在注重以證據作為公共政策決策基礎的時代之中，如何從數量和種類龐雜的數據和資料中挖掘出與決策相關的訊息和意涵，是公共事務領域中資料科學家重要的使命與任務。2012年10月《哈佛商業評論》（Harvard Business Review）將資料科學家（data scientist）稱為「21世紀最性感的工作」（Data Scientist: The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century），這是因應大數據(Big Data)、或巨量資料潮流所造就的新職種中，最具代表性的，能透過電腦演算分析資料、解讀意義。資料科學家是未來職場中最炙手可熱的明星職業，根據資料軟體相關業者指出，具備資料蒐集與分析的碩士畢業生，「起薪起碼44Ｋ起跳！」如果有一年至兩年經驗的資料探勘人才，平均月薪甚至領到七萬元，都不是問題，換句話說，當上資料科學家，等於擁有一張年薪百萬元的入場券。

《哈佛商業評論》給資料科學家下了一個定義：「資料科學家是懂得從今日如海嘯般非結構化資訊中，撈出重要商業問題解答的一群人。」事實上，資料科學家不只是要像哥倫布般，在茫茫大海中打開探照燈，找出有用的資料，還要如偵探小說家愛倫坡一樣，審視手上的資料，推理出問題的答案。資料科學家必須能夠使用電腦程式語言。學習程式語言並非一蹴可及的事，想用程式語言寫出完整的應用程式，對新手而言更不是簡單的事。而Python程式語言是程式語言中相對容易上手、相對實用的通用程式語言，而且是美國頂尖大學裡最常用的入門程式語言。

而隨著各式相關應用的興起與普及，人工智慧(artificial intelligence 或 AI)已經是當代最熱門的資料科學領域。因此，本課程旨在帶領同學進入Python程式語言設計的殿堂，提供學生一場域學習有關資料科學與與人工智慧的基礎概念、與相關技術等，也為同學將來成為資料科學家做準備。

本課程將由 Python 基礎語法開始，涵蓋 Python 資料結構、函式、模組以及套件運用，最後並介紹 AI 基本觀念、與 Python 應用於人工智慧機器學習的實作範例。

實際之教學進度，以第一次上課時發放之課程大綱為準。

In an era that focuses on evidence as the basis for public policy decision-making, how to dig out information and implications related to decision-making from a huge amount and variety of data and materials is an important mission and task of data scientists in the field of public affairs. In October 2012, Harvard Business Review called data scientist "Data Scientist: The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century." This is the most representative of the new jobs created in response to the trend of Big Data or huge amounts of data. It can analyze data and interpret meaning through computer calculations. Data scientists are the hottest star professions in the future workplace. According to data software related industry players, graduates with a master's degree in data collection and analysis, "the starting salary starts at least 44K!" If a data exploration talent has one to two years of experience, the average monthly salary can even be 70,000 yuan, which is not a problem. In other words, becoming a data scientist is equivalent to having a ticket to an annual salary of one million yuan.

"Harvard Business Review" gives a definition of data scientists: "Data scientists are a group of people who know how to fish out answers to important business questions from today's tsunami of unstructured information." In fact, data scientists not only have to turn on the searchlight in the vast sea to find useful information like Columbus, but also like the detective novelist Edgar Allan Poe, examine the data at hand and deduce the answers to the questions. Data scientists must be able to use computer programming languages. Learning a programming language is not something that can be accomplished overnight, and writing a complete application in a programming language is not an easy task for novices. The Python programming language is a relatively easy-to-use and relatively practical general-purpose programming language among programming languages, and it is the most commonly used introductory programming language in top universities in the United States.

With the rise and popularization of various related applications, artificial intelligence (AI) has become the most popular field of data science today. Therefore, this course aims to lead students into the palace of Python programming language design, provide students with on-site learning about the basic concepts of data science and artificial intelligence, and related technologies, and also prepare students to become data scientists in the future.

This course will start with the basic syntax of Python, covering Python data structures, functions, modules and package applications. Finally, it will introduce the basic concepts of AI and practical examples of Python applied to artificial intelligence machine learning.

The actual teaching progress is based on the course syllabus issued during the first class.

1. 跨領域學 Python：資料科學基礎養成。施威銘研究室，臺北市：旗標，2020/11。(必備)
2. 補充講義。

1. Learning Python across fields: developing the basics of data science. Shi Weiming Research Laboratory, Taipei City: Qibiao, 2020/11. (Required)
2. Supplementary handouts.