Dataiku and ESSEC Business School join forces to encourage technological vocations among women

Dataiku, the French unicorn and publisher of a unified Data Science and Machine Learning platform, has entered a partnership with ESSEC Business School to support the “Women in Data Sciences” scholarship program. The program is designed to offer inspiration and practical encouragement to female students to pursue a career in science.

Women are renowned for possessing the qualities which are key in scientific professions, yet they are often underrepresented in these sectors, sometimes missing out on brilliant careers.

Through the ESSEC “Women in Data Sciences” program, Dataiku will contribute to strengthening the diversity of profiles admitted to the Masters in Data Sciences & Business Analytics offered jointly by ESSEC & CentraleSupélec, by funding an annual scholarship of €10,000 each year for the next four academic years (2021-2025). The scholarship will be awarded to a female international student who has completed a non-French degree and who is a citizen of a country in Asia, South America, Africa or Europe.

Gildas Fresneau, Head of European Academic Relations at Dataiku explained this choice: “By joining this ESSEC initiative, we are choosing to support a cause that is dear to us: democratizing access to advanced levels of education in data science. It is an investment for the future. By taking action today, and opening up these avenues to profiles of people who may not normally have access to them, we are paving the way for greater diversity in tomorrow’s data science teams. It is with such teams, enriched by their differences, that we will be able to build truly responsible artificial intelligence.”

Guillaume Chevillon, Professor and Academic Co-director of the ESSEC & CentraleSupélec Masters in Data Sciences & Business Analytics, welcomed this initiative: “The entire Masters in Data Sciences & Business Analytics team is thrilled to be able to count on Dataiku's support in training the next generation of data scientists. Being able to attract the best international profiles is a tremendous asset for ESSEC, CentraleSupélec and also for the entire French ecosystem of companies in the digital and artificial intelligence sectors. Today, we have almost equal gender representation within our Master’s program. However, we are committed to continuing our efforts towards recognizing and promoting diversity, and to ensuring all young people have equal access to the studies and careers to which they aspire. Thanks to their joining the Women in Data Sciences scholarship program, specifically geared towards female students with an international background, Dataiku is now helping the best female students fund their studies and their stay in France.”

 Each year, after an initial screening by ESSEC, Dataiku will interview the pre-selected candidates and pick the recipient of the scholarship. An award ceremony will then be held at the company’s Paris premises. The first award ceremony is scheduled to take place at the beginning of the 2021 academic year.

 The selection criteria were established jointly by ESSEC and Dataiku's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team.

Dataiku, inclusion and diversity

Inclusion lies at the heart of Dataiku’s core values. This commitment can be found in both the company's software solutions and in its internal and external initiatives.

For example, Dataiku’s platform encourages collaboration among people with different types of profiles and promotes the value of diversity in the broadest sense of the term (know-how and skills) in solving complex problems. Dataiku DSS also provides companies with tools for implementing responsible artificial intelligence projects, in particular by helping them identify and combat bias, a critical issue today in the push for inclusivity.

Internally, Dataiku recently appointed a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager to support and coordinate the recruitment and the development of its employees in a way that is centered around and carried out with diversity, ensuring all those who want to play their part have room to do so. Dataiku also spearheaded the IKIG.AI program, which allows employees to volunteer to support causes that are important to them and to participate in the transmission of AI knowledge.

In term of external actions, Dataiku participates actively in working groups on diversity and the fight against discrimination in Europe and the United States, and offers mentoring programs to promote gender equality. Dataiku is also a signatory of the Parental Act. The signatories of this French scheme offer the second parent 100% paid leave for at least 60 days, regardless of gender, marital status or the country in which they work.

Above and beyond its partnership with ESSEC, Dataiku promotes inclusion, encouraging and supporting initiatives and charities committed to diversity, including, among others:

• Simplon and its Pledge for Women in IT - through mentoring and training facilitation
• Girls in Tech - by organizing meetings between professionals and students and supporting the organization of a competitive pitch event honouring female entrepreneurs
  • Out in Tech - through its founding support to its consortium of companies committed to the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in the workplace
  • The EPIC foundation - through the establishment of a partnership and financial support

For its part, ESSEC has long been committed to diversity and inclusion. This year, the school launched an educational innovation, the Diversity Fresco, similar to the already-existing Climate Fresco. The objective of this Diversity initiative is to raise students’ awareness of the issues of discrimination and how to overcome them, so as to create a more just society, one which is all the richer for the diversity of its talents.

As part of its commitment to gender equality, the fight against discrimination and the promotion of respect and diversity, ESSEC also ensures gender parity in its governance.