Women in Data Science (WiDS)

Prince Sultan University organized the Second Women in Data Science (WiDs) forum on March 5, 2019. WiDS is a collaboration between Prince Sultan University and Stanford Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering @ Stanford. It is important to note that PSU is the first university to address data science in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The forum aims to promote a higher representation of women in data science and expose the latest data science research and practices in the Arab Middle East. During the opening message the Executive Supervisor WiDS, Dr. Rimah Al Yahya, Vice Rector Prince Sultan University, Female Campus emphasized the role of PSU in supporting Women in the field of Data Science and also thanked the strategic partner for WiDS PSU, Ministry of communication and Information Technology(MCIT) and their Thinktech Initiative for supporting the forum. The forum was attended by over was attended by over 500 researchers, faculty, students and industry professionals to the forum from around the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The event was composed of rich presentations, workshops, poster presentations. “We are proud to have the Second Women in Data Science (WiDS) at Prince Sultan University. Data science is definitely an area in which women can and will excel" said Dr. Mohammed AlKanhal, Dean College of Computer and Information Sciences (CCIS). “We've gone from being a one-day technical conference to a global movement of women dedicated to inspiring the next generation of data scientists." Judy Logan, Co-ambassador WiDS Stanford University. WiDS Ambassador & Forum Chair: Dr. Tanzila Saba, Associate Chair Information Systems Department(CCIS) ,Leader of Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics lab at Prince Sultan University highlighted the significance of Data Science for Society and presented several resources and platforms which can useful for researchers and graduate students. The field of “Data Science for Social Good" is growing fast. Exciting opportunities provided by data science when applied to the fields of social innovation, philanthropy, international development and humanitarian aid - Dr. Tanzila Saba, WiDS Ambassador PSU. Ministry of Communication and Information Technology the strategic partner for WiDS PSU is keen on empowering women in the field of ITC which is a natural expression of the kingdoms strategy of empowering our ambitious homeland digitally- Wadha bin Zahra, Director Women Enablement Unit, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. An interesting panel discussion on applications of Data Science in Education, Law, Healthcare and Digital Humanities. Leaders of the research labs and units from King Fahad Medical City, King Abdullah City of Science and Technology (KACST) and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) joined in as key participants and presenters in the forum. Presenters representing Saudi Aramco, Saudi Telecom Company, Oracle and Amazon gave a rich flavor and latest updates from the industry. The forum was broadcasted live to Taibah University and Majmah University in KSA. “Personalized medicine will enable much needed paradigm shift in clinical care delivery, but we need appropriate tools and know-how to realize the model and implement the vision"-Dr. Malak Abed AlThagafi, Chair of Genomics Research and Assistant Research Professor, King Fahad Medical City (KFMC) and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) “Leverage connected digital processes empowered with the strongest latest technology delivered on the cloud to transform your supply chain “- Baljeet Nagi, Senior Data Scientist and Director: SCM- Cloud Applications Business Strategy &Sales Development –Oracle, Dubai “Delve: Data-driven search engine for Mining Scholarly Data: from Search to Recommendation" - Dr. Xiangliang ZHANG, Associate Professor, Computer Science, Director Machine Intelligence and Knowledge Engineering Group, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) “Can't wait to see what WiDS PSU would be like in 2020"- Dr. Heba Al Khosiam, Assistant Professor Mathematics, Vice Dean Admission and Registration, Scientific Committee Chair WiDS, Prince Sultan University during the closing remarks. About 100 participants attended the technical workshops conducted in the evening sessions. Given below is the list of workshops and presenters​ Machine Learning Using R, Dr. Souad Larabi Marie-Sainte, PhD Artificial Intelligence, PSU Data Analytics for Lean Six Sigma, Saima Rashid, Director Center for Statistics and Information, PSU, Six Sigma Black Belt Certified Professional Data Analysis Using Python Dr. Anees Araa, PhD Computer Science, Prince Sultan University Deep Learning with Tensor flow Eman Albilali, Nourah Alangari, King Saud University Machine Learning in Healthcare using Matlab, Eng. Mai Ali, Principal Investigator Machine Learning and E-Health Research Group, AlFaisal University There was active collaboration with Stanford team in ensuring all arrangements for the forum meet the required goals. WiDS Stanford and Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) participated actively on social media by twitting several tweets from PSU WiDS. Stanford WiDS extended their warm appreciation and applauded the support for WiDS from Saudi Arabia. ​