1. African Center of Excellence in Data Science (ACE-DS)
Françoise Kayitare Tengera
Acting Principal
Cell phone: /

2. African Center of Excellence in Data Science (ACE-DS)
Data science is a growing area that involves inter-disciplinary collaboration between statistics, economics, business, computer science and engineering.
The African Centre of Excellence in Data Science (ACE-DS) will address specific development challenges by:
Offering a research hub for postgraduate students, attracting international expertise and practitioners
stimulating collaboration between academics, partners and stakeholders;
demonstrating the relevance of the centre for innovation, job creation and economic prosperity; and
securing resources to stimulate multidisciplinary collaborative international research projects.

3. ACE-DS Training
The Training component of the ACE-DS will target three categories of trainees.
short courses targeting professionals in the government agencies, international development, organizations and the private sector, to improve their knowledge of data science
new masters course in data science
new PhD program

4. ACE DS Masters & PhD
The Masters course in Data Science will be multidisciplinary, offering specialization in five areas:
Data mining,
Econometrics,
Biostatistics,
Demography and
Actuarial Sciences.

5. National Institute of Statistics Rwanda (NISR)
ACE DS Partners
National Institute of Statistics Rwanda (NISR)
Carnegie Mellon University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Indiana University (prospective partner)

6. ACE DS Expected Outcome/impact
ACE-DS will create a new post-graduate program in data science,
enrolling 20 MSc students and 8 PhD students per year,
short course participants to an average of 30 per year.
At the end of 5 years, ACE DS will have achieved the following :
(1) international accreditation for a MSc and PhD program in data science
(2) enrolled 100 MSc students and 40 PhD students of which at least 20% will be regional and 50% Female

7. ACE DS Expected Outcome/impact
(3) trained 150 professional data scientists
(4) published 40 peer-reviewed research Publications
(5) attract an average of $0.5m per year in externally mobilized funds,
(6) improved research and teaching environment achieved through a Data Lab and cloud-based computing facility.

8. Way forward Start implementation
Strictly follow the implementation plan
Straightening monitoring and evaluation (M&E)
Recruit all the required staff
Sign MoUs with prospective partners
Engage stakeholders and industry in program development at all stages.
Find regional collaborators

9. Questions & Answers
Thank you