Durham University partners with ONS on data

Three-year partnership includes students of MA and PhD students receiving lectures, training and working in collaboration with ONS staff 

A new partnership between the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Durham University aims to help students who want to work in data, offering training, mentorship – and the promise of internships and graduate jobs. 

Sir Ian Diamond, UK National Statistician, and Professor Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, sign the partnership agreement at Darlington Economic Campus, photo courtesy of ONS

The ONS is, of course, a big deal in data. It is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority – a non-ministerial department, independent of the government and reporting directly to Parliament and the devolved administrations. As such, the ONS is responsible for collecting and publishing data on the economy, population and society, which it does at national, regional and local levels. Every 10 years, the ONS also conducts the census in England and Wales.  

Thanks to the new partnership agreed yesterday, ONS staff will deliver lectures and training to Durham University’s MA students on data science and business analytics courses. They will also work with PhD students on priority research projects. The partnership is also expected to involve recruitment events, helping students to move into rewarding careers in data. 

What does ONS get out of this arrangement? For one thing, ONS staff will be able to enhance their own academic qualifications through the university, via MBA courses and other specialised training programmes. 

In addition, the partnership will mean greater collaboration on research, with academics from Durham University feeding into work on economic statistics and methodology. Some of this is already under way: the university recently hosted a workshop for ONS staff and its own academics to explore areas of such research which will form the basis for collaborative projects. 

Sir Ian Diamond, the UK’s National Statistician, says: ‘In a world that’s being driven by data it’s more important than ever that we not only inspire the next generation of data scientists and analysts, but that we’re giving them the best training and experiences possible. I’m delighted that the ONS and Durham University have come together to make this happen in what will be a hugely beneficial partnership for everyone involved.’ 

Professor Karen O’Brien, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, adds: ‘Durham University produces research and graduates that transform the world. Our partnership with the ONS will further enable academic expertise to shape economic thinking and data methodology, while also providing exceptional opportunities for our students to build successful careers in data science and analytics.’

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