Hearst Magazines Partners with NJIT for Data Science and Analytics Training

Media giant Hearst Magazines is the latest company to partner with the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s (NJIT) Ying Wu College of Computing (YWCC) to train its employees in the fast-growing area of data science.

Called “Hearst Data University” by the company, Hearst employees are taking part in on-site training led by NJIT professors.

The courses are designed specifically for Hearst Magazines to help employees glean insights from Hearst’s proprietary information to develop a deeper connection with its audience and customers.

“The amount of data available today is overwhelming. This training will enable our employees to extract useful information to better understand consumer needs, helping Hearst deliver the best possible experience to our customers,” said Chief Data Officer of Hearst Magazines Michael Smith. “Through this partnership with NJIT, we are investing in our employees to keep them up to date in the rapidly moving world of data science and the insights it can bring.”

Dr. Craig Gotsman, dean of YWCC, said “Learning advanced techniques to quickly and efficiently analyze and understand complex data can be a significant advantage for companies in almost every industry. We are very happy to share with Hearst Magazines some of our expertise in this field and look forward to expanding the partnership.”

Immersive courses are being developed across a diverse range of data topics and will be made available to 15 to 20 employees at a time. The first Hearst Data University session launched April 28, 2019 and was taught by Dr. Jorge Fresneda Fernandez.

YWCC Chief Technology Officer Munir Cochinwala said it will give employees of Hearst Magazines both a broad overview of data science concepts, and depth in select topics, such as machine learning. Participants will also learn how the many different data systems at Hearst are used and how they interact.

Hearst Magazines is a unit of Hearst, a leading global, diversified media, information and services company. Hearst attracts more readers of monthly magazines than any other publisher. Hearst Magazines’ print and digital assets reach 155 million readers and site visitors each month. With more than 25 brands in the U.S., the company publishes over 300 editions and 245 websites around the world. Hearst Magazines holds a majority stake in KUBRA, a customer experience management solutions company, and is a partner with Condé Nast in the publishing services company PubWorX.

Beyond data science and analytics, YWCC offers corporate training in a variety of other computing topics, including cybersecurity. In Fall 2019, YWCC will start offering graduate-level programs in data science in Jersey City, such as a part-time M.S. in data science and graduate certificates in big data and data mining. Companies interested in learning more about these programs should contact Dr. Craig Gotsman at gotsman@njit.edu.