Program

Y-DATA offers an intensive curriculum of over 250 hours designed to equip students with the necessary skills for entry to mid-level data science positions within the Israeli tech industry.
structure

Y-DATA structure

01
Courses
Study specific topics in data analysis and machine learning in short, dedicated courses (4‑12 weeks each), covering topics across all the range from ML foundations to advanced, state‑of‑the-art applications. All the courses are taught in an applicative and hands-on manner and include extensive practice.
Our Courses
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Projects
Choose one of the real‑life data projects offered by our industry partners, and work on it throughout the year. You will receive guidance through weekly meetings with experienced industry mentors provided by us, as well as periodic meetings with the project’s data owner.
Our Projects
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Research seminars
Become familiar with the current scientific research and advancements through research seminars, where you will also engage in in‑depth discussions and exploration of the most recent advancements in the field.
PROGRAM
Our curriculum offers a well-rounded education in data analysis and machine learning, starting from the fundamental principles of classic ML and progressing towards the cutting-edge applications of Deep Learning and generative AI. To ensure our students stay ahead of the curve, our curriculum undergoes regular updates to align with market needs and reflect the latest advancements in the field.
In our program, you will engage in focused, short-duration courses lasting 4 to 14 weeks. Each course dives into specific topics, including Supervised and Unsupervised Learning, Deep Learning and advanced ML applications all the way to recent developments in generative AI. Our courses are designed to be hands-on and practical, enabling students to apply their knowledge through extensive practice.
Fall semester
Python for Data Processing
4 hours * 6 weeks
Kosta Rozen
Python for Data Processing
4 hours | 6 weeks
Lecturer
Kosta Rozen
Product Analytics Lead at Waze
Course Description
Python for Data Processing (Py4DP) course introduces the main tools forming Python stack for data science and machine learning. The course is focused on practical skills and core packages for data science in general and exploratory data analysis in particular: Jupyter, numpy, pandas and matplotlib. Basic understanding of scipy, sklearn, dask, tensorflow and other packages and tools is also provided. Besides being technical, the course also covers data science processes and best practices. This includes structuring machine learning projects, doing exploratory data analysis, dealing with data and more. On a conceptual side course also covers presenting results and assuring that projects are well-organized and flow smoothly. After completion of the course, students should have at their disposal the tools required to begin diving in to the world of modelling and classic DS tasks, such as the ability to perform exploratory analysis of moderately sized dataset (up to tens of Gb), including data cleaning, analysis of individual variables, their relations, visualizations and feature construction.
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Probability & Statistics for Data Science
3 hours * 6 weeks
Shaul Solomon
Rachel Buchuk
Probability & Statistics for Data Science
3 hours | 6 weeks
Lecturers
Shaul Solomon
Lead Data Scientist at DockTech
Rachel Buchuk
Statistician at SZMC
Course Description
This course teaches the basics of probability theory and statistics from the point of view of modern data science. It aims to develop a good intuition of random events and variables, common distributions and their properties, estimators and statistical tests, and ways of building end evaluating probabilistic models. The course assumes pre-existing knowledge of core concepts in probability and statistics and aims to build on top of these and provide the additional perspective required to handle the probabilistic nature of machine learning.

Besides the classical paper-and-pencil problems, there will be assignments in the Python ecosystem. After completing the course, the students should be able to propose probabilistic models to describe randomness in life, and to use statistical methods to estimate their parameters and make predictions. The students would also be prepared to apply the methods of probability and statistics in the subsequent courses on machine learning.
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Supervised Learning
4 hours * 8 weeks
Lior Sidi
Noa Lubin
Supervised Learning
4 hours | 8 weeks
Lecturers
Lior Sidi
Senior Data Scientist at Wix
Noa Lubin
Director of Data Science at Fido
Course Description
Beginning the dive into “classical” Machine Learning topics, Supervised Learning offers an in-depth meeting with major ML algorithms and tools for regression and classification: Linear and logistic regression, decision trees, ensemble models and more. In addition, the course aims to provide an understanding of the position of the tools taught in the DS process as a whole as well as practical understanding of the steps and contents of a DS task and best practices to approach one. The majority of machine learning tasks are supervised learning (SL) problems - problems in which labelled datasets are used. Starting with a given dataset, for which the correct answers are known, the SL algorithm iteratively makes predictions on the training data and is corrected by the “teacher”, until it is able to make accurate predictions on data not seen before. Despite the growing popularity of deep learning, many existing tasks are solved efficiently by a wide spectrum of other algorithms and models. In the Supervised Learning course, we will learn several major algorithm families and implement SL algorithms ourselves in order to grasp their mechanics.
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Unsupervised Learning & Applications
3 hours * 8 weeks
Guy Shtar
Segev Arbiv
Unsupervised Learning & Applications
3 hours | 8 weeks
Lecturers
Guy Shtar
Machine Learning Expert at Salesforce
Segev Arbiv
Principal Data Scientist at SimilarWeb, Mentor and Lecturer
Course Description
Completing the dive into “classical” Machine Learning topics, Unsupervised Learning course introduces the students to the skills and tools required to tackle the ocean of unlabelled data. The course teaches how to derive insights and construct models that do not rely on the availability of pre-labelled data, covering techniques including clustering, dimensionality reduction, anomaly detection, and more.

In addition to the core algorithms of classic Unsupervised ML, this course will include several practical sessions delving into applications of the algorithms taught here and elsewhere. In a series of practical sessions, the course will provide an opportunity to tackle hands-on the challenges of unlabelled and disordered data, and how to translate it into meaningful insights and models.
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Industry Talks
8 hours * 20 weeks
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Spring semester
Intro to Industry Projects
8 hours * 20 weeks
Deep Learning
4 hours * 14 weeks
Omri Allouche
Deep Learning
4 hours | 14 weeks
Lecturers
Omri Allouche
Head of Research at Gong.io, Data Scientist and Lecturer
Course Description
This course introduces students to one of the most popular and fast-growing fields of machine learning – deep learning. It aims to provide the students with an understanding of the underlying principles of modern neural networks, their construction and applications (including NLP and computer vision). It covers common network architectures including convolutional and recurrent networks, backpropagation, regular and variational autoencoders, embeddings and more. The course will grant students both an understanding of the fundamental DL theory, and hands-on experience building neural networks using PyTorch using industry best practices.
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ML Foundations: Vision, NLP and more
2 hours * 14 weeks
Inbar Huberman
Oren Elisha
Karin Brisker
ML Foundations: Vision, NLP and more
2 hours | 14 weeks
Lecturers
Inbar Huberman
PhD from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Oren Elisha
Data science manager at Forter
Karin Brisker
Data Scientist at Microsoft Israel
Course Description
This series of talks and workshops is an ongoing companion and extension for Deep Learning course, and is a continuation of the same whole. While the core DL course provides fundamental understanding of neural networks, their theoretical foundations, capabilities and architectures, this course offers an in-depth look at the practical aspects of NNs and their uses. Over the course of the semester, we’ll explore the basic concepts behind computer vision and NLP tasks, understand their inner workings and take in-depth look at specific use-cases and major DL-based tasks.

We will also take a practical look at using DL tools to solve a variety of problems and have sessions dedicated to best practices in CV and NLP. Over the course of the semester we will have several guest lectures by topic-specific experts who will present their know-how on the practicalities of specific use-cases and applications.

Note: due to the inter-connected nature of DL and Foundation courses, on some weeks there are switches between the times of the two tracks to accommodate specific time constraints.
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Research Seminars
2 hours * 6 weeks
Inbar Huberman
Research Seminars
2 hours | 6 weeks
Lecturers
Inbar Huberman
PhD from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Course Description
Research seminars offer an opportunity for students to become familiar with current scientific research and advancements through a series of meetings, in which we’ll engage in in-depth discussions and exploration of the most recent advancements in the field. Selected researchers from the faculty of TAU, HUJI and other universities and experienced researchers from the industry will present papers representing state-of-the-art research in their field and lead a discussion of the topics covered. Students will have the opportunity to engage in-depth with papers through reading, presenting, reviewing and implementing selected topics.

List of topics for each seminar is curated on the spot based on state-of-the-art developments and speaker availability.
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Advanced topics in ML: Generative AI
3 hours * 6 weeks
Yuval Belfer
Niv Haim
Advanced topics in ML: Generative AI
3 hours | 6 weeks
Lecturers
Yuval Belfer
Developer Advocate at AI21 Labs
Niv Haim
Machine Learning researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science
Course Description
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the landscape of generative AI, covering both the vision and textual domains. The syllabus includes an in-depth exploration of the fundamentals of generative models, from autoencoders to GANs and diffusion models, as well as the latest advancements in text-guided generation. The course also delves into the fundamentals of text generation with a focus on large language models, emphasizing practical usage and providing an understanding of the methods they were trained on. By the end of the course, students will have a broad understanding of generative AI and its practical applications.
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Advanced topics in ML: Causal Inference
3 hours * 6 weeks
Daniel Nevo
Advanced topics in ML: Causal Inference
3 hours | 6 weeks
Lecturers
Daniel Nevo
Senior Lecturer at the Department of Statistics at Tel Aviv University
Course Description
It is well known that correlation does not imply causation. However, often the main interest lies in the impact of an intervention. Furthermore, with the increase in the amounts of data collected, issues concerning systematic bias become more and more important in modern data science. In this course, we will first define what causal effects are, and then present a reservoir of causal inference methods to estimate these effects accompanied by real-life examples. We will also learn about basic terms as confounding and selection bias, and how to identify their potential presence and adapt our analysis plan using directed acyclic graphs.
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Advanced topics in ML: MLOps
3 hours * 6 weeks
Ishai Rosenberg
Project Presentations
8 hours * 20 weeks
Career workshops
8 hours * 20 weeks
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Powered by Nebius
Nebius, established in late 2023, is a leading AI-centric public cloud platform designed to support the entire machine learning lifecycle. With a focus on empowering ML practitioners, Nebius offers comprehensive infrastructure and aims to become the preferred platform for generative AI developers.
Kosta Rozen
Product Analytics Lead at Waze
Lecturer at Python for Data Processing course
Co-Founder and CTO
Lecturer at MLops course
Developer Advocate at AI21 Labs
Lecturer at Generative AI course

Yuval is a Developer Advocate at AI21 Labs, deeply involved in advancing the frontiers of Natural Language Processing.

He holds an MSc in Computer Science from the Weizmann Institute of Science, underscoring his firm grounding in the field. Prior to his role at AI21 Labs, he served as a Chip Designer at Amazon, honing his ability to deliver efficient, impactful solutions.

Yuval’s professional passion lies in the realm of generative AI. He actively contributes to making this intricate field more comprehensible and accessible to diverse audiences. With an engaging style and in-depth expertise, he navigates the complexities of AI, bringing clarity and insight to both peers and newcomers in the field.

Lead Data Scientist at DockTech
Lecturer at Probability & Statistics
Principal Data Scientist at SimilarWeb, Mentor and Lecturer
Lecturer at Unsupervised Learning course

Segev Arbiv is a Data Scientist with expertise in the fields of Machine Learning and Computer Vision. He has a BSc. in Electrical Engineering from the Technion, and pursuing an MSc in these fields.

During the last few years, Segev is working at SimilarWeb in which he applies Deep Learning techniques and various statistical inference tools to overcome day to day challenges, such as NLP and estimations.

Prior to that, he was a researcher in the Image Processing\Computer Vision fields at AOL. Segev is passionate about everything related to numbers, lecturing and interacting with other passionate personas.

Statistician at SZMC
Lecturer at Probability Theory and Statistics for Data Science

Rachel is a statistician in the IBD Epidemiology Research group at Shaare Zedek Hospital. She uses advanced methods in survival analysis and causal inference to gain a deeper knowledge about inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis).

Rachel holds an MA Cum Laude in Statistics and Operations Research from the Hebrew University. In her thesis, she focused on statistical methodology for estimating hospital-acquired infections.

During her Master’s, she taught multiple courses ranging from basic probability and linear algebra to statistical inference and advanced probability, for which she received an award for outstanding TA.
Rachel has also worked for the Bank of Israel, doing statistical research and benchmarking for consumer goods across the retail industry.

Data science manager at Forter
Lecturer at ML foundations
Head of Research at Gong.io, Data Scientist and Lecturer
Lecturer at Deep Learning course

Dr. Omri Allouche heads the Research department at Gong.io, helping sales organizations improve their performance by providing actionable, data-driven insights using machine learning. He also teaches Applied Data Science at Bar Ilan University.

Omri holds a Ph.D. in Computational Ecology from the Hebrew University (cum laude). He won several academic awards and scholarships, including the Clore fund, and his research papers had been cited over 2,000 times.

Director of Data Science at Fido
Lecturer in Supervised Learning course

Noa is a Data Scientist, currently working as Director of Data Science at Fido. Formerly worked as a researcher at NASA, at Diagnostic Robotics, Amazon, Elbit and IAI. Her main topics of specialisation and focus are NLP, healthcare and space.

Noa is an AI leader, social entrepreneur, lecturer and space enthusiast.

Volunteering as CTO at Tod’aers - combining AI and space research for sustainable technological developments.

Previously worked as Machine Learning Team Lead at Diagnostic Robotics, at Amazon, NASA, Elbit Systems and the Israeli Aerospace Industry.

Computer Science Master's degree, Bar-Ilan University (Magna Cum Laude), NLP thesis advised by Prof. Yoav Goldberg.

Electrical Engineering Bachelor's degree, Technion (Summa Cum Laude).

Machine Learning researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science
Lecturer at Generative AI course

Niv Haim is a computer vision and machine learning researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he earned his PhD under the guidance of Prof. Michal Irani.

Niv's research focuses on developing algorithms and models to analyze and interpret visual data, with a particular interest in understanding memorization in neural networks and the intersection of theory and practice in deep learning. His works were published in top-tier machine learning conferences, including NeurIPS, ICML, ICCV, and ECCV.

Prior to his PhD studies, Niv received an MSc in theoretical astrophysics under the guidance of Prof. Boaz Katz and worked with Prof. Yaron Lipman on Geometric Deep Learning. Niv holds a BSc in computer science and physics from the Technion, where he was a member of the Lapidim excellence program.

Senior Data Scientist at Wix
Lecturer at Supervised Learning course

Lior has years of experience and works closely with companies to improve their product and operations using data science.

He co-founded Braincast to help product managers to make impactful decisions by explaining causality in meaningful events.

Lior holds BSc and MSc in software and information engineering department from Ben Gurion University, where he researched the appliance of deep learning, embedding, and adversarial learning in the fraud and cybersecurity domains.

Product Analytics Lead at Waze
Lecturer at Python for Data Processing course

Kosta holds a B.Sc and M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and Management from Ben Gurion Universirty (Summa Cum Laude both). He won several academic awards and scholarships, and has published multiple research papers in academic journals, including best paper of 2018 in IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing. Kosta is also a Certified Scrum Master and Project Management Professional (PMP).

In his role as Product Analytics Lead at Waze, Kosta uses data to improve every aspect of Waze - one of most popular navigation apps in the world.

Before joining Waze, Kosta worked as a Data Scientist at Intel and as a Lecturer at Ben Gurion University.

Data Scientist at Microsoft Israel
Lecturer at ML foundations
PhD from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Lecturer at Deep Learning course

Inbar has just finished her PhD at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, her research is focused on image processing and machine learning.

Inbar received her Ms.c in computer science from the Hebrew University and her Bs.c in applied mathematics from Bar-Ilan University, both graduated cum laude. She published several papers in computer vision top-tier conferences.

During her PhD studies, she was titled best teacher assistant.

Machine Learning Expert at Salesforce
Lecturer in Unsupervised Learning course

Guy Shtar holds a Ph.D in Machine learning as well as an M.Sc. degree in Software and Information Systems Engineering from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in 2016.

His research interests include machine learning and deep learning in the medical and cybersecurity fields, as well as geographical information systems.

Senior Lecturer at the Department of Statistics at Tel Aviv University
Lecturer at Causal Inference course

Dr. Daniel Nevo is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Statistics and Operations Research at Tel Aviv University since 2018. Dr. Nevo’s research focuses on causal inference in widespread domains, and specifically on developing and implementing causal inference methods for real-life problems.

Dr. Daniel Nevo is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Statistics and Operations Research at Tel Aviv University since 2018. Before that he was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (2016-2018). Daniel received his BA (Statistics and Economics, 2009) and MA (Statistics, 2011), both Magna Cum Laude, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He received his PhD in Statistics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2016).

Daniel’s research focuses on causal inference in widespread domains, and specifically on developing and implementing causal inference methods for real-life problems. As of 2022, he published 35 peer-reviewed papers.

Daniel has been collaborating with clinicians, epidemiologists, economists, and computer scientists in academia and health organizations to reach conclusions about causal effects from rich datasets.