Data Science

Research Focus

Blend Data science, machine learning, statistical inference with human-centric design principles to aid policymakers.

Objectives

Here at Data and Design lab, we blend data science, machine learning, statistical inference, computational social science with human-centric design principles to aid policy makers what they do the best – making policies. We believe evidence-based policymaking can help make policy-making easier and efficient. The developed world has embraced the idea and many countries have taken initiatives to find out the best way to harness data for public good. Developing world should not wait as this may be the cause of a new digital divide as data begets information and information begets efficient business and policy. However, we do not think everything can be solved from data-driven knowledge. We, therefore, focus only on certain fields – energy, education, ICT, health – where there is an access to data that can be harnessed. Moreover, We believe working with data needs a marriage with design thinking as we need to think about the consequences of our work before we delve into data-centric research. We focus on design thinking that helps to understand our surroundings better and therefore, plays a vital role in public policy. Our lab comprises faculty members and collaborators from Computer Science and Engineering, Development Economics, Geoinformatics, and Public Policy.

Link to the Data & Design Lab