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On August 15^th, 2024, the ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ and the Data and Advanced Analytics Division (OCTAVE) of John Keells Holdings PLC signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Senate Hall. The ceremony was honoured by the presence of Senior Professor (Chair) , Vice Chancellor of the University, and Mr Krishan Balendra, Chairperson-CEO/Executive Director of .

OCTAVE, a leader in John Keells Group’s data-driven initiatives, brings extensive experience and expertise in data science, machine learning engineering, data engineering, and BI engineering. Over the years, OCTAVE has collaborated with the ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ on various projects, including serving as the Knowledge Partner for the Data Science Hackathon at the International Conference in Data Science (ICDS 2023). This MoU formalizes the ongoing partnership between the ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ and OCTAVE, paving the way for deeper collaboration.

The agreement outlines several mutual benefits for both institutions. Through this MoU, OCTAVE will engage with the ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ on multiple new initiatives aimed at enhancing student experiences. These initiatives include offering internships, supervising final-year projects, delivering guest lectures, providing prioritized invitations to OCTAVE webinars and articles, and exploring potential research and development collaborations. These activities will be coordinated through the Department of Statistics at the ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´.

The signing ceremony was attended by prominent representatives from both organizations, including Professor , Dean of the Faculty of Science; Dr , Head of the Department of Statistics; Mr Yolan Seimon, Head of OCTAVE; Dr Rajitha Navarathna, Principal Data Scientist at OCTAVE; Mr Sahan Perera, Head of Talent and Employer Branding at OCTAVE; and Dr , Senior Lecturer in the Department of Statistics, along with other distinguished guests.

This MoU marks a significant milestone in the collaboration between academia and industry, promising to drive innovation and knowledge sharing in the field of data science.