Looking back on four years of AIDAHO [16.12.25]
The AIDAHO project is coming to an end, but the certificate program will continue. We are proud of our achievements and look forward to continuing to promote AI and data science in Hohenheim in the future.
Since this year, it has been confirmed that the AI & Data Science Certificate Hohenheim (AIDAHO) will remain part of the university. This means that the certificate can continue seamlessly, even though the project funded by the BMFTR and the state of Baden-Württemberg came to an end this November. This is a strong signal from the university and a reason for the team to celebrate, but also a good time to look back on what has been achieved.
The Beginning
The project officially launched on December 1, 2021, with the aim of strengthening AI and data science skills at the university and creating a cross-faculty offering for all students to learn about these future topics alongside their degree programs.
We were able to offer the certificate program as early as the winter semester of 2022, and it has been very well received by students ever since. In total, we have recorded over 1,000 registrations for AIDAHO courses, and 91 students have already received the certificate.
Innovation in Teaching
We consider the further development of teaching to be another major achievement. Thirteen courses were newly developed or further improved in the context of the AIDAHO program, covering a broad spectrum of basic courses and specialization courses. Furthermore, the project has been able to establish many collaborations with partners in industry, finance, retail, government agencies, and ministries. This also pays off for students, who can gain practical experience in collaboration modules and hackathons.
IT infrastructure for AI teaching
Innovative teaching also requires innovative technologies. A broad infrastructure was established in the course of the project. This includes a cluster for computationally intensive tasks that require powerful graphics cards, and a GitLab server to teach students version-based work with data and code.
Positive Feedback from Students
This work is also reflected in the feedback from students: 86 percent of the students surveyed say that they see clear added value for their career prospects in AIDAHO. We also continue to see great interest in our course offerings, especially in the basic courses such as Tools for AI & Data Science.
What's Next?
Although AIDAHO's project funding has expired, students will continue to have the opportunity to participate in the AIDAHO program. Thanks to funding from the university, AIDAHO will be provided with resources so that the team can continue to perform its tasks even after the project period has ended. We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks for the great encouragement and positive feedback we have received. Without the support of the many teachers in AIDAHO courses and our students, AIDAHO would not be what it is today!
