The Data Analytics Scholarship offline programme with the support of CCF-Korea, aimed at working Customs officers from developing countries, is delivered at SungKyunKwan University (SKKU) in Korea from 24th March to July 23rd, 2022.
Upon successfully completing the one-month online portion of the programme in February, twelve participants were invited again to participate in a four-month intensive offline programme where they can deepen their expertise in analytics and knowledge of academic theory gained in previous courses through hands-on exercises and a practicum project.
The opening ceremony was held on April 4th where participants were welcomed by Dr Taeil Kang, Director of the Capacity Building Directorate at the WCO and Dr Dong Ryeol Shin, president of the SKKU. Both speakers emphasized the importance of the scholarship programme and encouraged the participants to take this opportunity to expand their knowledge in Data Analytics through the guidance of experts.
Data use in Customs is of paramount importance. The effective and practical application of data analytics methodologies tailored to the Customs sector has become essential to manage the growing volume of data collected and stored. Data Analytics holds the potential to improve existing Customs processes and help with revenue collection, post-clearance audit, compliance, risk management, performance measurement, and many other areas.
The curriculum holds a wide array of courses on data analytics, ranging from introductory courses to expert courses. The Programme covers state-of-the-art topics such as Big Data Analytics, Machine Learning, Blockchain, and algorithms developed by the BACUDA expert group to widen the participants' horizons. Customs domain experts, professors, and WCO experts were invited to deliver these topics. In addition to the technical aspects, excursions to various cities are also planned so that participants can gain Korean cultural experience.
Successful completion of the course entails in-depth research and study and the writing of a paper by each participant. Upon completion of the courses, they will be fully equipped with knowledge and skills to become an innovative driver and help their respective organizations maximize the potential of data usage.
The WCO plans to continue improving and providing this Programme for officials from developing Member administrations in further iterations.
For more information, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.