Discover the inspiring journey of Dennis Houthoofd, a dedicated part-time college teacher and freelance consultant from Belgium, as he pursues an Online Master of Science in Data Management & Business Analytics at EDHEC Online.
“I’m Dennis Houthoofd, I live in Belgium, and I’m 45 years old. In my daily life, I teach part-time at a college in Flanders and I do freelance consulting work with my own company, VeXir. Additionally, I am pursuing an Online Master of Science in Data Management and Business Analytics at EDHEC Online.”
Tell us about the Master’s programme you are enrolled in.
“The Master’s program, is called “Data Management and Business Analytics”. In my view, all words over there are quite important. On the one hand, you get courses on data, the real technical courses, but also a large part of the curriculum is spent on the business side. We have learned Python, we did some machine learning, and explored the new world of artificial intelligence. It’s not just about understanding tools, like ChatGPT, but really understand what is behind this, how does that work and also about grasping the mathematical and statistical models behind them, enabling us to translate these technical concepts into business language.”
What are the benefits of the online format?
“You learn to a large extent on your own, at your own pace, but you also get real-time courses where you can discuss topics with the professor, where you can ask questions. Sometimes, we also need to work in groups to discuss a business case and create a presentation. In that way, it is also an opportunity to collaborate with people from other countries and to try to discover some of the differences in cultures. This makes it also possible to meet each other and to build a kind of a digital relationship. But if you have some questions, something that you don’t understand, you can reach out to the other students of the cohort.”
Tell us more about your cohort.
“My peers are quite diverse, both in terms of age (ranging from 23 to 45 years), where I’m the oldest, and geographical location. You don’t need to be a data science expert to enroll in this program.”
How has this programme been key for both your future career and personal development?
“I truly believe in the importance of continuous learning and self-development. You have to continue educating, developing yourselves. The program I am currently enrolled in upscales my knowledge and prepare me for the second half of my career. I’m very pleased with my decision to start this program and I highly recommend it!”
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