Maha Dao, ENSAI / Université Rennes 1, France

What inspired you to choose an EMOS-labelled master’s programme for your studies?

Data science is one of the most fashionable fields in our society: every day we talk about AI, big data... Data is everywhere, and has become central to our daily lives. In this perspective, making data talk in a rigorous and objective way is not the easiest thing: it requires a solid understanding of what data is, how to construct it and how to use it. This is what I like about official statistics, and this is what motivated me to join an EMOS programme. EMOS accredited courses go beyond pure theoretical learning in machine learning or data visualisation: they lead us to question ethics and encourage us to develop ever more innovative methodologies. In my opinion, this is what makes the difference between courses dedicated to data and EMOS courses that focus on statistics: we look at what happens in practice between the raw material that is data and the use we make of it when it becomes statistics that will be exploited for decision-making.

During your studies, have you participated in any activities dedicated to EMOS students?

Unfortunately not, the 2024 EMOS workshop was my first event, and that's a shame. I was able to discover the resources offered to students (online courses, webinars, coding lab), and I can only recommend current EMOS students to take part.

Have you already completed your EMOS internship?

Yes, I chose to do my EMOS internship at INSEE, the French national statistical office, because it was an opportunity for me to join the team responsible for conducting the survey of homeless people for six months. In France, it is a periodic survey and this is the third edition, after 2001 and 2012. Even though I didn't have any geographical mobility, the learning outcomes of the EMOS Masters were invaluable to me and I was able to consolidate them. My skills in production models and methods, statistical methods and dissemination techniques developed during the Master were very useful in helping me to better understand the challenges of the homeless survey, and to work on the sampling frame, for example. Furthermore, taking a step back is a key element in the design of this survey. The Master's course gave me the reflex to look at what was being done elsewhere, and in the case of my placement, the Anglo-Saxon countries were pioneers in the development of this type of survey.

Would you recommend a fellow student to choose the EMOS track at your university?

Yes: ENSAI offers an extremely rigorous methodological background in mathematics, computer science and econometrics. The EMOS Master's degree is offered jointly with the University of Rennes, which already offers a complementary academic bacground, between courses in the faculty and in the grande école. As well as courses on statistical production and analysis, we can take courses (in English!) on European and international issues in official statistics, and benefit from seminars given by employees of statistical institutes. It's a stimulating environment, with research professors and double-degree students, allowing us to exchange ideas on how we learn. This is exactly what I was looking for with the EMOS Master's: to go beyond statistical theory to gain the perspective needed for public production in an interconnected world and in an ever-evolving field such as official statistics.

Has your EMOS study experience prepared you for your future academic and career pursuits? How?

I think that there are three key advantages to an EMOS Master's degree:
- Ensuring that your course is accredited at European level, is recognised and benefits from a governance system that constantly updates academic expectations to keep pace with developments in the field.
- Benefit from demanding, high-level training with comprehensive learning objectives: from statistical production to dissemination challenges, including knowledge of ESS governance.
- Joining a European network with diversified profiles and accessing
to a wide range of resources.

In case you are already employed, in what kind of organization do you work?

I joined the French national statistical institute, INSEE, to work as an international relations coordinator. For me, it's the perfect continuation of my studies and the EMOS Master: this job allows me to work on official statistics in a different way, taking a comparative approach at European level. I'm in contact with French experts to examine statistical legislation, and I help prepare the Director General's European and international meetings. It's a very rewarding job, which allows me to step back and benefit from the expertise of my INSEE and European colleagues.