What do you get when students tackle real-world data challenges with fresh ideas? See the highlights from the Datathon, organized together with Turing Students Rotterdam.
Last week, our students from Erasmus University Rotterdam put their analytics and coding skills to the test in an all-day tech competition in our Erasmus Data Collaboratory. The challenge involved solving a business case using a real-world dataset, with the goal of creating data-driven strategic advice and solutions.
AI assistance was encouraged to help optimize workflows and enhance results. This leveled the playing field, whether participants were coding beginners or experienced experts, and gave everyone a chance to explore how data analysis works in real-world settings.
💡 A few highlights:
- The challenge focused on analyzing data from the Olympic Games (1896–2024), with participants using information on countries, athletes, and events to develop their own research questions.
- After hours of focused teamwork and collaboration, each group presented its data analysis, visualizations, and innovative solutions.
- The day concluded with an inspiring guest lecture from the team at InSpark | Innovate to Accelerate, who shared how data is transforming business. Special thanks to Erwin de Kreuk 🚀, Jerry Broch 🚀, and Floris Berends for their insights.
🎉 Congratulations to the winning team:
Matheo Panayiotou, Adam Wądołowski, Rafael Rego, and Iker Alday Bonilla!
And a big thank you to all participants — we hope you left the event inspired, energized, and packed with new knowledge.
👏 Special thanks to our judges:
- Zaman ZiabakhshGanji – Data Analytics Support Engineer
- Barnabas Torzsok
- Pedro José Correia Duarte
We’re proud to support hands-on learning experiences that let students apply academic knowledge in a dynamic, problem-solving environment.
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