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4ESTABLISHMENT OF TRAINING AND RESEARCH CENTRES
AND COURSES DEVELOPMENT ON INTELLIGENT BIGDATA ANALYSIS IN CENTRAL ASIA
David Lossado, Kasim Khusanov, Aigul Niyazgulova, Emilbek Musabaev,
Habibullo Nozimov
Abstract: Implementation and further sustainability of Erasmus+ CBHE joint project "Establishment of training and research centres and courses development on Intelligent Big Data Analysis in CA" ELBA of EU Erasmus+ program is considered in this paper. The project is focused on improving the academic capacity of professionals through developing and implementing a multidisciplinary package of module-based courses for bachelor, master students, and professionals of engineering on Intelligent Big Data Analysis (IBDA) in Central Asia countries via collaboration with the industry. Work Package 3 plays one of the key roles in the delivery of a particular specific objective of the project on developing package of IBDA courses. Authors, in particular, consider performing four tasks proposed by the project to development of that IBDA courses' package: elaboration of programs of the needed courses on IBDA; development of the module-based courses on IBDA; testing developed IDBA courses through its pilot implementation; revision and confirmation of the courses on IBDA. Sustainability of the project is considered as well.
Keywords: capacity building in higher education, course development, course pilot testing, research centres, Intelligent BigData Analysis, artificial intelligence.
СОЗДАНИЕ УЧЕБНО-ИССЛЕДОВАТЕЛЬСКИХ ЦЕНТРОВ И РАЗРАБОТКА КУРСОВ ПО ИНТЕЛЛЕКТУАЛЬНОМУ АНАЛИЗУ БОЛЬШИХ ДАННЫХ В ЩНТРАЛЬНОЙ АЗИИ
Лоссадо Д., Хусанов, К., Ниязгулова A., Мусабаев Э., Нозимов Х-
Аннотация: В статье рассматривается реализация и дальнейшая устойчивость совместного проекта CBHE «Создание учебных и исследовательских центров и разработка курсов по интеллектуальному анализу больших данных в ЦА» ELBA программы ЕС Erasmus+. Проект направлен на повышение академического потенциала специалистов путем разработки и внедрения междисциплинарного пакета модульных курсов для бакалавров, магистрантов и инженеров по интеллектуальному анализу
больших данных (IBDA) в странах Центральной Азии посредством сотрудничества с промышленностью. Рабочий пакет 3 играет одну из ключевых ролей в достижении конкретной цели проекта по разработке пакета курсов IBDA. Авторы, в частности, рассматривают выполнение четырех задач, предложенных проектом по разработке данного пакета курсов IBDA: разработка программ необходимых курсов по IBDA; разработка модульных курсов по IBDA; тестирование разработанных курсов IDBA путем их пилотного внедрения; пересмотр и подтверждение курсов на IBDA. Также рассматривается устойчивость проекта.
Ключевые слова: наращивание потенциала высшего образования, разработка курса, пилотное тестирование курса, исследовательские центры, интеллектуальный анализ больших данных, искусственный интеллект.
Introduction
The innovative development and modernization of the economy is the main trend for all developed and developing countries. Central Asian countries according to the Global Innovation Index (GII) rank in the second half of the table including 126 countries. Kazakhstan with the highest index ranks 74th position there. The problems caused this result lie, among other things, in Low Innovation Linkages (GII is 16.9%), including University/Industry research collaborations (GII is 39.1%), Knowledge Impact (GII is 17.3%), ICT services import/export (GII is 7.0/0.3%). These problems are similar for all Partner Countries and require significant measures [1].
One of the main innovative directions of economic development is the concept of the digital economy which is widely implemented now. The digital economy relies on huge amounts of information, which require brand new technologies for its processing. These technologies are based on modern Intelligent Big Data Analysis (IBDA) systems with the use of Artificial Intelligence methods. In many ways, the effectiveness of such technologies is due to the automation of routine work in the analysis of large data sets, contributing to greater production efficiency in the industry.
However, the introduction of such technologies in the countries of Central Asia is limited by the lack of qualified specialists in this field. This applies fully to both specialists working with IBDA technologies, as well as researchers and developers in this field. However, IBDA was not included either into bachelor or master programs in CA HEIs preparing economy specialists.
Another problem of CA HE lies within the insufficiently flexible response of HEIs to the changing needs of the industry and insufficient collaboration with them. In the bachelor and master curricula of the CA HEIs, there is a lack of
training for industry specialists in innovative areas of the economy, particularly, in IBDA.
Also, the problem that restricts the implementation of high-efficiency technologies such as IBDA to CA economies and HE system is the poor awareness of society at large which results in the lack of their funding.
Addressing those problems in CA, HEIs have been granted by the amount of about 1 million Euros from CBHE action of EU Erasmus+ program to develop and implement in the frame of the joint regional project ELBA modern EU standardized curriculums and module-based training courses on IBDA to bachelor and master programs, to conduct trainings for specialists of industry, to establish IBDA Research&Training Centres and the network of IBDA specialists in CA partner countries.
A consortium of the project consists of 3 EU universities (University of Santiago de Compostella, Spain; Politecnico di Torino, Italy, and the University of Primorska), 10 CA universities (Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent, Bukhara engineering-technological institute, Urgench State University, Tashkent State Transportation University, Uzbekistan; International Information technology University, A.Baitursynov Kostanay State University, Kazakhstan; Technological University of Tajikistan, Kulob Institute of Technology and Innovation Management, Tajikistan; Kyrgyz State Technical University, Osh Technological University, Kyrgyz Republic) and 11 nonacademic partners from the industry and education.
Project implementation
Project aim, in general, is to improve the academic capacity of professionals through developing and implementing a multidisciplinary package of module-based courses for bachelor, master students and professionals of engineering on Intelligent Big Data Analysis (IBDA) in Central Asia countries via collaboration with the industry [2].
The project is aimed at creating opportunities for training of highly profiled specialists in the field of Intelligent Big Data Analysis (IBDA) with different multidisciplinary backgrounds and enabling access to highly efficient modern IBDA instrumentation based on EU expertise and technologies which will contribute to the sustainable development of educational institutions, local business enterprises and society at large.
The first specific objective is to develop a multidisciplinary package of module-based courses on IBDA for bachelor and master programs of the partner HEIs and for industry companies in CA by 2021 addressed problem of the lack of qualified specialists in innovative fields, specifically on IBDA, of CA partner countries' economies. Support to solve this problem should be provided by the partner HEIs as a result of the implementation of developed courses on IBDA in
curricula of current bachelor and master programs. The package courses being developed should contribute to the modernization of existing curricula by introducing new, innovative subjects to the IBDA. These courses help to more flexibly meet the needs of the economy for qualified specialists and strengthen collaboration between HEIs and industry.
The second specific objective is to establish IBDA Centres and academic and professional network of IBDA specialists of CA partner HEIs by 2020 addressed problem of insufficient awareness of public society and make decision-making authorities on innovative technologies, or more specifically, on IBDA. This network promotes both more effective cooperation between the consortium partners, and, after its expansion, further cooperation between Central Asia specialists in Big Data Analysis.
The target groups of the project at the regional level include teaching staff of the partner universities, students of different educational programs, local enterprises, private companies, and the specialists employed by them. The first specific objective of the project on developing a multidisciplinary package of module-based courses on IBDA for bachelor and master programs in 10 partner universities and for industry companies in CA addresses the needs of the academic staff of partner HEIs in training from EU experts on developing module-based courses in IBDA, subject-oriented English and skills on corresponding software, expansion of academic and research collaboration with the EU and CA universities.
Activities relating to that objective include staff capacity building in EU partner universities, 2-weeks of training on IBDA there, and 1-week retraining in partner HEIs by EU experts. Also, staff trainings on technical English by local teachers were planned in each partner HEIs. The project involves close cooperation between CA and EU experts, based on the experience of the EU, which will be continued after the completion of the project, and will also contribute to the sustainability of the project.
Needs of the students enrolled in different educational programs in partner universities on enhancing their experience at the international level, with their introduction to the latest developments in the field of information and communication technologies and other related fields are supported by the first specific objective as well. During the project students of partner HEIs participate in testing developed new modern courses on IBDA and they are taught those courses during regular programs on bachelor and master levels. Their international experience enhances by studying IBDA courses of the EU standards and quality. Needs of specialists employed by the local enterprises, private companies in keeping their skills and competencies up to date, improving their professional skills in IBDA, and needs of those companies for qualified specialists to support more product effectiveness using IBDA will be supported by the first specific objective
that supposes implementing newly developed courses on IBDA for the advanced training industry specialists. Those courses will be developed taking into account their application in the industry.
Project target groups in Partner Countries are varied in the fields of industry enterprises where project results will be implemented. Analysis of the relation between project-specific objectives and needs of that target group in each country is similar to the one done above. Therefore, we will present only the specific fields of the target groups of industry specialists who benefitted from the project.
Project results
The tangible results which are expected to be achieved at the end of the project is presented in Table 1.
Table 1. Results of the project on capacity building
Results Uzbekistan Kazakhstan Tajikistan Kyrgyz Republic
Number of academic staff participating in trainings up to76 up to 38 up to 38 up to 38
Number of trainees (students, professionals) up to 200 up to 100 up to 100 up to 100
Number of agreements of mutual cooperation between Central Asia partners and industry up to 5 up to 3 up to 3 up to 3
Development of IBDA courses
There are four tasks proposed by the project to perform the development of the module-based multidisciplinary IBDA courses package in a frame of the WP3:
3.1 Elaboration of programs of the needed courses on IBDA
3.2 Development of the module-based courses on IBDA
3.3 Testing developed IDBA courses through its pilot implementation
3.4 Revision and confirmation of the courses on IBDA
Task 3.1 has been completed by POLITO ("ELBA - version 03 / wp 3 / task 3.1 - Elaboration of programs for the needed courses on IBDA - March 2021"), and CA partners got proposal with the current courses and programs on IBDA operated at EU partner universities.
According to the project plan, these tasks should be completed by August 2021 after trainings of courses' developers in EU partner universities. But due to the pandemic of COVID-19 planned trainings in the EU were postponed. To support the developing of IBDA courses 3-day online training on IBDA for CA partners' staff was delivered by EU partners in November 2020. A list of the proposed courses on IBDA from EU partners was presented in March 2021 [3]. WP3 plays one of the key roles in the delivery of a particular specific objective of the project, which is "To develop a multidisciplinary package of module-based courses on IBDA for bachelor and master programs, trainings in 10 universities and industry companies in CA". Accordingly, the activities of this WP are focused on the comprehensive development of a multidisciplinary package of module-based IBDA courses.
First and foremost, POLITO and UP were responsible for the elaboration of the needed courses on IBDA. EU partners delivered proposals for courses developed during WP3/Task 3.1 by POLITO.
Following, CA partner HEIs collectively have developed the package of module-based courses on IBDA using and updating courses proposed by EU partners. In order to improve and ensure the quality of the package, benchmarking was performed through the pilot implementation of the package. After benchmarking, the package content has been revised. Overall, the above-mentioned procedures were observed by EU partner HEIs for the provision of quality of the package. Implementation of the project in all partners was performed mostly according to general roadmap developed jointly. As sample, let's consider case of IITU.
The International University of Information Technologies had the following main tasks:
1. Trainings CA academic staff in EU on IBDA methodologies and skills on corresponding software
2. Retraining CA academic staff on IBDA by EU experts in CA partner HEIs
3. Development of the module-based courses on IBDA
4. Testing developed IDBA courses through its pilot implementation
5. Revision and confirmation of the courses on IBDA
6. Elaboration of programs for the needed courses on IBDA
The results of training at the trainings allowed teachers to revise the disciplines existing at the university on data analysis. The project team systematized all the Data Analysis disciplines that were taught at IITU, modernized the disciplines corresponding to the modern market, combining and improving the existing disciplines.
Thus, as a result of the project, 11 disciplines with a volume of 59 credits in undergraduate educational programs, 5 disciplines with a volume of 24 credits in
master's educational programs, 4 disciplines with a volume of 16 credits in doctoral programs were modernized. These results are presented in Table 2.
Table 2. Modernized courses at IITU - bachelor's degree
Course Name Lecturer # of credits Semeste r # # of student s update d %
Intelligent Data Analysis Sarsembayev A. 6 7 80 54
Machine Learning - 1 Sarsembayev A. 6 5 21 46
Machine Learning - 2 Sarsembayev A. 6 6 21 60
NoSQL Databases Dauletbek Ye. 6 7 128 70
Data Science: Introduction to machine learning Marat G.S. 4 7 14 30
Python for Data Analytics Zhanabekov Zh. 5 5 58 45
Data Science Advanced Zhanabekov Zh. 3 8 19 40
Neural Networks and their Applications Marat G.S. 6 7 19 30
Parallel programming Naizabayeva L. 5 6 18 50
Data Analytics Sembina G. 5 6 40 60
Data and Information management Naizabayeva L. 7 6 120 40
Summary 59 - 538 47,73
Table 3. Modernized courses at IITU - master's degree
Dept Course Name Lecturer # of credits Semeste r # # of student s update d %
Python/R for data analysis Altaibek A.A. 5 1 24 80
MCM The problem of retraining neural networks, data augmentation Marat Nurtas 5 3 17 40
Machine Learning 2 Marat Nurtas 5 2 24 30
IS Analysis and processing of unstructured data Kuatbayeva A. 4 3 40 60
Machine learning methods Pashenko G. 5 3 80 60
Summary 24 - 185 54,00
Table 4. Modernized courses at IITU - PhD courses
Dept Course Name Lecturer # of credit s Semeste r # # of student s updated %
MC M Advanced Deep Learning Problems Marat Nurtas 4 1 5 60
Deep learning methods Kuatbayeva A. 4 1 2 50
IS Intelligent system in IS Sembina G. 4 1 2 60
Big data processing Naizabayev a L. 4 1 2 50
Summary 16 - 11 55,00
The project allowed the development of new courses in the field of Data Analysis. As a result of the work of the team, 5 new disciplines were developed for bachelor students.
Table 5. BS courses / newly created
Dept Course Name Lecturer # of credit s Semeste r # # of students
CE Audio and Text Processing (Santiago materials) Sarsembayev A. 6 6 21
Big data processing (Santiago materials) Chinibayeva T. 6 7 21
Introduction to computer vision Sarsembayev A. 6 6 20
MCM Machine Learning Alimbekov A.Ye 6 7 41
Python for Data Analysis Tokmukhamedo va F.K. 4 7 22
IS Systems analysis and design Rakhmetulayeva S. 5 7 40
Summary 33 - 165
The largest number of new disciplines has been developed for students of master's programs. Based on the results of the project at the IT University, teachers developed new disciplines for students of the specialties "Information Systems", "Mathematical and Computer Modeling", "Cybersecurity". Absolutely new disciplines in demand in the modern labor market are Computer Vision, Machine Learning and Computer Statistics, Web Data Analysis, Internet of things and artificial intelligence, Numerical simulation using Python for DS and others.
Table 6. MS courses / newly created
Dept Course Name Lecturer # of credit s Semester # # of students
Computer Vision Sarsembayev A. 5 2 38
CE Machine Learning and Computer Statistics Abdul R.A. 5 1 45
Web Data Analysis (Santiago materials) Sarsembayev A. 5 3 38
Internet of things and artificial intelligence Duzbayev N. 5 3 38
Topological Data Analysis. (Torino materials) Zhanabekov Zh. 5 3 17
MC M Machine learning methods in solving inverse problems Rysbaiuly B. 5 3 17
Numerical simulation using Python for DS Marat Nurtas 5 1 24
Applied Deep Learning Marat Nurtas 5 3 17
Advanced Data Analysis Omarov B. 5 2 24
IS Creative thinking modeling Naizabayeva L. 5 1 53
Summary 50 - 311
A survey was conducted among students about the level of complexity of mastering various courses. The results are presented in Figurel. They showed that the most difficult discipline for students to master was "Computer Vision".
3. Which portion of Data Science courses do you feel is the hardest to grasp for you?
Дополнительные сведения
40
^ Statistical analysis
25
35
0 Programming and algorithms 33 % Visualization and reporting 11
0 Database management 14
30
25
20
% Computer Vision
23
15
0 Natural language Processing 37 Q None, everything is equally well... 21
10
5
0
Figure 1. The ratio of the hardest Data Science courses to grasp according to the
expectation survey.
There were next tangible results on capacity building:
- 3 team members attended Trainings CA academic staff in EU Training in Santiago de Compostela.
- The following 3 post-training seminars were attended: SQL / NoSQL (Naizabayeva), Containerization with Docker (Sarsembayev), Big data processing/Apache Hadoop (Dauletbek).
- 3 team members attended Trainings CA academic staff in EU Training in Torino. The following 3 post-training seminars were attended: Topological Data Analysis (Zhanabekov), Simplicial Homology (Rakhmetullayeva), Statistical Methods (Sembina).
- 2 team members attended Trainings CA academic staff in EU Training in Primorska. The following 2 post-training seminars were attended: Data visualization and feature engineering (Mishina), Introduction to Deep Learning (Tokmukhamedova).
- Retraining CA academic staff on IBDA by EU Retraining in Almaty: 63 people attended offline, 54 people attended online.
Summarizing partner's reports next conclusions about project WP3 results can be presented.
1. Five partner universities from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan included IBDA topics in Bs and Ms programs. Over the project, they have upgraded currently operated courses with the topics from the developed IBDA package and courses. Five partners from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan
have no before the project taught courses on IBDA. They implemented and developed IBDA courses for the Bs and Ms programs on IT and technical specialties. New courses are suggested mostly as elective courses. Besides, universities include IBDA topics in re-training programs for technical specialists as well.
2. New IBDA courses package is introduced mostly at 1st level of Bs and Ms programs to give further possibilities to students in improving their study and getting a better competitive qualification. IBDA package will be used in doctorate programs of all partners that will provide better project sustainability.
3. List of the courses or programs from EU partners' proposals that are the most interesting for the CA partners has been prepared. These courses fit with the studies of partner universities before the project, needs in developing new courses or upgrading operated IBDA courses on their responsibility and support.
4. CA partners provided a pilot implementation of the new or upgraded courses within their degrees on Bs and Ms programs. The pilot implementation is planned for the 2021-2022 and the 1st part of the 2022-2023 academic year.
5. The developed IBDA courses package consists of 10 courses. Development of the package was provided in wide collaboration between CA partner universities with the advising support of EU partners. CA partner HEI development teams used the suggestions and recommendations of EU partners. The package is adapted to the realities of CA countries. Each CA partner university responded in the development of at least one course package and participated as a supporter in the development of 2-3 courses collaborating with other responded universities.
6. Two universities from Kyrgyzstan opened new paths related to Intelligent Big Data Analysis. Kyrgyz State Technical University opened the "Big Data Analysis and Processing" path in 2021 and admitted 20 students for 20212022 and 55 students for the 2022-2023 academic years (2.5 times increase on the second year).
OshTU opened the "Applied Informatics in Big Data Analytics" path in 2021 and admitted 21 students for 2021-2022 and 14 students for the 2022-2023 academic years.
Sustainability of the project
The project sustainability depends on the dissemination activities as much as on successful implementation at CA partner HEIs. Carefully designed dissemination roadmap and activities carried out at the CA partner HEIs ensure an increasing number of IBDA Centre users and the high demand for highly skilled
graduates year after year. The IBDA Centres' activities, video lectures, trainings, and professional and academic networks support the sustainability of the project results. Associated project partners actively take part in dissemination processes.
During the project each CA partner sign agreements with labor market partners, to secure the sustainability of academic-entrepreneurial cooperation and expert consultation. Stakeholders of CA partner countries have been involved in signing agreements/contracts for performing research and student internship activities.
Project is currently continued, and this paper was devoted mostly on an academic results of the project. However, the project has achieved many other important results, which will undoubtedly contribute to the sustainability of the project in the future. Thus, within the framework of the second main goal of the project, centres were created and put into use in all the universities of the CA for training students of undergraduate and graduate programs, preparing PhD, conducting research in the field of IBDA.
Within the framework of the project, a network of IBDA specialists was created and is successfully developing, a knowledge base portal for IBDA has been developed and is operating. Also, as part of the further dissemination of the project, a competition of IBDA developments is organized, in which groups of students of CA partners take part under the guidance of university professors. A joint memorandum is being developed with the participation of all project partners for further cooperation in the training, use and research in the field of IBDA. Similar agreements are also created between partners and industry enterprises. All this will contribute to the further development of innovative technologies in the CA countries.
References
1. "Establishment of training and research centers and courses development on Intelligent BigData Analysis in CA" ELBA. A detailed description of the project. Call for Proposals 2019 - EAC/A03/2018.
2. Technical report on the project 610170-EPP-1-2019-1-ES-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP "Establishment of training and research centers and Courses development on Intelligent BigData Analysis in CA. Submitted:14/09/2021.
3. Integrated report on academic activities concerning to development of IBDA courses package. WP3- Multidisciplinary package of IBDA courses. ELBA, May 10, 2021.
