How is Qlik Empowering Future Data Professionals at University of Sheffield?

[ElizCayirli]

At the University of Sheffield’s Management School, students are gaining more than theoretical knowledge about business analytics — they are developing practical data skills that prepare them for real-world careers. Thanks to the work of Dr. Terrence Perera and the Qlik Academic Program, students are gaining hands-on experience with modern analytics tools that are increasingly in demand across industries.

[ElizCayirli]

Dr. Terrence Perera, a long-standing academic with more than 30 years of experience in teaching and research, leads modules such as Business Intelligence and The Intelligent Organization at the University of Sheffield. While teaching these courses, he recognized an important gap in traditional business education. Students were learning the concepts of business intelligence but were not being given opportunities to work directly with real analytics tools.

To bridge this gap, Terrence introduced Qlik Sense through the Qlik Academic Program, enabling students to move beyond theory and gain practical experience in data analytics. By incorporating Qlik into his modules, Terrence created a learning environment where students could explore real datasets, build dashboards, and analyze business scenarios in a hands-on way.

Through structured lab sessions, students work with real-world retail and supply chain datasets, learning how to transform raw data into meaningful insights. Terrence guides them step by step, helping them understand how businesses analyze sales, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions. Students also explore forecasting, predictive analytics, and machine learning concepts — skills that are becoming increasingly important in modern organizations.

For students, this experience has been transformative.

Final-year Business Management student Jack Spencer explains how working with Qlik helped him understand the importance of data in business decision-making. By using analytics tools in the classroom, he developed the ability to explore complex datasets and uncover deeper insights that might otherwise remain hidden.

Similarly, Flynn Robinson found that learning Qlik aligned closely with his career ambitions. With an interest in consultancy and transformation projects, Flynn recognized that analytics tools like Qlik play a crucial role in helping organizations understand their data and guide strategic change.

Another student, Aranza Freyre, emphasized how experimenting with Qlik in a classroom setting allowed students to explore metrics and understand the “why” behind business performance indicators. This hands-on experience helped build confidence and curiosity around data analytics.

Many of Terrence’s students complete industrial placements as part of their studies, and their experience with Qlik has proven valuable when entering professional environments. Having exposure to an industry-recognized analytics platform gives students a strong foundation that can help them stand out when applying for internships and graduate roles.

Today, as a Qlik Academic Program Educator Ambassador, Dr. Terrence Perera continues to advocate for data literacy and analytics education. Through his work, students at the University of Sheffield are gaining the analytical mindset and technical experience that employers increasingly expect from graduates entering data-driven industries.

If you are interested in bringing Qlik into your classroom or learning analytics skills yourself, visit qlik.com/academicprogram and start your journey with Qlik.