BSc in Global Business Informatics

We are in the 4^th Industrial Revolution (4IR) – a bio-physical convergence of technology with every aspect of our lives, from AI and IoTs to Voice Recognition and Metaverses! But did you know that the origin of 4IR is the story of the origin of databases? But the story of databases is a dark tale, starting with the threat of a nuclear war between the US and USSR, and the coming of the Internet. 

During the cold war, the US wanted to protect its military data from a nuclear strike. So, the US military R&D group (DARPA) asked universities to build a digital network (today called the Internet) where military data would be systematically categorized in many places. If a Soviet strike destroyed one military base, the data would be accessible via networked databases by allies across the world. The database became key to the US and NATO’s military survival.

What is a Database?

A database is a technology that helps organize data, everything from Apple Pay touchless payments, IoT sensors, and Facebook posts to YouTube, GPS, and Amazon Alexa. With millions of Petabytes of data created and read every minute, databases neatly organize data so that we can search what we need, when we need, and get the most relevant information in milliseconds! Without databases, the 4IR world would cease to exist.

Course Description

In this course on Database Use and Design, we will learn how Data is modeled to create databases and their roles in everyday technologies. We will learn how to use Python and SQL to create and query Databases. We will also learn how Databases are fundamental for cybersecurity. Finally, we will use our Database Design and Use logic to model innovative and emerging Database design to solve existing business and social problems, from being able to identify fake news, digital voting, or helping sustainable city planning!