Banda Aceh, December 11, 2024 – The Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), Universitas Syiah Kuala (USK), has officially established a collaboration with the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) of Aceh Province. The signing of the cooperation agreement took place at the BPS Aceh office, focusing on internship and practical work programs involving students from the Department of Mathematics.
As part of the collaboration, five students have participated in an internship program at BPS Aceh. The program was designed to provide students with deeper insights into the types of data managed by BPS—both macro data publicly available through the official BPS website and microdata from surveys requiring further processing. During the internship, students received hands-on training in microdata processing techniques using the Python programming language.
Through this training, students not only gained an understanding of survey data management but also learned to apply mathematical concepts—such as modeling through optimization methods, including linear programming and other algorithms—to generate optimal solutions based on processed microdata. Furthermore, the experience in managing and analyzing data using Python provides long-term benefits by enhancing students’ competencies in technology-based data analysis, a skill increasingly relevant to today’s professional demands.
This collaboration is expected to serve as a starting point for the Department of Mathematics and BPS Aceh to further expand joint efforts in the future, particularly in the areas of data management and analysis that support regional development needs.