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Campus - 07.09.2018 - 00:00 

SHSG Summer Software Bootcamp – in the age of digitalisation

"for i in range(0,10):" – What many students merely perceive as a combination of letters devoid of any content, participants in the first SHSG Summer Software Bootcamp are able to convert into highly complex commands. The process in question is called coding, which was taught by Professor Alberto Bacchelli from the University of Zurich at a bootcamp organised by the SHSG this week. By student reporter Sascha Duric.

7 September 2018. "I was able to get an extensive insight into fields like crypto & blockchain, machine learning, web development, the internet of things and their significance at an international level in a very short time," says Celine Heini, an undergraduate in International Affairs. The 35 sought-after places were equally distributed among female and male students. "In the digital world of tomorrow, IT knowledge will be indispensable, and we women must not exclude ourselves from this," says the student, who wants to motivate future participants.

Dynamic learning atmosphere

In addition to traditional classroom teaching, several coaches supported participants in the realisation of projects. "The dynamic and relaxed learning atmosphere, combined with the coaches’ helpfulness, enabled me to acquire a "comparative advantage" in this field without any prior knowledge to speak of," says Carla Reiss, an undergraduate in Business Administration.

IT education in the digital world

"In ten instructive days, we provide participants with a fundamental introduction to the field of technology and thus try to build a foundation on which students will be able to attend future technology courses at the University," says Julian Leopold, Head Coach of the SHSG Summer School and a student of Economics. In a world in which digitalisation was increasingly gaining in significance, there was no getting past IT education. "Every major company runs an IT department, and it will remain essential for HSG students to acquire knowledge in the field of IT to ensure that communication between future executives and developers and data scientists will be guaranteed," says Leopold.

Interface between law, business administration and economics

The 35 participants represented three different majors. "Future lawyers, in particular, will also be confronted with exciting issues concerning often still unregulated areas such as the question of guilt with regard to self-driving cars," says Julian Leopold. "Thus IT knowledge will also remain indispensable for law students. To ensure that future technologies will be optimally regulated, law students will require expert knowledge in this field."

It is clear to the Student Union of the University of St.Gallen even now that the first summer school will not be the last and that there will be a continuation next year – this time with a hundred places.

Sascha Duric is conversation course leader for Swiss German, as well as Bosnian, Croat, Montenegrin and Serbian (BKMS) at the Language Center of the University of St.Gallen and is studying for a Master’s degree in Law.

Photo: Livia Eichenberger

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