Microsoft has launched the first artificial intelligence lab in a university in Bucharest

By Andra Beltz
Microsoft launched on Tuesday the first laboratory equipped with artificial intelligence in the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest (ASE), thus giving students, university professors and researchers at the university access to computational resources and unlimited computing power, informs Agerpres.
“The education system is an essential component in the digital transformation landscape, and the launch of the ASE cloud technology lab offers the opportunity to experience the latest innovations in information technology and contributes to the development of digital skills among students and teachers,” the source said.
The users of the laboratory have access to “virtual infrastructures scalable according to the project they are working on, from a processor to a computing power of the order of tens of thousands of processors”. According to Microsoft representatives, students can create and test algorithms for artificial intelligence, machine learning, simulate any test environment on almost any platform or operating system, store and manage unlimited volumes of data and last but not least, they can develop them new applications and platforms themselves.
“The private environment needs to make it a priority for talent development and future workforce strategy. According to an IDC study conducted in 2019, representative of Central and Eastern Europe, 61.5% of companies consider hiring IT graduates as the most efficient way to attract the necessary digital know-how in an organization. Moreover, access to data and the ability to understand, process and act on them determines the success of a business. Therefore, a constant investment in the formation of digital skills among students, teachers and researchers will remain essential for the competitive development of the Romanian society, “said Violeta Luca, General Manager of Microsoft Romania.
The “Cloud-Enabled Laboratory” project developed by Microsoft was launched last year by opening the first cloud technology laboratory in Romania at the Western University of Timisoara and completes this paradigm by creating a cloud computing laboratory that can answer any needs. curriculum or research.
“This year, the initiative was taken further by opening the second cloud lab at ASE, characterized by minimal hardware infrastructure consisting of access points to cloud resources and artificial intelligence. It can be successfully used for both. the development of the classical teaching process, for the implementation of research projects as well as for technology start-ups that want to prototype and develop new platforms, having access to the most modern technologies, “the source said.