Data hygiene

On 18 April, Wittenborg's students were treated to a lecture by Dr Nikita Pahwa called “Excel Data Cleaning and SPSS Data Import” at Wittenborg's Amsterdam study location. During her lecture, Dr Pahwa emphasised the importance of data in today's world and the role of analytics in allowing students to become the successful managers of tomorrow. Pahwa is an experienced lecturer with over 10 years of experience who has worked with and mentored countless students to ensure they achieve academic excellence in their field. “Mentoring is my passion,” she enthuses. Dr Pahwa holds both a BA and MA in Economics, later obtaining a PhD in Economics. Having taught in both India and the Netherlands, she is very experienced in thesis supervision and teaching. She additionally has experience with consultancy to effect local policy change.

“My experience also includes a consulting assignment with a think tank in India which required contribution to policy planning.” This experience was essential to her PhD in Economics, her top achievement to date. “The achievement that I am most proud of is the result of my PhD thesis, which highlighted the vacuum in policymaking in India for elementary education.” Her incredible background made her a top choice for a guest lecture, which students and staff members present benefitted from greatly. “Students learned the journey of data – from understanding the process of gathering data to data cleaning and visualization,” she says. This is a vital area for every student at Wittenborg, as it is necessary to gain competency in these skills to successfully complete their theses.

Wittenborg's students were enthusiastic and receptive to Dr Pahwa's lecture, impressing the economics expert. “I really enjoyed my session with the students at Wittenborg,” she says. “The students were proactive and involved in an active class discussion with a professional attitude.” Dr Dadi Chen, Wittenborg Associate Professor of Applied Sciences & Programme Coordinator also took note of the students’ interest in the lecture. “I asked several students during the break about her lecture. They all liked it very much and regarded it as very relevant to practice,” he points out. “She introduced herself as a professional lecturer and researcher. She has a strong background in economics.”

According to Dr Chen, despite the wealth of information contained in the lecture, it was easy for Dr Pahwa to keep students’ attention. “The lecturer was very passionate about the topic and prepared very well with an Excel data sheet for students to work on.” He says that by making the session interactive, Dr Pahwa created a rich learning experience for students. “This was more like a well-structured workshop with really practical step-by-step guidance and hands-on experience for students to clean the data and prepare for analysis. She managed the time very well with sufficient time for students to prepare in each of the steps.” Dr Chen also highlights that Dr Pahwas shining personality helped captivate students. “She's amiable and humorous, with good body language to communicate with the students.”

Wittenborg thanks Dr Pahwa for her insightful lecture, which helped students gain key skills in data which will continue to benefit them in both their academic as well as working life. Wittenborg's students had a great time getting to know and learning from her.

WUP 11/05/2023
by Olivia Nelson
©WUAS Press