CONNECT conference at the University of Mannheim brings together interested parties from business and science

On June 10, the annual CONNECT conference took place at the Mannheim Business School. For the first time, the event was jointly organized by the International Program in Survey and Data Science (IPSDS) and the MCDS. The welcoming speeches were given by Prof. Dr. Henning Hillmann PhD, Prorector for Research and Young Scientists, on behalf of the Rectorate, and Prof. Dr. Frauke Kreuter on behalf of the MCDS Board of Directors. Leah von der Heyde, alumna of the University of Mannheim and researcher at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, moderated the event. In two panel discussions, data science experts (Olga Kononykhina, Heidi Wayment, Konstantin Gavras, Heinrich Lorei, Christoph Kern, and Marko Jeftic) from academia and practice discussed the topics of “careers” and “smart cities.” In his keynote, Prof. Dr. Markus Strohmaier (University of Mannheim) opened up exciting insights into his research on minorities in social networks. The event was rounded off by the opportunity to network over coffee and canapés, during which the more than thirty participants engaged in lively conversation.