February 2026 - VBCF courses - lists.vbcf.ac.at

[VBC-SCIENCE] NumPy/Pandas course announcement

by Aszodi,Andras

Dear Colleagues, I have the pleasure to announce the World Premiere of my new "Python scientific data packages" course (see https://training.vbcf.ac.at/training/pydata.php ). This course teaches you how to use the NumPy and Pandas packages which are the foundations of scientific computing in Python. Knowledge of NumPy and Pandas is a pre-requisite for my upcoming machine learning courses. Please read the following information carefully to the end. DATE/TIME: 27th February (Friday), 09:00 - 13:00. Please check your calendar and sign up only if you can attend. Do not take away slots from others by signing up and then not joining. TOPICS: NumPy: - Array creation. - Array indexing. - Array manipulation: reshaping, adding/removing rows and columns. - Broadcasting and universal functions ("ufunc"-s). - Text and binary file input/output. Pandas: - Series and DataFrame objects. - Object creation, data input/output. - Indexing. - Adding and removing rows and columns. Rearranging tables. Sorting. - Numerical work: aggregate functions, simple statistics, random samples. OUT OF SCOPE: - No data analysis. PREREQUISITES: - Python programming experience. The Python programming course (https://training.vbcf.ac.at/training/pylang.php) held just before offers a good foundation. COST: Free of charge. NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: Strictly limited to 20. First come, first served. HOW TO REGISTER: Ask your supervisor for permission to attend, then open this URL: https://training.vbcf.ac.at/training/schedule.php . Click on the appropriate [REGISTER] button. Then fill out the registration form. Please specify your job type correctly. Use an Austrian academic email address. See https://training.vbcf.ac.at/training/practical_information.php for details. Thank you, András

Feb. 16, 2026

[VBC-SCIENCE] Python programming course announcement

by Aszodi,Andras

Dear Colleagues, I have the pleasure to announce my "Python programming" course (see https://training.vbcf.ac.at/training/pylang.php ) Please read the following information CAREFULLY TO THE END TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT. COURSE DIFFICULTY: This is an "entry-level" course that starts from the very basics of Python programming. However, towards the end we will move to more complex concepts. Please DO READ the "TOPICS" section below carefully! DATES/TIMES: The course consists of two parts, and both parts involve two four-hour sessions (16 hours in total). You must take both Part I and Part II because they build on each other. PART I: 23rd and 24th February (Monday-Tuesday), 09:00 - 13:00 PART II: 25th and 26th February (Wednesday-Thursday), 09:00 - 13:00 PLEASE DO CHECK YOUR CALENDAR BEFORE SIGNING UP! Make sure you can attend ALL sessions. Do not take away slots from others by signing up and then not joining. EXERCISES: There will be "homework" assignments after Days 1,2,3 so plan about 1-2 hours for them in the afternoons/evenings to work on them at your own pace. TOPICS: Day 1: - Introduction to Python: basic principles. - Python data structures: strings, tuples, lists, dictionaries, sets. Day 2: - Object-oriented programming in Python. Encapsulation, inheritance (base and derived classes), polymorphism. Day 3: - Writing a Python class and a small package using test-driven development techniques. Day 4: - Writing Python scripts. Command-line option processing, file I/O, error handling. OUT OF SCOPE: - No data analysis! This course is only about the Python language itself. - No personal projects! You all will work on the same task (genomic region manipulation). I don't have the resources to supervise individual projects. PREREQUISITES: - You must have good typing skills, otherwise you'll hold up everybody else. - Previous experience with another programming language is highly desirable (but not mandatory). COST: Free of charge. NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: Strictly limited to 20. First come, first served. Please sign up only if you can attend all four sessions! HOW TO REGISTER: Ask your supervisor for permission to attend, then open this URL: https://training.vbcf.ac.at/training/schedule.php . Click on the [REGISTER] button of Part I of the course, this will register you to Part II as well. (It is not possible to register for only one part.) Then fill out the registration form. Please specify your job type correctly. Use an Austrian academic email address. See https://training.vbcf.ac.at/training/practical_information.php for details. Thank you, András

Feb. 13, 2026

[VBC-SCIENCE] Basic statistics course announcement

by Aszodi,Andras

Dear Colleagues, I have the honour to announce my "Think statistics!" course (more info at https://training.vbcf.ac.at/training/rstat.php ) The main aim of this course is to teach you to how to approach data analysis problems with classical statistics. We will focus on the intuition behind statistical methodologies, rather than on mathematical details. TOPICS: - Sampling theory: obtaining information about a population via sampling. Sample characteristics (location, dispersion, skewness). - Central Limit Theorem and the Normal distribution. - The distribution of the sample mean. Confidence interval of the mean. - Basic principles of hypothesis testing. "Student"'s t-test. - Type I and Type II errors. P-value distributions. Power calculations. - "Cookbook of tests": distribution tests (Shapiro, Kolmogorov-Smirnov), parametric and non-parametric tests (e.g. Wilcoxon), counting statistics, contingency tables (chi-square test), correlation tests. OUT OF SCOPE: Individual data analysis. SCIENTIFIC PREREQUISITES: - Basic probability concepts. - Working with (continuous) probability distributions. PROGRAMMING KNOWLEDGE: Basic familiarity with R is of advantage but not mandatory. It helps to understand the hands-on examples and to complete the homework assignments after Day 1. DATE/TIME: 11th-12th February (Wednesday-Thursday), from 09:00 to 13:00 on both days. Please reserve some time in the afternoon for the voluntary homework assignment. LOCATION: IMP seminar room E-016. Remote attendance is offered to colleagues outside the VBC. COST: free of charge. HOW TO REGISTER: 1) Check your calendar. *** If you register but don't attend, you are taking away a place from a colleague! *** 2) Ask your supervisor for permission to attend. 3) Inform your supervisor that you won't be available during the course. (No last-minute forgotten lab meetings etc! :-) ) 4) Open this URL: https://training.vbcf.ac.at/training/schedule.php Click on the [REGISTER] button and fill out the form. Use an Austrian academic email address. Please specify your job type (e.g. “PhD student”) correctly. Thank you, András

Feb. 2, 2026