Data Analytics' Crucial Role in the Battle Against the Pandemic

ON MARCH 18, BOCCONI HOSTED THE LATEST CIVICA PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES TOURS D'EUROPE, PROMOTING A GREATER DIALOGUE BETWEEN RESEARCHERS AND SOCIETY AT LARGE

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of data analytics in studying the characteristics and spread of the virus, monitoring behavioural responses of societies, helping formulating public policy and more. This role was at the centre of the discussion of the latest CIVICA Public Lecture Series Tours d'Europe, hosted by Bocconi University, held on March 18.

"The purpose of CIVICA is to be not only the sum of the parts, but to be a multiplier, willing to raise the bar and produce something great for Europe and society as a whole," said Stefano Caselli, Dean for International Affairs at Bocconi, introducing the debate. “Sharing and disseminating the outcomes of impactful research in the social sciences aim at supporting effective responses to the major challenges facing our society.”

In the CIVICA Public Lecture Series Tours d'Europe, hosted in turn by the various member universities of the alliance, researchers present their recent findings and interrogations on timely topics to the general public. The series aims to strengthen citizens' knowledge base and to facilitate a direct dialogue between social science researchers and the wider society.

“Covid-19 has made clear two things: we can use data to fight the pandemic and we can use the social sciences, together with other disciplines, to guide our responses in a crucial way,” underlined Francesco Billari, Professor of Demography and Dean of the Faculty at Bocconi, who moderated the debate ‘Data Analytics and the Battle against the Pandemic’.
Alessia Melegaro, Professor in Demography at Bocconi and the Director of the Bocconi Covid Crisis Lab, discussed the use of mathematical modelling to study characteristics and trends of Covid-19 transmission and the importance of incorporating human behavior. Márton Karsai, Professor in the Department of Network and Data Science at Central European University, talked about the importance and challenges of collecting data to monitor human behaviour changes in order to understand the evolution of Covid-19. While David K. Levine, Department of Economics and Robert Schuman Center for Advanced Study Joint Chair at European University Institute, underlined the importance of the use of data to fight Covid-19 and the efforts to promote the benefits of social science research for public policy.
 

• Watch here the video of the debate: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPE1G7FOpyg

 
Research is one of the pillars of CIVICA’s activities, with the aim of promoting social sciences research to build bridges between academia and civil society, and to support policy-makers in crafting evidence-based responses. CIVICA promotes research, innovation and knowledge transfer among the 8 member universities across borders and sectors to find solutions to current and emerging European challenges. Research focuses on four key topics: Societies in Transition and Crises of Earth, Challenges to Democracy in the 21st Century, Europe Revisited and Data Driven Technologies for the Social Sciences.
 
This article was originally published on the website of CIVICA – The European University of Social Sciences




 
 
 

by Tomaso Eridani