Embracing Growth: Reflecting on the Journey through PEDP

As the Professional Executive and Development Program (PEDP) draws to a formal close, I wanted to share the abundant learning opportunities that have enriched my journey over the past few months. The nature of the programme has provided me with the privilege to explore novel domains beyond my customary purview. This journey of exploration has undeniably enriched my path and subsequently shaped my identity as a researcher offering me diverse insights and perspectives. Admittedly, the initial challenges encountered in assimilating new frameworks were considerable. However, as I approached the end of the programme, I found myself seamlessly connecting disparate concepts and thereby solidifying my newfound knowledge.

Leveraging the QGIS proficiency and visualisation techniques acquired through the PEDP, I adeptly illustrated the alarming water scarcity prevalent at the ward level in Bangalore, using the data from publicly available datasets during my recent participation in the DataJam hosted by OpenCity Data. The engagement has instilled in me a profound appreciation for the practical utility of my expanding skill set and its potential to instigate positive change within my research pursuits. Through PEDP, I have formally learnt the principles of data management and statistical analysis, introductory know-hows of Machine Learning algorithms (numeric, textual and graph analytics), visualisation techniques (Flourish and Data Wrapper), and most importantly, vector, raster and time-series analysis (QGIS). Project 1 helped me practise the Machine Learning methods making it seem less daunting and more accessible wherein I performed a hotspot analysis of Crime committed against SC communities in India from 2001 to 2013, employed zonal statistics and vector analysis in QGIS and conducted a clustering analysis using WEKA.

The course helped me develop critical, quantitative and computational thinking, enhance my research arguments, triangulate qualitative findings with data-driven insights, and efficiently communicate societal concerns with technical and data experts (and vice versa). I extend my sincere appreciation for providing a conducive platform that has nurtured my growth as a discerning researcher. Participating in the inaugural PEDP cohort has been an immensely rewarding endeavour, and I eagerly anticipate the success of its future iterations.

(Written by Chandanapriya Dhanraj, Learner, PEDP Data Science for Social Impact, Ashoka University)