A Challenge Under the Stars at Bocconi for 200 Data Scientists on the Night of 18 June

THE UNIVERSITY, ALONG WITH GENERALI AND SAS, IS ORGANIZING THE FIFTH EDITION OF STATS UNDER THE STARS, A NIGHTTIME HACKATHON DURING WHICH STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER ITALY WILL FACE OFF WITH ALGORITHMS AND FORECASTS

A whole night for groups to compete in making the best forecast. 200 participants will do just that on 18-19 June at the fifth edition of the Hackathon Stats Under the Stars (SUS5), a competition organized by the Bocconi Institute for Data Science and Analytics (BIDSA) and Bocconi University Innovations in Learning and Teaching (BUILT), in collaboration with Generali and SAS. The event is also part of the "Fuoriconvegno" initiatives of the Italian Statistical Society Conference, "Smart Statistics for Smart Applications," which will be held 18-21 June at Università Cattolica in Milan.

The aim of the nightlong statistical challenge (the regulations and registration info are available here), is to analyze a complex dataset in the insurance field, provided by Generali, and develop solutions able to predict possible results with the greatest degree of accuracy. Throughout the competition, a ranking based on partial results will show the situation of the teams in real time. The winners will receive the chance to visit the Generali Innovation Park, participate in Tam Tam Talks, and other prizes, including a free SAS course.

The challenges during the Hackathon will take place within a special digital environment designed and developed by Bocconi BUILT: an online application that is part of an educational innovation project to introduce innovative methods within Bocconi courses. Alongside the main competition, the 200 participants will also be involved in a flash challenge, which will test them on several 'soft skills' that will be characteristic of the data scientist of the future.

"Data Science, which is based on statistics and information technology, is certainly the science of this millennium. In addition to teamwork, even in conditions of uncertainty and time pressures, these two foundations are among the skills most requested by the job market,” explain Igor Pruenster, Director of BIDSA, and Leonardo Caporarello, Director of BUILT. "As BIDSA and BUILT, we invest a lot in the methodological, computational and applied innovation of this subject, not only in research, but also in teaching and in relations with companies. Stats Under the Stars 5 perfectly embodies this spirit, offering an opportunity for growth to all its participants."

Davide Consiglio, Head of Advanced Analytics at Generali Italia: “Through the recovery, interpretation and organization of data, data scientists today are crucial for understanding in-depth preferences and needs, even anticipating them, thus contributing to the creation of innovative and customized solutions, to offer the best customer experience. Customer knowledge is at the heart of Generali Italia's strategy to be a 'Life Partner' during the most important moments of people's lives: family, wellness, work and mobility."

"Young people," commented Mirella Cerutti, Country Manager at SAS Italy, "are the real protagonists of tomorrow. This is why for many years we have been committed to promoting the development of data-driven skills with projects and initiatives aimed at creating and disseminating skills in advanced analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, skills increasingly requested by the job market. We are happy to contribute to Stats Under the Stars, a valuable experience of professional and personal growth for the young men and women who will compete throughout the night."

by Andrea Celauro
Translated by Jenna Walker