Training Schools & Workshops
There will be three annual Network Training Schools (TS) that answer the need for a common background
knowledge among ESRs and to bring everyone up to speed with the state-of-the-art in all the underpinning technical areas. TS are formal informative learning experiences providing a multidisciplinary basis to all ESRs. In addition to technical courses, each TS will include seminars from prime industries to provide their viewpoint as decision makers, and a day of workshops on transferrable skills.
Opening Training School
Second Training School
Local Training Workshops (LTW)
These bring together ESRs and domain experts for practical exercises on the topics presented during the TS. They will train the ESR to work in multidisciplinary teams (PWGs) and to develop a range of transferrable skills. LTW are nonformal transformative learning experiences.
Tutorials and Webinars/Webcasts
Given the global nature of research, UTOPIAE will exploit internet media to expand and enhance training and dissemination of knowledge possible. Webinars and webcasts will be used as formal informative learning experiences on specific topics to the ESRs, and general public. Invited speakers will be asked to deliver lectures which will be recorded together to be made available afterwards with additional reference material. Some of this material will only be available to UTOPIAE personnel.
Global Virtual Workshops (GVW)
Given the global importance of OUU and UQ, the involvement of non-European countries in this ETN is vital to expose the researchers to existing and future initiatives in other leading countries like the USA and Japan. This exposure would normally be implemented though the invitation of key visiting researchers, however this mechanism limits the training experience to the direct contact of only a few scholars. A much wider and more articulated experience can be obtained through a hybrid virtual workshop where interactive video links are established between a large number of groups/individuals worldwide.
Summer of Code The second GVW will open a month-long summer of code experience that will bring the ESRs together to develop software products based on the research projects of the ESRs under the supervision of a non-academic partner. The summer of code initiative will support the culture of Open Science by introducing two parallel streams: one for the development of open source software and data sharing and one for the development of commercial software.