Ep. 154 Dr. Umaima Haider, Senior Lecturer - Computer Science & Digital Technologies at the University of East London

Episode 154 of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast features an interview with Dr. Umaima Haider, Senior Lecturer - Computer Science & Digital Technologies at University of East London.

Discover the major gaps in current data center education and why they matter.
Understand how academic leaders transition into industry advocacy roles.
Explore the challenges universities face in updating curricula for digital infrastructure.
Analyze the impact of major cloud outages on government and business operations.
Compare the state of cybersecurity and data center training across higher education.
Appreciate diverse career paths and opportunities within the data center sector.
Investigate how industry professionals and academics collaborate to address talent shortages.
Engage with strategies for increasing student and community awareness about data centers.
Assess how public perception and media coverage influence the digital infrastructure narrative.
Visualize the future initiatives and collaborations shaping workforce development in tech.

Host:

Joshua Feinberg, CEO
DCSMI

Special Guest:

Dr. Umaima Haider, Senior Lecturer - Computer Science & Digital Technologies
University of East London

Dr. Umaima Haider, Senior Lecturer at the University of East London, discusses the lack of dedicated data center courses in UK universities, with only a few offering diplomas or technician courses.

Her 12-week cloud computing module can only cover data centers for up to four weeks.

Haider emphasizes the need for collaboration between academia and industry to address talent shortages and improve workforce development.

She highlights initiatives like guest lectures, industry tours, and hands-on workshops to raise awareness among students.

Haider also mentions the importance of sustainability and the role of AI in data centers, advocating for a more comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to data center education.

Action Items

Collaborate with the data center industry to create more awareness and opportunities for students.
Invite industry professionals as guest lecturers to share their experiences and insights with students.
Encourage data center operators to dedicate a small percentage of their time to engage with young talent and serve as role models.

Outline

Curriculum Challenges in Data Center Education

Umaima Haider discusses the lack of dedicated data center courses in UK universities, with only a few institutions offering diplomas or technician courses.
The cloud computing module at the University of East London is designed over 12 weeks, but only the first few weeks cover data centers.
Umaima Haider highlights the difficulty in providing a comprehensive understanding of data centers within the current curriculum.
The module emphasizes the importance of data centers, cloud, and AI, but the curriculum does not allow for a detailed study of data centers throughout the course.

Umaima Haider's Career Journey

Joshua Feinberg introduces Umaima Haider, a senior lecturer at the University of East London, and asks about her career path.
Umaima Haider shares her academic background, including a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Information Systems, a Master's in Computer Security, and a PhD in Software Engineering.
She discusses her postdoctoral work on energy efficiency in data centers, which led her to focus on workforce development in the data center industry.
Umaima Haider emphasizes her role in promoting women in tech and her ambassador roles, including being a Nomad Futurist Ambassador.

Challenges in Academia and Industry Collaboration

Joshua Feinberg inquires about the progress of academia in the UK in addressing the need for data center education.
Umaima Haider agrees that there is a lack of dedicated data center courses and mentions the limited number of universities offering such programs.
She describes the challenges of integrating data center education into existing modules, such as the cloud computing course, which can only cover data centers for a few weeks.
Umaima Haider highlights the importance of industry tours and hands-on workshops to provide students with practical experience and awareness of the data center industry.

Cybersecurity vs. Data Center Education

Joshua Feinberg compares the availability of cybersecurity courses to data center courses in UK universities.
Umaima Haider notes that there are many cybersecurity courses, including variations like cybersecurity diplomacy and forensic risk management.
She points out that while cybersecurity is well-covered, data center education is still lacking.
The discussion touches on the interconnectedness of cybersecurity and data centers, with data centers being a subset of cloud computing.

Impact of Public Cloud Outages

Joshua Feinberg and Umaima Haider discuss the recent AWS outage and its impact on the UK government and public sector.
Umaima Haider explains the heavy reliance of the UK government on AWS and the financial implications of such outages.
They discuss the importance of understanding the underlying infrastructure of cloud services and the role of AI in automation and resiliency.
The conversation highlights the need for awareness and understanding of the complexities of data centers and cloud services.

Student Awareness and Career Guidance

Joshua Feinberg asks Umaima Haider about her approach to guiding students interested in data center careers.
Umaima Haider shares her experiences of engaging with secondary school students and raising awareness about data centers.
She emphasizes the importance of making students understand the underlying infrastructure behind digital services they use daily.
Umaima Haider discusses the diverse career opportunities in the data center industry, including roles in project management, civil engineering, and finance.

Public Perception and Media Influence

Joshua Feinberg brings up the negative portrayal of data centers by the mainstream media in the UK.
Umaima Haider mentions that she has not noticed a significant impact of media portrayal on her students' perception of data centers.
She discusses the importance of balancing the pros and cons of data centers, including sustainability and resiliency.
The conversation touches on the role of AI and automation in data centers and the need for efficient use of resources.

Mid-Career Transitions and Industry Collaboration

Joshua Feinberg asks Umaima Haider about her advice for mid-career professionals looking to transition into the data center industry.
Umaima Haider highlights the importance of transferable skills and the willingness of data center operators to accept professionals from diverse backgrounds.
She shares examples of non-traditional students who have successfully transitioned into data center roles.
The discussion emphasizes the need for collaboration between academia and industry to bridge the gap between supply and demand in the data center workforce.

Industry Challenges and Future Directions

Joshua Feinberg inquires about the biggest mistakes in the UK data center industry and potential solutions.
Umaima Haider identifies awareness, collaboration, and retention as key challenges.
She suggests the need for a dedicated minister to tackle data center infrastructure issues in the UK.
The conversation highlights the importance of standardizing data center education across different disciplines and the role of industry professionals in raising awareness among young talents.

Role of College Professors in Future Education

Joshua Feinberg asks Umaima Haider about her vision for influencing the next generation of data center professionals.
Umaima Haider discusses the measures being taken to raise awareness, such as guest lectures, industry tours, and participation in industry events.
She emphasizes the need for collaboration between academia and industry to address the talent shortage.
The conversation concludes with a call for industry professionals to invest time in raising awareness and mentoring young talents.

Guest Resources

Resources

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Ep. 154 Dr. Umaima Haider, Senior Lecturer - Computer Science & Digital Technologies at the University of East London | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast