Expands collaboration with University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management with additional $4 million to fund exploration of real-world data and analytics applications and opening of TD Management Data and Analytics Lab
TORONTO - TD Bank Group (TD) announced today, it will support the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management with $4 million in new funding as part of the school's efforts to attract and develop top data and analytics talent from around the globe.
"By collaborating with TD, we are giving students the opportunity to engage in data-focused problem-solving," says Tiff Macklem, Dean, Rotman School of Management. " “We know our students are eager to take on new roles in the evolving field of data and analytics and this generous investment will allow us to move more quickly to further expand our data analytics programming and opportunities."
TD's investment will include the development and staffing of the TD Management Data and Analytics Lab at Rotman. The lab will focus on student development and engagement in data and analytics, including practical applications of data and analytics theory in the form of ongoing workshops, hackathons and guest speakers. It will foster academic collaboration, create a space that allows for research, ideation and innovation, and elevate the profession of data and analytics.
"Data and analytics are the engines powering the future of Canada's economy," says Christian Nelissen, TD Senior Vice President of Enterprise Data and Analytics. "That new reality means building talented teams that have a deep understanding of the potential of data and analytics, in financial services and beyond. We are looking for visionaries who can see what's possible – things we might not even have thought of yet."
The lab will serve as an invaluable resource for students and researchers at Rotman as it aims to integrate tools in prediction and analytics across all its programs and provide in-house expertise in data science, AI, and machine learning. Seed funding of $1.4 million from the Rotman Catalyst Fund launched the Management Data Lab in 2017 and attracted two data scientists with expertise in machine learning and quantum computing. This new investment and partnership with TD will greatly expand the scope and capabilities of the lab. The new TD Management Data and Analytics Lab will add expertise and resources to engage more actively in industry projects and bring cutting-edge analytic thinking to management teaching.
Students in the newly launched Master of Management Analytics (MMA) program will be frequent users of the resources offered by the TD Management Data and Analytics Lab. The MMA program welcomed its inaugural class in August and is a rigorous nine-month program designed for recent university graduates. Developed in consultation with industry professionals, the program combines training in the use of computational methods and predictive tools as they apply to multi-faceted managerial problems while developing the critical communication skills needed to extract and convey insights from data.
The new investment builds on TD’s financial support and successful collaboration with The Rotman Financial Innovation Hub in Advanced Analytics (Rotman FinHub) over the past year. With a lead $1 million donation from TD and seed funding from the Rotman Catalyst Fund, the Rotman FinHub, developed new classes and learning opportunities in financial innovation. This includes workshops in machine learning and blockchain for the school’s MBA, Master of Finance, and Master of Financial Risk Management programs as well as supporting student engagement in industry projects and scholarship and research in financial innovation.
The Rotman School of Management is part of the University of Toronto, a global centre of research and teaching excellence at the heart of Canada’s commercial capital. Rotman is a catalyst for transformative learning, insights and public engagement, bringing together diverse views and initiatives around a defining purpose: to create value for business and society. For more information, visit www.rotman.utoronto.ca.
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For more information:
Ken McGuffin
Manager, Media Relations
Rotman School of Management
University of Toronto
Voice: 416.946.3818
E-mail: mcguffin@rotman.utoronto.ca