Blog posts

CPD and DSI’s Winter Schools in data science “going from strength to strength”

As Gemma Ralton of  Imperial’s Faculty of Engineering reports, CPD’s ongoing collaboration with the Data Science Institute continues to go from strength to strength, with over 80 students attending two different winter schools in January and February, to learn more about data science and artificial intelligence.

Both Winter Schools recruited the top student talent from universities in the UK and China; with 49 students attending the Data Science Online Winter School, during which they were introduced to the concept of data science by hearing from industry experts on common data science applications and worked in teams towards a technical project.

38 students took part in the Artificial Intelligence and Data Science for Business Innovation Winter School and learnt about the role of AI and data science in driving a new era of innovation in many fields including industry and business.

Lectures were delivered by various members of the DSI team and included introductions to natural language processing by Dr Jingqing Zhang, machine learning by Dr Yves-Alexandre de Montjoye and blockchain technology Dr Kai Sun. Students also heard lectures in artificial intelligence from Professor Yi-Ke Guo, data science entrepreneurship from Dr Mark Kennedy and robotics and AI in engineering design from Professor Peter Childs.

Our Head of CPD, Betty Yue continues to be impressed with the quality of students and high standard of work produced,

“The winter schools are going from strength to strength, attracting quality students from top China universities as well as from UK Russell Group universities. I’m particularly impressed with the students group project presentations, seeing the high standard of the work they produced in such a short time frame.  Thanks to the DSI teaching faculty and supervisors for giving their time and dedication to provide an excellent learning experience for the students.”

Further information on the winter schools, can be found on our website.

 

Back on campus for Metabolomics short course students! 

CPD began working with the Division of Systems Medicine and the Imperial Phenome Centre in Autumn 2019, with a view to deliver a number of short training courses on metabolic profiling studies. 

Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, our first course Hands-on Data Analysis for Metabolic Profiling, which was due to take place on campus in April 2020, had to be delivered live online in June 2020.  This popular course was a great success and continued to be delivered online remotely twice annually until November 2021. 

Despite the advantages of online delivery, it was so exciting to be back at our Hammersmith campus after 2.5 years for our most recent course on 11-15 July. The 5-day course, led by Professor Tim Ebbels, Course Director and Professor of Biomedical Data Science, offers comprehensive, hands-on training in processing and analysing metabolomics data from LC-MS and NMR technologies. 

In addition to the lectures and Hands-on practical sessions, the course provided the face-to-face networking opportunities we have all missed, with a chance to socialise at the drinks reception and course dinner and it was so refreshing to see delegates and tutors in person again! 

 We do however see merit in both formats of delivery and as such this particular course will be adopting a multi-mode approach, delivering the course twice annually; on campus in the summer and online during the winter and we look forward to seeing delegates online on 21-25 November!  

Registration opens soon: www.imperial.ac.uk/cpd/hands-data-analysis 

Training Organisations in Climate Change Risk Management

COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference hosted recently in Glasgow, saw a delegation from Imperial College London join this major global summit to put their expertise and research to use in support of ambitious climate action.

No matter what sort of organisation you work in, you will be impacted in some way by both the physical effects of our changing climate and the wealth of regulations and targets we are increasingly required to meet.

In 2020, during the build-up to COP26, the Centre for Continuing Professional Development teamed up with The Institute of Risk Management (IRM) and The Grantham Institute to successfully deliver our first go-to practical online training course on Climate Change Risk Management.  Building on world-leading expertise in the science of climate change, business management and enterprise risk management, this practical course not only allows learners to explore why managing climate change risk is important to their organisation but also how to do it.

Since the launch of the first online course in April 2020, our partnership with the IRM is going from strength to strength, and we will continue to deliver this important and popular training programme 3 times annually.  The next course is 8-9 December and we now have confirmed dates for 14-15 March 2022

Climate Change Risk Management online training course 

 

Continuing medical education online

At the Centre for Continuing Professional Development we continue to successfully adapt and deliver short courses online. Medical courses have been particularly well received and at times have become more interactive as a result of the new delivery format which has enabled a wider audience to benefit from Imperial’s invaluable expertise. Last month, after a year’s hiatus the Introduction to Mathematical Models of the Epidemiology & Control of Infectious Diseases course was delivered with the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology. The course, which has been taking place at St Mary’s Medical School since 1990 was delivered entirely online for the first time. Taught by leading researchers who advise policy-makers internationally including Prof Sir Roy Anderson FRS FMedSci and Prof Neil Ferguson OBE FMedSci, the course covered “At the Centre for Continuing Professional Development we continue to successfully adapt and deliver short courses online.”
8 highly topical subjects including HIV, TB, malaria, Ebola, pandemic influenza, health economics, vaccination programmes, and stochastic models. Participants attended from across the globe from as far wide as Japan, Malawi and Colombia to name but a few.In October, we have also delivered courses in medical ethics, medico-legal skills, and research development for healthcare workers. Many of these courses have had to be redesigned without compromising the quality of content or teaching. This has been a valuable learning curve for the Centre although we look forward to delivering some face-to-face courses again in the future!
By Stephen Godfrey

Successful start for our new Imperial Data Science Intensive course

As Dr Anna Cupani of Imperial’s Data Science Institute reports, we recently welcomed our first cohort of participants for this new online course. For 10 weeks they will dive deep into data science.

With a lot of teaching activities moving online, this is the best time for our new intensive course on data science to kick off.

Young graduates, willing to learn more about this emerging field, as well as more experienced professionals with a desire to improve or redirect their career, are part of the first cohort of our Imperial Data Science Intensive course, co-organised with the Data Science Institute at Imperial and run in collaboration with the experienced bootcamp company Le Wagon, expert in on line training in all things computer science.

The participants started on Monday 12th April. Over 10 weeks, during packed days of lessons and group activities, they will learn the essential tools of data science and coding.
Equipped with this knowledge and experience, they will then have a chance to work on a final data analytics project on datasets supplied by our partner companies, ART health and digital-i.

Further information about the course, as well as dates for the upcoming sessions can be found on our website.

Read more of the article which includes a short video of Imperial’s researchers and experts in this field, explain what they find so exciting about data science and its opportunities.

 

Exciting collaboration with Imperial’s Data Science Institute to deliver new intensive course

The Data Science Institute in partnership with coding bootcamp Le Wagon has launched a 10-week course for learners to pick up skills in data science.

Last week saw the launch of the first Imperial Data Science Intensive Course – co-created by the Data Science Institute and coding bootcamp Le Wagon, with the support of the Centre for Continuing Professional Development and Imperial Projects.

This new course is aimed at either recent graduates or professionals with an interest in data science who are looking to expand their career opportunities learning the skills to explore, clean and interpret data, and to support decision making in their current job or in the one they are moving towards.

During the online launch event, we spoke with Boris Paillard, CEO and co-founder of Le Wagon, programme leads Dr Mark Kennedy  Associate Professor of Strategy and Organisation in the Business School and co-director of the Data Science Institute and Dr Susan Mulcahy, programme director of Data Spark as well as data scientists who now work for companies including Facebook and Monzo to hear what this course has on offer and how rewarding a career in data science can be.

“We are very excited about this new programme” said Dr Mark Kennedy. “This is a really demanding course. We expect the participants to already have a certain knowledge of mathematics and programming before they join – he added – but once they are in, we are confident that it will give them the right skills to access an expanding job market.”

Read the full article written by Anna Cupani of the DSI highlighting this exciting collaboration.

Find out more

The first round of the course will start on the 12 April 2021 for 10 weeks.  For more information about the enrolment process, requirements, programme and teachers please visit https://data-science-intensive.imperial.ac.uk/   Imperial alumni will benefit from a 10% discount on the course fee.

Medical Ethics course 16-20 September 2019

By Professor Raanan Gillon

In 1983, as a hybrid of NHS GP and philosopher, I started the Imperial College one week CPD course in medical ethics to introduce doctors to several different approaches to ethics (currently deontology, consequentialism, virtue ethics, ‘the four principles approach’). The course considers a variety of problems in medical ethics including end of life issues, double effect, acts and omissions, killing vs allowing to die, paternalism versus respect for autonomy, truth-telling in medical practice, a session on ‘practical aspects of medical ethics’, fair distribution of resources, the relation of ethics and law, human rights and medical ethics. A half-day session is aimed at helping participants to understand opposing perspectives by means of an exercise in developing arguments explicitly opposing participants’ own viewpoints concerning cases that they have found troubling.

This year the last day of the course – which always looks at issues of justice in medical ethics- will be in the form of a stand-alone one day conference to which people interested to explore this complex component of medical and health care ethics can subscribe if they are unable to attend the entire intensive five day course. Seven plenary speakers will approach the subject from their varied perspectives- philosophy (James Wilson), care ethics (Ann Gallagher), health inequalities (Sir Michael Marmot), health economics (Richard Cookson), medical law (Emily Jackson), human rights (Julian Sheather) and medical ethics (Albert Weale). There will be no small group discussions but time is built in for audience participation.

For further information and to register for this course please visit http://www.imperial.ac.uk/continuing-professional-development/short-courses/medicine/ethics/medical-ethics/

 

2019 – an exciting year ahead!

If in 2019 you are thinking about attending a Professional Development course to update your skills, refresh your knowledge or change your career path, then Imperial CPD is the place for you!

As ever we have a full and diverse portfolio of high quality short courses, within the disciplines of Science, Technology, Medicine and Business led by academics at the very top of their fields. Here are some of the highlights…..

Researcher Development Course

Previously called Starting out in Research, this popular course designed specifically for healthcare staff involved in research projects will now be directed by Dr Caroline Alexander, the Lead Clinical Academic for Therapies at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Adjunct Reader. The course is offered in two 2 day modules:

  • Module 1: 11 – 12 March
  • Module 2: 13 – 14 June

The gap between the modules is intended to allow you time to use and develop the skills taught during days 1 and 2, and to spend time developing a research question and start to formulate a proposal. We’re sure that with Caroline’s wealth of experience, this course will prove to be a successful as ever!

 

Improving Voice is back!

Previously held in 2017, don’t miss the chance to attend the very popular ‘Improving Voice: management and therapy for voice disorders’ 25 & 26 March, a 2 day course with Christina Shewell, internationally recognised expert in the spoken and singing voice. Early bird rate available until 26 February 2019!

Specific course content includes:

  • Overview of common voice disorders
  • Optimising voice evaluation
  • Introduction to 7 areas of management and therapy tools
  • Experiential voice and pair-based practical work 

 

Further your skills and broaden your opportunities in cardiovascular and respiratory healthcare.

The Faculty of Medicine’s new and exciting Cardiovascular and Respiratory Healthcare Master’s programme offers the following modules as stand-alone short courses:

Civil Engineering

Within the field of Civil Engineering, our 1 day course Systems Engineering leadership will be held on 22 March. Organised through the UK Collaboratorium for Research on Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC), the Centre for Systems Engineering and Innovation at Imperial College and the Systems Centre at the University of Bristol, this course enables you to develop your systems engineering leadership skills – to lead the use of systems engineering in infrastructure delivery in your own organizations and in the projects on which you work.

Now in its 14th year, our annual Post tensioning Design and Construction course, will be held 3-5 April, so if you’re looking to update your knowledge on the latest developments in construction technology and are  Interested in the economics of post tensioning, design procedures and software, this is the course for you!

 

Petroleum Engineering

Within the field of Petroluem engineering, is our established international course Using Special Core analysis in reservoir engineering 5-7 June. Led by the highly esteemed Jess Stiles, this 3 day course is designed primarily for reservoir engineers involved with reservoir simulation and/or classical hand calculations. A comprehensive manual accompanies the course which includes numerous examples from the North Sea and elsewhere in the world.

We also run short stand-alone courses from the MSc Petroleum Engineering programme. The remaining short courses within Modules 3- 5 are scheduled until 11 March 2019 and cover Reservoir Characterisation/ Engineering and Field Development. See our detailed course brochure for further information.

 

Mining Finance Courses

The courses offered provide a comprehensive guide to understanding the main factors involved in securing the financial support for mining projects through equity, debt, or entering into a joint venture.  This involves addressing the underlying technical principles, applying these to mineral projects and demonstrating how these influence the financial modelling.

In addition to the long-standing annual Introduction to Mining for Bankers 1-3 July, we also run the Metals and Energy Finance course, 18-22 November. Launched in November 2016, modular course in mining and energy finance identifies and examines the investment opportunities offered across the extractive industry’s cycle, from exploration through evaluation, pre-production, development and production.  The course addresses the similarities of a range of mineral and petroleum projects while identifying their key differences.

 

Summer schools

As ever, we have a busy summer planned, with a full programme of summer schools including World challenges and innovation summer school, 5-16 August, now in its 2nd year.  Applications are now open, so join us for a summer of discovery!

 

Medical Ethics – now includes a one day standalone conference!

This year, our long-standing Medical Ethics Course 16-20 September will include a one day stand alone on day conference on day 5, which will focus on Justice and fairness in medical and health care ethics – to which people interested to explore this complex component of medical and health care ethics can subscribe if they are unable to attend the entire intensive five day course.

 

Please feel free to browse our webpage for further information on these courses and our full programme of events at www.imperial.ac.uk/cpd or follow us on twitter @imperialCPD for fast course updates.

 

Medical Ethics Intensive One Week Course in London, 10-14 September 2018

By Professor Raanan Gillon

In 1983 I started a one week CPD course in medical ethics to  introduce doctors to several different  approaches to ethics (currently deontology, consequentialism, virtue ethics, ‘the four principles approach’). The course considers a variety of problems in medical ethics including end of life issues, double effect, acts and omissions, killing vs allowing to die, paternalism versus respect for autonomy, truth-telling in medical practice, a session on ‘practical aspects of medical ethics’,  fair distribution of resources, the relation of ethics and law,  human rights and medical ethics. A half-day session is aimed at helping participants to understand opposing perspectives by means of an exercise in developing arguments explicitly opposing participants’ own viewpoints concerning cases that they have found troubling. Overall satisfaction of previous participants has always (over the last 34 years!)  been at an average level of 9+ on a ten-point scale so  I am confident that doctors who come on the course do find it very worthwhile.

Comments from participants have included “The best post-graduate experience of my career” and “A first class course to put your ethical thinking into perspective and relate [it] to present day healthcare…”.

The course is in English and UK doctors are the main attenders but we usually have some international visitors whose perspectives add value to the experience,  as do the various others who come- among them nurses clinical ethics committee members, medical ethicists, health managers and even the occasional vet.

If you are interested in attending please visit the CPD website www.imperial.ac.uk/cpd

Professor Raanan Gillon
Emeritus Professor of Medical Ethics,
Imperial College London

Serious infection and critical care in children – A learning approach centred on clinical practice

Dr Aubrey Cunnington, Clinical Senior Lecturer in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at Imperial College, explains how the Serious Infection and Critical Care in Children short course has developed its practical approach to learning which has proved effective and popular with students. Aubrey directs the course alongside Dr Sanjay Patel who is currently Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology at Southampton Children’s Hospital.

‘This short course is one of the most popular in the theme of Paediatrics and Child Health. The course has a real emphasis on application to clinical practice, built on an understanding of the most important underlying principles.

Every year we ask our attendees to evaluate the course and suggest improvements. We really do listen to this feedback and constantly seek to improve the course. It is clear that the needs of our delegates have evolved over time, and the learning styles which they find most useful have also evolved. Some content is always present – for example, learning about unconscious biases in decision making. Other content is adapted to evolving needs for both current practice and for practice in the future.

Attendees consistently praise the small group workshops as one of the most useful ways for them to learn. These are essentially like small group tutorials discussing instructive real life cases with experts in the field of infectious diseases and critical care. The tutors enjoy these as much as the delegates! Since attendees can select to attend just the first day, or both days of the course, we have typically run the workshops on the first day and focussed on underpinning knowledge and future-proofing on the second day. This year, due to popular demand, we have added workshops to the second day of the course, incorporating antimicrobial stewardship and infection control. These topics are now high priorities in the paediatric wards and critical care settings.

Last year we incorporated a “debate” into the second day of the course, which required a little preparation work by the attendees. This year we plan to repeat this with a provocative topic, which will encourage participants to synthesise much of the course content.

Once again we’ll be collecting feedback this year, and we’re sure the 2019 course will be slightly different again, but that’s what makes this course so popular and why our faculty love teaching on it.’ 

Serious Infection and Critical Care in Children will be taking place on 26 – 27 April 2018. Please visit the course website for further details