Author: UWC eResearch Office

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CHPC-NITheCS Coding Summer School 2023

30 January 2023 – 10 February 2023

The Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC) and the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS) are organizing a coding summer school that offers introductions to Foundations of Theoretical and Computational Sciences on topics such as Data Visualization, Data Analysis, Modelling and Simulation, Stochastic Methods, Machine Learning and Software Management.

A basic programming course that introduces participants to Linux (Ubuntu) command line and bash scripting, and the Python programming language will be given as a foundational tool for the school.

Students registered for Honours, Masters and PhD studies as well as postdoc fellows, in South Africa are eligible to apply and the attendance is free of charge. The school will take on a physical form at various university locations around the country, therefore participants will be required to attend one of the university locations.

The University of the Western Cape will provide one of these locations on its campus, and all interested candidates are encouraged to apply.

Course content

  • Daily lectures and interactive tutorials
  • Moodle used as the learning management environment
  • PDF notes, exercises, and YouTube videos provided
  • Zoom used for live streaming
  • Slack used as official communication medium
  • Prizes awarded to select students

Requirements and Registration

Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops but where it is not possible, the organizers might assist to access an on-site computer. No programming skills and basic Linux knowledge are required, although that would be an advantage. Applications can be done at this registration link and more information on the can be obtained here.

Important dates

  • Closing date for registration: Saturday, 31 December 2022
  • Notification of successful candidates: by 16 January 2023
  • School start and orientation: Monday, 30 January 2023
  • School end: Friday, 10 February 2023
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Digital Transformation Short Course

Technology Skills for Industry 4.0 with applications to the Pharmaceutical and Food Processing/Manufacturing industries

Applications are open for a short course on Digital Transformation applied to the pharmaceutical and food processing/manufacturing industries that will focus on enhancing knowledge, skills and competencies associated with the concepts of digital transformation and the evolution of life science manufacturing from a traditional reactive process to the emergence of Industry 4.0 and Pharma 4.0.

This course will be the first of its kind on the African continent, and InnoGlobal is behind the initiative, in partnership with Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA) Big Data, the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) and the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) South Africa. This is the first time that this course will be offered under the DARA Big Data partnership, with SARAO and AIMS South Africa leading the local implementation of the course in South Africa. Read more about the partners here.

Learners will research current and future trends in life science manufacturing; the application and impact of greater use of technology, data analysis and visualisation on current performance; the impact on organisations and their levels of maturity to complete such transformations as well as ethical and corporate social responsibilities associated with such changes. The programme aims to equip learners for employment within life science organisations that are transforming their processes to integrate data, new technologies, data analytics, improved ways of working and improved support processes.

Digital Transformation refers to the smart integration of technologies, processes and data to improve operational effectiveness and capability in any environment. Within manufacturing sectors, expertise is needed in process digitalisation, data management, data analytics and data visualisation to successfully transform to what is known as industry 4.0.

DETAILS

Applications are open to participants from South Africa and the SKA Partner countries (Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zambia). Applicants must have a 4-year BSc Honours or BEng degree or are currently undertaking or have completed a MSc or MEng degree. Graduates with an interest in the pharmaceutical and food processing/manufacturing industries are strongly encouraged to apply for the course.

Only complete applications adhering to all the required criteria will be considered.

Application Deadline: 9 September 2022

Course structure and dates
The course will be divided into 3 components
October 2022 Online learning
November 2022 Week-long intensive in-person workshop in Cape Town
December 2022 – February 2023 Career guidance and mentorship sessions

Apply here by 9 September: https://sites.google.com/aims.ac.za/digital-transformation/

Read more: https://sites.google.com/aims.ac.za/digital-transformation/

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IADF Summer School: Computer Vision for Earth Observation

Applications are Open

A great opportunity is available for anyone wanting to expand their skills in computer vision for remote sensing. Computer Vision for Earth Observation (CV4EO) is an online Summer School, organised by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) GRSS (Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society) and Image Analysis and Data Fusion Technical Committee, and will be the first of its kind.

The GRSS’s IADF serves as a global and multi-disciplinary network for geospatial image analysis. They aim to connect people and resources, educate and promote theoretical advances and best practices in image analysis and data fusion. This includes machine learning, deep learning, image and signal processing, and big data. The summer school will focus on applying computer vision (CV) methods to address challenges in remote sensing.

An exciting line-up of speakers will contain a series of lectures on the existing methods utilised for analysing satellite images, along with the challenges encountered, and cover topics including Image Fusion, Explainable AI for Earth Sciences, Big Geo-Data, Multi-source Image Analysis, Deep Learning for Spectral Unmixing, SAR Image Analysis, and Learning with Zero/Few Labels. The school will include lectures, theoretical sessions and hands-on practical sessions.

DETAILS

The summer school is open to everybody who has a strong motivation and interest in the topics. Participants will not be charged a registration fee. The number of participants is limited to 75, but the course will be broadcast to everyone who applies. Those who attend the course will receive a certificate.

Application deadline: 23 September
Summer School dates: 3-7 October
Apply here: https://iadf-school.org/

Speakers include:
Avik Bhattacharya
Melba Crawford
Saurabh Prasad
Behnood Rasti
Sylvain Lobry
Lichao Mou
Caleb Robinson
Alejandro Frery

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Training Opportunity: DIPLOMICS Bioinformatics for Molecular Biologists

A training course offered by DIPLOMICS and Thermo Fisher Scientific that deals with the basics of the Linux operating system and command line operation is open for registration.

DIPLOMICS is a network of academic, commercial and industrial labs in South Africa and a resource for the national and international Omics community.  

This hands-on course includes:
– An introduction to the Linux OS and how to work in the command line;
– Relational databases and MySQL;
– Basic database operations (creating tables, inserting data, constructing queries);
– Python (or Perl) programming languages;
– Creating a script that transforms variant data into a format that can be loaded into a relational database.

DETAILS

The course is open to all molecular biologists and bench scientists interested in going beyond the graphic interface. The course is open to cross-platform data analysis users (not limited to Ion Torrent users).

Course dates: 22-26 August

Venue: DIPLOMICS training room in Cape Town (108 Albert Rd, Woodstock)


Apply here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=LXJ9toqqd0ehaevremo7ZxXHBWUAwhBDlbkMFjEAwBdUOFdPVzRUN1pPRVY1R0U5TFY0Mk5HN1gwUi4u

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MATHack Western Cape 2022

The MATHack Western Cape 2022 is open for registrations and the theme for 2022 is Finding creative solutions to the difficulties that COVID-19 has brought upon the people of the Western Cape. The 24-hour coding challenge is exclusively for universities and colleges from the Western Cape, and promises to be action-packed and fun. Teams of up to 4 people can register.

Prizes include:
1st place: MATHack WC 2022 trophy and R5000
2nd place: R4000
3rd place: R3000

Event details:
Date: 17 September – 18 September
Time: 12:00 pm -12:00 pm
Place: UCT Upper Campus, PD Hahn 1

Register: MATHack WC 2022 Registration

Sign up for the MATStart & MATApp workshops to help you and your team upgrade your MATLAB skills in preparation for the hackathon.

#MATHack_WC_2022

Find more information on their website: https://www.optinum.co.za/mathack-wc-2022

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Opportunity: Zindi Ambassadors

Zindi, a Data Science platform and social enterprise with a focus on building a “data science ecosystem” in Africa, is looking for volunteer Ambassadors. The role will involve creating awareness in your own communities about data science and Zindi activities. Zindi’s mission is to build the data science ecosystem in Africa. They are a Cape Town-based company with a vision for a vibrant community of data scientists across Africa, mobilised towards solving the region’s most pressing problems.

Find out more and register to become an ambassador: https://bit.ly/3IViXPw

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Workshop: Creating a DMP

Research data management (RDM) is an integral component of the research process. A data management plan (DMP) provides detail of how your research data will be managed. A workshop held on 2 Augusts aimed to provide an overview of what DMPs are, why a postgraduate student would need one, and a practical guide on putting one together.

Workshop contents:

  • What is a data management plan (DMP)?
  • Why postgraduate students need DMPs
  • How to put together a DMP plan

Workshop outcomes:

  • Basic understanding of the UWC RDM policy and the POPI Act
  • Understanding of the implications of these policies for postgraduate research
  • Practical skills for putting together a RDM plan for thesis research

Date: 2 August 2022
Time: 12:00-14:00

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/Fhys6o2hLe64GGEj9
Watch the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNfnrAKJDU4

Facilitators: Mark Snyders (Library), Sarah Schäfer (eResearch Office),  and Janine Senekal (DPGS)

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Africa Open Science Hardware Summit

AfricaOSH is an organisation that aims to inspire African makers, and is focused on open source scientific tools and hardware. They seeks to promote and provide a platform for innovation and creation in Africa, and hold annual events.

The 2022 annual summit theme is Growing the Do-It-Yourself & Do-It-Together (DIY/DIT) Culture for Community Transformation : a focus on Open Health, and promises to be insightful, educative, innovative and fun. The event will be hosted by MboaLab and take place from 29 September-1 October in Yaounde, Cameroon. Read more about it here.

Applications to attend the 2022 AfricaOSH annual summit are now open: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdOwXEONbacMeYX5p1BEpWT20uyQZuByTiRBkLfgGPDXKjUhA/viewform

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CarpentryCon 2022: Expanding Data Frontiers

CarpentryCon 2022 will take place online from 1-12 August 2022, and registration is now open. CarpentryCon is an exciting way to connect with The Carpentries community and level up data science skills. Attendance is free, and takes place over two weeks, featuring sessions that will draw participation from around the world.

The programme will include: lesson development sprints, professional and community skill building, technical skill-ups, regional subcommunity updates, updates on new curriculum development and more.

The CarpentryCon 2022 Schedule can be viewed, and all sessions will be recorded.

Read more about the event and register to attend at https://2022.carpentrycon.org/