{"id":10899,"date":"2026-08-31T08:59:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T06:59:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.hslu.ch\/applied-data-science\/?p=10899"},"modified":"2026-08-31T09:00:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T07:00:02","slug":"goodbye-andreas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.hslu.ch\/applied-data-science\/goodbye-andreas\/","title":{"rendered":"Goodbye, Andreas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As of August 2026, our programme is called MSc in Applied Data Science and AI.<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Shortcuts:
D<\/a>T<\/a>TI<\/a> | Contribution<\/a> | Fit<\/a> | Benefits<\/a> | Programmes<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> |<\/strong> Future<\/a> | Links<\/a> |<\/strong> Programme Information<\/a> | Contact<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a Eureka Moment to a New Degree Programme<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2018, the MSc in Applied Information and Data Science was founded \u2013 with Prof. Dr. Andreas Brandenberg at the helm of a founding team that shared a common vision. As is so often the case with milestones, it began with a shared eureka moment: at a workshop in Amsterdam, alongside fellow participants of the Horizon 2020 project EDISON, he recognized that data science was far too often treated as a purely technical discipline. Yet data science must ultimately create value: economic value, ecological value, social value, and even cultural or artistic value. It is, at its core, interdisciplinary. And a good data scientist has to think the same way in order to do what truly defines the profession: ask the right questions of data. Bringing this essence of the data science profession to the forefront has been Brandenberg’s driving motivation ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eight Years of Encounters and Achievements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After eight eventful years as head of the programme, Brandenberg can look back on a wealth of valuable encounters and achievements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among them are his trips to India \u2013 whether as part of educational partnerships, collaborations with leading companies, outstanding institutions and top-tier leaders, or visits with student groups for exchange and joint projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Event at the Swiss Consulate in Bangalore in 2022 with a study group<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Andreas 2023 alongside rectors from various schools in India. These exchanges were always especially enriching for him.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“I’ve been lucky enough to always be surrounded by great people, and to have had a top team by my side throughout all these years,”<\/em> Andreas reflects on his time in the role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The team behind the masters programme and Dalith Steiger-Gablinger on the right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That includes the core team behind what was then called the MSc in Applied Information and Data Science, as well as valued colleagues such as Dalith Steiger. A special mention belongs to Dean Prof. Dr. Christine B\u00f6ckelmann, who believed in the programme from day one \u2013 taking a leap of faith on the experiment and helping carry it forward as Dean of the Lucerne School of Business. Her support, along with that of the heads of the university and the department throughout the years, was instrumental in shaping the programme into what it is today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From the left: Prof. Dr. Andreas Brandenberg, Prof. Dr. Christine B\u00f6ckelmann, Dr. Patricia Feubli and Martina Gander, pictured at the programme’s first graduation ceremony in 2020, a milestone moment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, Andreas also lent his expertise to various juries, including the Digital Economy Award. For him, this was never just an obligation \u2013 the exchange with fellow jurors was a constant source of inspiration, opening up fresh perspectives from across the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Andreas as part of the jury of the Digital Economy Award 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Programme That Attracts Unique Minds<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But Andreas speaks with just as much admiration about his students as he does about his colleagues. Even with the very first cohort back in 2018, he noticed what unique personalities the programme tends to attract \u2013 students who were remarkably clever and driven, qualities that continue to define the programme’s students to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The first Welcome Day 2018 with students who Brandenberg still remembers to this day.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The first of several Open Data Hackdays, the 2019 edition in Lucerne brought students, data experts and tourism professionals together to turn real-world data into innovative solutions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Explore the MSc in Applied Data Science and AI<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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What comes next?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Guided by the same practice-oriented mindset that has shaped the programme from the start, Brandenberg went on to found bydo, a Lucerne-based non-profit association where students tackle real challenges brought in by companies, gaining hands-on experience. The goal: a smoother transition from studies into the professional world, backed by practical skills, not just theory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Andreas puts it: “Universities spend far too much time explaining how a car works, when what people really need to learn is how to drive it.” This conviction has also shaped his approach to the programme itself, where he has always advocated for bringing together people from a wide range of backgrounds. With bydo, Andreas deliberately set out to shift parts of the programme out of the classroom and into practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Andreas and the team behind bydo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Going forward, he’ll dedicate even more of his time to this project \u2013 continuing to support talented young professionals with valuable connections and hands-on experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interview: The Journey of the MSc in Applied Information and Data Science<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the interview that follows, Andreas looks back on his time as Head of the Degree Programme, shares some of the moments that shaped him along the way, and talks about what comes next: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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