A New Opportunity: The Data Engineering and Artificial Intelligence Program

The Faculty of Engineering at Bar-Ilan is proud to announce that the data engineering program is now recognized by the CHE (until May 2029). The program has been rebranded as the Data Engineering and Artificial Intelligence Program, a title that better reflects the content, goals, and training offered to its graduates.

This focused program trains graduates to be algorithm developers and AI engineers. Its mission is to train engineers with a solid mathematical and engineering foundation who can understand, develop, and implement advanced AI systems, and turn data into information, knowledge, and innovation. Students acquire a broad mathematical, analytical, and engineering foundation, along with extensive knowledge of how to design, develop, and implement advanced AI systems. 

The program teaches students how to tackle the key challenge of the digital age: extracting knowledge from a vast array of data sources and developing algorithms and AI systems that can learn from them. Throughout their studies, students are exposed to tabular data, network and graph data, texts, and a wide range of signals – from images, video, speech, and audio to biological and medical signals – and learn how to analyze, process, and turn them into real, applicable knowledge. This combination enables graduates to develop advanced AI solutions and address data science challenges across many fields of application.

To this end, the program offers a broad selection of courses at the forefront of the AI revolution, including machine learning, deep learning, generative AI, large language models (LLMs), natural language processing, computer vision, data mining, modern signal processing, large-scale data analysis, optimization, and intelligent systems. This combination gives graduates a solid scientific and engineering foundation, paired with an understanding of the most advanced technologies in industry and research.

The program's structure and educational philosophy are already generating interest among researchers and academic institutions in Israel and abroad. The combination of in-depth engineering and mathematical training, hands-on work with many data types, and up-to-date instruction in artificial intelligence reflects an innovative approach to forging the next generation of AI engineers.

The program benefits from a leading academic faculty with an international reputation: scholars at the forefront of global research, who publish regularly in leading journals and participate in local and international conferences on artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, modern signal processing, and their applications. Two of them are IEEE Fellows, recognized for their contribution to research in the field. The head of the program, Prof. Sharon Gannot, is a Fellow of the IEEE as well as a Fellow of the International Academy of Artificial Intelligence Sciences (AAIS) and of the International Speech Communication Association (ISCA), and also chairs the International Data Science Initiative of the IEEE Signal Processing Society. The program's faculty members bring extensive research and teaching experience in artificial intelligence and scientific and technological innovation, offering students direct exposure to the latest developments in the field.

Alongside their theoretical studies, students gain significant practical experience through independent projects and teamwork, using advanced tools. They develop complex problem-solving skills, learn to present results, and practice engineering and innovative thinking. The program also emphasizes the responsible development of AI systems and explores the ethical, social, and professional implications of their use.

In a world where data is a resource and innovation is driven by AI, the program equips graduates to turn data into insights, algorithms, and technologies that shape the future.