QUT works with ABS to boost use of big data

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Picture Left to Right: Sybille McKeown (ABS), Insha Ullah (ACEMS-QUT), QUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor Arun Sharma, Deputy Australian Statistician at the ABS Teresa Dickinson, Prof Ian Turner (ACEMS-QUT), Jacinta Holloway (ACEMS-QUT)

QUT has signed a major new project agreement with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), as the organisations focus on the use of big data and powerful technology to keep Australia at the cutting-edge of statistical analysis.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Arun Sharma, said the new project, which would be undertaken in association with the ARC Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS), followed a long working relationship between QUT and the ABS.

“QUT very much values the contribution that it is able to make to the work of the ABS and we welcome the opportunity to collaborate in new and diverse ways and provide our technical expertise and support,” Professor Sharma said.

“The 12 month project will consist of four separate programs of work, with a focus on statistical machine learning methods to address current challenges and improve processes used in the development of official statistics,” he said.

QUT Distinguished Professor Kerrie Mengersen, who will supervise the project in conjunction with QUT colleague, Associate Professor James McGree, and Professor Rob Hyndman from Monash University, said it was designed to build the capacity of the ABS, in a new technological era. 

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Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Arun Sharma with Deputy Australian Statistician at the ABS Teresa Dickinson.

“There have been many advances in recent times and the availability and use of big data is a part of that,” Distinguished Professor Mengersen said.

Professors Mengersen and Hyndman are Chief Investigators with ACEMS, and Assoc Prof McGree is an ACEMS Associate Investigator.

Welcoming the collaboration, Deputy Australian Statistician at the ABS, Teresa Dickinson said the ABS valued the partnership with QUT and ACEMS and was looking forward to the opportunity to draw on the expertise of world class researchers to drive innovative approaches in the way ABS did business.

“This partnership presents a wonderful opportunity to expand our statistical capability and keep pace with the new frontier of developments in mathematics and statistics,” Ms Dickinson said.

The ABS is an official partner organisation of ACEMS, with QUT one of 7 university nodes that make up the Centre of Excellence.

Media Contact

QUT Media: (07) 3138 9449 or media@qut.edu.au

ABS Media - 1300 175 070

ACEMS Media - Tim Macuga, (07) 3138 6741 or timothy.macuga@qut.edu.au