Due to the ever faster technological evolutions and the growing impact of artificial intelligence on many jobs, lifelong learning is essential for young and old. Although there is already a lot of introductory teaching material available online, there remains a serious shortage of more in-depth and high quality training. The VUB AI Lab has therefore developed its "Lifelong Learning Programme on Artificial Intelligence", within which it now offers series of lessons on artificial intelligence for people with and without prior knowledge.
The programme is aimed at two target audiences: non-technical audiences such as policy makers, journalists, CEOs and investors and technicians such as data scientists, architects, developers. Sessions are offered online, offline or in a blended setting: “For example, we a offer innovative formulas such as a research-in-residence programme for AI engineers and data scientists to work side-by-side with a researcher from our lab; but we also have educational games and organise team building activities on AI programming on request, ”says training coordinator, Anne Snel.
The new programme is an addition to the existing one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence (in collaboration with the Erasmushogeschool) and the bachelor's and master's programmes at the VUB (Computer Science and Applied Informatics, which can also be followed in evening classes, and Mathematics & Data Science).
The AI ​​Lifelong Learning programme came about thanks to the strategic vision and internal funding of the VUB. The offer will also be further developed in the coming period with other VUB experts and will also be part of the Flemish AI Academy. This is a brand new initiative of the Flemish government with which it wants to develop a large-scale range of lessons on artificial intelligence from higher education.
“As a research lab affiliated with a university and part of the 'AI for the common good' initiative, it is also our job to share the knowledge we gather with the general public. Artificial intelligence will only gain in importance, and in fact only a small part of the population is sufficiently prepared for this. The same goes for companies and organisations: AI is often still a great mystery, so they don't know how much it can help them forward. With this programme we want to offer both accessible insights and pass on the latest technical gadgets, ”explains Prof. Johan Loeckx, head of the AI ​​Lab and coordinator of the new programme.
More info about the Lifelong Learning Programme on Artificial Intelligence: https://ai.vub.ac.be/lifelong-learning-program