Digital Transformation & Financial Analytics using Python
From 22 to 29 August, SMU School of Accountancy (SoA) held its first 21-hour Accounting Masters Summer Online Data Camp on Digital Transformation & Financial Analytics using Python. The objective of this online data camp was to give participants an introduction to our accounting data analytics programme taught as well as experience the renowned SMU interactive teaching pedagogy.
An overflowing number of registrations and a diverse group of applicants
Originally scheduled to be held on the SMU campus, we had to take this data camp online instead due to the current pandemic. Despite this change, we still garnered huge interest in the Summer Online Data Camp and received an overwhelming number of registrations from a diverse group of people, ranging from senior college students to working professionals who wanted to upgrade and upskill themselves. As there were limited slots available for the camp, we had to go through a challenging shortlisting process and eventually selected 60 participants from 7 different countries and regions.
Golden Opportunities
The main lecturer of our Summer Online Data Camp is one of the most experienced professors in SoA and is well-loved by his students – Professor Yuanto Kusnadi. The curriculum design took into full account the characteristics of online teaching, including 12 hours of lectures and 3 hours of group project presentations; the content covered the latest trends in digital transformation and business model construction, introduction to python programming, data analysis and visualization, and the application of financial fields.
In addition to lectures, the SoA provided participants of the camp with a wealth of industry resources and exchange opportunities, including participating in an online lecture by an outstanding alumna of the Master of Professional Accounting programme, discussing the development and future of the accounting industry with the programme director, and a comprehensive understanding of the SMU postgraduate courses.
Exciting group presentations and interactive Q&A sessions
As one of the characteristics of SMU teaching, "group project presentation" is also a major feature of this Summer Online Data Camp. The 60 participants were divided into 10 groups of 6 each, and they were required to combine course learnings and their own knowledge to provide an analysis and suggestions on the business model, digital transformation, and post-epidemic development of a selected company. Although the participants came from different regions and had different study/work arrangements, they were very serious about the preparations and came up with presentations that demonstrated superb knowledge and presentation skills and were beyond the professor’s standards. In the end, four teams won the "Best Performing Team" award, and four students won the "Most Participative Individual Award" from Shanghai International Studies University in China, Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, and Singapore Institute of Management (SIM). There were also three recommendation letters from Professor Yuanto for participants who had shown outstanding interest and progress throughout the camp.
Participants’ positive feedback
The participants have not only acquired new skills through novel online teaching methods but also expanded their network, gaining many new friendships in this short period of time. Many students described participating in this course as an "unforgettable experience". The well-designed activities have also been well received by everyone and most participants could accept the online mode of delivery. Almost all participants said they would recommend similar future courses to their classmates, colleagues, and friends interested in the industry.
Based on the success and encouraging feedback consolidated from the survey of the first postgraduate Summer Online Data Camp, SoA will be launching a " Winter Online Data Camp" in early 2021. You can also follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn for more information.
SMU Accounting Masters: Phase 1 of applications for the 2021 academic year of MPA and MSA programmes have officially opened and will end 1st November 2020.
Master of Professional Accounting (MPA): smu.edu.sg/mpa/apply-online
Master of Science in Accounting (Data & Analytics) (MSA): smu.edu.sg/msa/apply-online
For any enquiries, please email us at mpa@smu.edu.sg or msa@smu.edu.sg.
