COVER STORY • 封面專題 2023 UMAGAZINE 28 • 澳大新語 9 policy recommendations. As an interdisciplinary platform, members also integrate research in health sciences, technology, and pharmacology to develop precision medicine solutions for rare diseases and common cancers. As Macao develops a modern finance industry, CDS plays a supporting role by leveraging data analysis for the benefit of the industry. This includes using big data technologies to pioneer new applications, processes, products, and business models. Moreover, the centre has helped different UM faculties apply data science in fields such as linguistics, public administration, and data compliance. Prof U adds, ‘During the COVID-19 pandemic, our research team developed a data visualisation system which helped the Macao public better understand and adapt to the changing situation.’ Aside from its contributions to education and research, CDS also fosters interdisciplinary discussion and collaboration. For example, it has hosted roundtable discussions on cross-border data usage and organised data analysis competitions. Additionally, in September 2023, the centre hosted the 1st Macau Symposium on Data Science, which gathered experts from diverse fields including big data processing, market analytics, precision medicine, and smart governance. These initiatives have reinforced its role as a platform for interdisciplinary innovation and scholarly exchange. Deciphering and Improving Society Given the complexity of social phenomena, it is difficult to make comprehensive and systematic predictions about the future development of society. However, the rise of data science is changing this landscape. Prof Cai Tianji, associate dean in the Faculty of Social Sciences and head of the Department of Sociology, is a member of CDS. He is dedicated to research in computational social science. Prof Cai explains, ‘My research is twofold. First, I use data science to tackle social issues. Second, I integrate predictive analytics into social science research. With the availability of real-time data updates, we can now also verify the accuracy of predictions about social phenomena in real time.’ Prof Cai elaborates that data and machine learning models have become crucial in both the provision and study of public services. For example, in a recent research project focused on predicting the growth of solid waste in Macao, Prof Cai developed multiple machine learning models and found that ‘Generalised Additive Models’ made the most accurate predictions. He says, ‘Macao ranks among the top in the world in terms of per capita solid waste generation, outpacing Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Singapore. The sources of solid waste in Macao are varied and influenced by factors such as family structure, tourist influx, and construction activity.’ Prof Cai further explains how changes in family 數據科學研究中心於2019/2020學年起開設理學碩士學位（數據科學）課程 The Centre for Data Science introduced a Master of Science in Data Science programme in the 2019/2020 academic year
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