_{In our BSc Data Science & Society programme, students are pioneers who push boundaries and shape the future! What makes them choose this path? Keep reading to learn about their personal stories and reasons for joining our community!}

Hi there!

My name is Anya Cahyandaru, and I am an exchange student from Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia. Not long ago, I was enrolled in the Data Science & Society (DSS) programme at Campus Fryslân as part of my exchange programme, exploring new academic perspectives and cultural experiences.

1. What personal challenges or experiences made DSS feel relevant to your life?

When selecting my courses for my exchange year, I needed to pick one more course to reach a total workload of 25 ECTS. Most of my selected courses fall under the Global Responsibility and Leadership (GRL) programme. The title "Data Science" in DSS initially felt intimidating since I am a psychology major, which belongs to the social humanities cluster. However, the course on Human Rights in the Digital Age intrigued me. I thought it would not be overly technical and would still have a social aspect that I could relate to.

2. Has DSS changed how you see the role of data in everyday life? If so, how?

Yes, absolutely. My educational background does not involve much exposure to data science, so this course was eye-opening. I realized that data is everywhere—it is not just something stored behind a massive computer system, but it is deeply integrated into our daily lives. More importantly, data influences the very policies we live by and comply with, shaping societies in ways I had not fully appreciated before.

❝I realized that data is everywhere—it is not just something stored behind a massive computer system, but it is deeply integrated into our daily lives.❞

3. Is there a particular skill or topic or course in DSS that you find most interesting? Why?

One small but impactful experience came from a comment I received on my final assignment regarding a formal requirement, that is the requirement to have at least four citations per page. As a third-year university student, I am no stranger to writing papers, but I had never consciously paid attention to how many citations I was using. During the process of writing that assignment, I became far more mindful of my sources and how to effectively support my arguments. This skill will undoubtedly be valuable in my thesis writing and future academic endeavors.

4. What kind of impact do you hope to make with DSS, and do you feel the programme is equipping you for that?

I have always had an activist spirit, and when I enrolled in the Human Rights course within the DSS programme, I hoped to gain knowledge on how I could contribute to addressing humanitarian crises. The combination of social science and data science has provided me with tools to approach these issues from multiple perspectives, allowing me to appeal to broader audiences and make more data-driven arguments for social change.

5. How would you pitch DSS to someone interested in traditional data science but skeptical about its societal applications?

Humans are social creatures, and we will always be part of a society. While societies continuously evolve, this fundamental truth remains. DSS provides an opportunity to expand what we can do with data, demonstrating its relevance not only in technical fields but also in understanding and improving human interactions, policies, and global challenges.

❝DSS provides an opportunity to expand on what we can do with data, demonstrating its relevance not only in technical fields but also in understanding and improving human interactions, policies, and global challenges.❞

6. What has surprised you the most about studying DSS?

Coming from Indonesia, which is on the other side of the world from Europe, I found it challenging to keep up with some of the material, as much of what we studied had a Eurocentric focus. This was not necessarily a bad thing—it made me realize just how significantly culture impacts the use of data, as well as policies, laws, and treaties. It also made me aware of how much I still have to learn about the vast world beyond my own country.

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