‘Success of Data Science Professionals Depends on Training’

Jingtao Xu, a second-year student from China, is pursuing his Bachelor’s in Data Science and Business Analytics, a double degree programme between HSE University and the University of London. In an interview with HSE News Service, he describes the hard and soft skills he has gained at HSE, as well as the ups and downs of studying online. He also told us about his favourite places in Moscow.

Jingtao Xu has been studying and living in Moscow since his 10^th grade of high school. Before that, he studied in an international school in Beijing. After finishing high school in Russia, Jingtao Xu was looking for prospective universities in Russia as well as abroad. He first heard about HSE from a fellow Chinese student who was pursuing his Master’s at HSE.

Jingtao Xu

Photo courtesy of Jingtao Xu

When I did my research about the university on the internet and got to know about the institution in depth, HSE easily became my first choice.

Admissions

To enroll, I simply followed the instructions posted on the HSE International Admissions website. Everything was really well-organised and the instructions were easy to follow. So, I communicated with the Admissions team only once—to ask about the requirements.

Talking about the entrance exam, it was not a challenge for me, because I also prepared for the Russian state exam, which was harder than the university entrance exams.

Studies

I would like to describe the past year as challenging, demanding yet quite entertaining. The first year of the DSBA programme focuses mainly on various fields of mathematics and fundamentals of programming. In the beginning, I found the curriculum quite basic. However, things became much more challenging as the year progressed.

Luckily, HSE professors and teachers are always willing to help out students, and most of them would go above and beyond and offer consultations during their free time for students who are struggling. Almost all the lecturers were energetic and not boring at all. I particularly like the teaching assessment system where we get to rate the lecturers at the end of each module, which is a useful tool for both teachers and students.

During the second year of DSBA programme, we are taking some subjects outside the scope of Maths, such as Business & Management and Introduction to Micro &Macroeconomics. Data Science courses range from broad and comprehensive to highly specialized ones, spanning topics like machine learning, business analytics and economics– each of which provides further opportunities for specialization.

I have gained an immense amount of new knowledge and practical skills related to maths and computer science while studying at our faculty. The DSBA programme includes elements from mathematical sciences, economics and business studies. This is an excellent programme to pursue as it offers many viable career prospects.

In my opinion, success of data science professionals depends on training. The data scientists have to perform data processing and analysis on a massive scale. Also, it’s a duty of skilled professionals to convert big data into meaningful information.

I would say that in DSBA programme we learn a lot of things that are relevant in the new economic conditions. For example, in the ‘Business Management’ course we have discussed how firms’ decision-making is influenced by COVID-19.

As for the soft skills, HSE has prompted me to become a more outgoing person. I became more willing to share my opinions and views with other students. I have also gotten more courageous in public speaking, which is something I have always struggled with. In general, university life has better prepared me for entering society.

I truly enjoy such a process of self-development in the pleasant academic atmosphere at HSE.

Online Classes

Although the course materials and teachers remain the same, studying online is, definitely, different from the traditional format of learning. True enough, online learning saves up the time spent on the road. Such a format offers me more free time to invest in self-development and doing what I enjoy. So, the biggest advantage of online studying compared with offline is time efficiency.

Nevertheless, I really miss the vibrant interactions between teachers and students during classes, communicating and meeting up with my peers after lessons, as well as walking in the corridors of Pokrovka. It was a pity that I did not get the chance to feel I really belong to the student community due the wide spread of Covid-19.

Life in Moscow

Moscow is one of the most aesthetic cities that I have ever been in. It uniquely integrates historic sites with modern architecture. The centre of Moscow stuns me every time I drive past: the Red Square, the Kremlin, the Big Theatre, the prosperous Tverskaya street... Another peculiarity that I love about Moscow is its rich nature. I enjoy breathing fresh air while strolling down the alleys of beautiful city parks, such as the Sparrow Hills, Tsaritsyno, Kolomenskoye and numerous others.

I have been living in Moscow for 4 years now, and am still fascinated by its beauty.

Russian is one of the most difficult languages, so after living in Moscow for 4 years, I still find it to be challenging. I can clearly understand others’ speech most of the time and can freely engage in daily conversations. Russian is a very beautiful language. Unfortunately, I have not had the chance to read Russian literature and watch movies in Russian, because I want to first improve my language skills before doing so, but have not had the time due to intense studying. I desire to learn it well to make more local friends and to dive deeper into local culture.

HSE University welcomes applicants from all over the world and offers not only different levels of study, but also different formats in English and Russian, online and offline. International applicants can apply for Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes in a separate admissions process for foreign applicants and receive scholarships with full or partial tuition fee coverage.

When applying to a Bachelor’s programme, including five English-taught programmes in Moscow, it is possible to submit international certificates you have received in English and mathematics, such as IELTS, TOEFL, A-Level and other international exams and they will be recognized by HSE University, so taking entrance exams in relevant subjects will not be required.

Undergraduate applicants can test their chances of admission now by taking mock tests. Master’s applicants also have the opportunity to get a preliminary assessment of their portfolio and communicate with their programme of choice online.

There are also ZOOM consulations available for graduate and undergraduate applicants.