Facebook, Microsoft, Google and IBM: these multinationals have chosen to focus on Montreal and on its advances and research in new technologies. Artificial intelligence and big data are being increasingly used around the world. Tomorrow’s business leaders trained at HEC understand very well that these technologies are the way of the future. They have created a community of practice around these technologies.
Determined to get on the bandwagon, three MBA students at HEC, Stève Gros, Damien Crevat and Adrián González, have created a community of practice on artificial intelligence and big data, bringing together some forty students. “The goal is to create an ecosystem where students and professors discuss problems and solutions on these issues,” explains Stève Gros.
From health to education and finance, all sectors of activity are the subject of reflection at these monthly meetings. “Businesses come to our meetings to share their entrepreneurial journey, their mistakes, their good moves…,” he says. “Some of them tell us their problems and members of the community of practice can put their expertise to work to find solutions.”
Maluuba, a Montreal start-up specializing in processing of natural language, recently acquired by Microsoft, participated in one of these working sessions. Other big names as well as SMEs will join these meetings.
“It’s a real win-win collaboration,” Stève Gros insists. “Businesses have access to a pool of qualified labour which make up the MBA, since they are professionals who have come back for training, who are open to the issues of these topics and who are currently working on concrete cases. For members of the community of practice it’s the opportunity to add value to local businesses, stand out in the field and meet potential employers,” he adds.
Supported by HEC management, this community of practice provides a bridge between students and professionals in order to meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s businesses!