With one of our main goal being the spread of knowledge regarding data science at HEC Paris, HEC Data Minds organized a four weeks Python Bootcamp gathering 70 students. This Bootcamp aimed at introducing students with the basics of Python but also allowed them to get a better understanding of how Python is used in the broader context of data science.
The Bootcamp covered many topics from variable manipulation to list comprehension and functions creation, giving the students the chance to then take on more advanced classes on their own. Each class lasted 2 hours every week and students could choose between 4 different time slots. It was essential for us to be able to offer different time slots as there was a massive diversity in the program the students were enrolled in (MiM, MBA, Specialized Masters, etc.). We were very proud to offer an environment where people from different programs could interact with each other.
The success of this Bootcamp was also primarily due to the community of tutors that we were able to create. The four tutors came from the HEC student community. They graduated from leading engineering schools (Telecom ParisTech, ENSAE and Duke University) with most of them having professional experiences as a data scientist or teaching assistant. Thanks to the numerous surveys that we made throughout the Bootcamp, we saw that this enhanced the program as students enjoyed being exposed to real-life Python usage.
In the future, we would like to offer more advanced classes and also to broaden the number of programming language that we can teach, such as R and SQL. We believe Data Mind can play an essential role at HEC to bridge the gap between business studies and data science, and we will work hard on that!