Summer School for RAFM Professionals

As the temperature rises I have spread out my classes. Summer’s late nights – especially when you live in Cyprus – were not designed for (extra) work…

So what I will do in this post is to re-visit my overall view of MOOCs and make a recommendation to RA and fraud professionals. There is a lot (this is an understatement) of material out there. Besides Udacity, you can follow the Microsoft Professional Program Certificate in Data Science on edX, take courses on Datacamp or read white papers from WeDo or Subex. Each approach to education has pros and cons; for each you need to delve into the material and decide what suits you and what you need.

Beyond this, last March I had one of the best – possibly the best – experiences I have had in my professional career both as a programmer and as an RAFM specialist: the RAG conference in London. This is forum of like-minded and like-purposed professionals that meet to interact and share knowledge and experiences. The energy and enthusiasm that surrounds the event – almost – manages to convince outsiders that RA and fraud (and even risk) are cool. Take a look at the photo above, and you will have a sense of the vibe in the room. There is no boring commercial element to it; sponsors are on the sideline as they should be. It’s all about the core of what you do on a daily basis. It touches upon what matters to you because everyone is there with an open mind and there are no expectations.

If you are a risk, RA or fraud professional then these events – next one in Bonn in about a week and then in Johannesburg in September – are a must. Be there or be square!

Michael Lazarou
Michael Lazarou

Michael Lazarou manages revenue assurance and fraud at Epic, a Cypriot telco, having joined their RA function in March 2011. His background includes a double major in Computer Science and Economics, as well as an MBA. Before being lured into the exciting world of telecoms he worked as a software developer.

Michael is interested to gain a better understanding of different aspects of RA and data analysis. He shares his insights on training courses he participates in with Commsrisk.

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