GHENT UNIVERSITY
17-18 March 2016
A new honorary doctor in statistics
The Ghent University Faculty of science and Center for Statistics proudly present a new honorary doctor in statistics, 2 visionary speakers and a public debate.
Thursday, March 17, 17:00-19:30
Statistics and big data: Friend or foe?
Place: Campus Ledeganck, Auditorium 5, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Gent.
17:00: Louise Ryan, University of Technology, Sydney (UGent honorary doctor 2016): “Statistics and Big data”
18:00 Drinks
18:30 Peter Diggle, president of the Royal statistical Society: “Statistics: a Data Science for the 21st Century”
Friday, March 18, 10:30-12:00
Facing the facts for a better world
Place: Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Auditorium Quetelet, Tweekerkenstraat 2, 9000 Gent (Site Sint-Pietersplein)
In a world eager for information, the public and hence the media cares more for anecdotes than for carefully gathered evidence it seems. One episode of violence towards women in Koln does more to change awareness than 50.000 cases of domestic violence reported in Belgium per year. Should it? How are the numbers in the wake of the refugee crisis presented and what are the consequences? Today, carefully gathered statistics fall additionally into the shadows of sexy `big data analytics’. Whilst leading companies invest in data and technology to improve the health of their business, we wonder whether the health of society and indeed our personal health is best served by slow and careful science or fast and broad but personalized big data. What can drive meaningful changes for a healthy, prosperous and caring society? Where should academia and governance invest?
Join the debate with two honorary doctors 2016 and experts:
- Prof. Michael Marmot, epidemiologist
- Prof. Louise Ryan, biostatistician
- A corona of experts including dr. Tijl De Bie, big data (UGent), prof. Ignaas Devisch, filosopher (UGent); prof. Peter Diggle, president of the Royal Statistical Society (UK); prof. Dirk De Bacquer, epidemiologist (UGent), dr. PauL Quataert, environmental biostatistician (INBO); prof. Joost Weyler, epidemiologist (UA)
