Savas Parastatidis, Centre for Doctoral Training in Cloud Computing for Big Data

Tackling the skills shortage in data analytics in the UK

Savas Parastatidis completed a PhD at Newcastle University in 2000. Over the past few years he has donated more than £100,000 to the University's Centre for Doctoral Training in Cloud Computing for Big Data. His generous donation has helped the Centre train and support new PhD students to produce future leaders in data analytics through its innovative and highly prestigious four-year PhD programme.

Savas’ donation has contributed to PhD studentships in vital areas of research, such as data visualisation, predicting epilepsy surgery outcomes, AI companions for healthcare management and modelling mitochondrial DNA mutations from big single-cell datasets. It has also provided the Centre the financial flexibility it has needed during the pandemic, allowing students to apply for extensions to their funding so they can continue their research.

As well as supporting data students financially, Savas has donated his time to present virtual keynote presentations to the cohort of students completing their doctorate through the pandemic.

Housed in the University’s state-of-the-art Urban Sciences Building, students at the Centre for Doctoral Training in Cloud Computing for Big Data complete a year-long advanced Master's level training programme in cloud computing and data analytics before commencing a three-year doctorate.