses being offered in the University of Wolverhampton’s School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Science should register for one of our forthcoming Open Days.   

ENDS 

For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.

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