Applied Data Science, Machine Learning and Statistical Modelling

This core technical module equips students to transform complex real-world data into actionable insights for environmental and social impact. Learners explore the mathematical foundations of probability, statistical inference, and quantitative research methods to drive evidence-based decision-making. Through robust data wrangling, scalable engineering pipelines, and exploratory visualisation, students effectively process large-scale environmental datasets. The curriculum covers advanced predictive analytics, supervised and unsupervised machine learning, Bayesian networks, and time-series analysis for climate forecasting. Emphasising rigorous model evaluation, bias, variance, and generalisation in scientific AI, this module provides the essential computational toolkit to monitor and predict ecological trends whilst addressing urgent global sustainability challenges.

List of Abbreviations

AI: Artificial Intelligence
DS: Data Science
DT: Digital Transformation
KM: Knowledge Management
UN: United Nations
PPP: Public-Private Partnership
SD: Sustainable Development
SDGs: Sustainable Development Goals
STI: Science, Technology and Innovation
VNR: Voluntary National Reviews
01 SESSION

Introduction to the Module, Foundations of Probability, Statistical Inference, and Predictive Analytics

Dr Ibrahim Alfaki
United Arab Emirates University (Al-Ain – UAE) 

02
SESSION

Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) and Visualisation for Environmental Metrics

03
SESSION

Supervised Learning: Regression and Classification for Sustainability Forecasting

04
SESSION

Unsupervised Learning: Clustering and Dimensionality Reduction in Ecological Data

05
SESSION

Time-Series Analysis for Climate Change Modelling and Resource Management

06
SESSION

Scalable Data Engineering: Pipelines and Database Management Systems

07
SESSION

Bayesian Networks and Probabilistic Graphical Models for Risk Assessment

08
SESSION

Data Wrangling and Pre-processing for Messy Real-World Impact Data

09
SESSION

Evaluating Model Performance: Bias, Variance, and Generalisation in Scientific AI

10
SESSION

Quantitative Research Methods and Evidence-Based Decision Making