The two-week annual Coding Summer School, jointly organised by the Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC) and the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS), started today. The school takes place in-person at 30 “nodes” across South Africa while streaming live, and 800 students will be attending this year.

The hybrid format of the summer school is an example of how blended learning can scale up access to critical skills training opportunities offered by national institutions such as the CHPC and NITheCS. While students may be exposed to coding during their studies and via online courses, these initiatives are crucial for them to develop their skills and create a network of peers and mentors in the research environment.

UCT eResearch is hosting the University of Cape Town‘s node of the school in Chancellor Oppenheimer Library‘s beautiful Hlanganani Junction Meeting Room, with delicious catering provided by Jean’s Kitchen. It doesn’t get any better than that;-)