From February 27th to March 2nd, 2023, the ErUM-Data Hub Deep Learning School "Basic Concepts" took place at Landhaus Nordhelle in Meinerzhagen for the second time: A challenging event on Neural Network Building Blocks, Mastering Model Building, Convolutional Neural Networks and Introspection of Neural Networks. The School provided participants with the opportunity to drill down into basic Deep Learning concepts and deepen their neural network skills.

A total of 32 participants from 7 ErUM communities (KAT, KET, KfB, KFN, KFS, KHuK and RDS) enriched the event and contributed to a lively working and learning atmosphere.

The lectures were hold by Dr. Sebastian Wozniewski (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen), Niclas Eich (RWTH Aachen University), Dr. Sascha Daniel Diefenbacher (Universität Hamburg) and Dr. Caroline Heneka (Universität Heidelberg) , who brought a wide range of experiences and perspectives to the lectures and discussion.

The Hands-on sessions were an important part of the event. After each lecture, participants were encouraged through hands-on tasks to become active and create and test their own models. The tutors Stefan Fröse, Mathis Frahm and Steffen Korn were always present to help with questions and problems and to give feedback.

On Wednesday afternoon, the group was able to apply the newly learned concepts in the "Galaxy Classification Challenge" and also practice cooperation and teamwork. The 6 drawn groups faced the task with high motivation and worked on their solutions until late in the evening. Thursday morning was used to put the finishing touches to the ideas and to present the results. The various solutions were evaluated by the speakers and tutors. 

The free evenings during the event gave participants the opportunity to get to know each other better and expand their network. Various leisure activities such as bowling, swimming or visits to the house bar led to a relaxed atmosphere and encouraged the group to open up and talk about common challenges and discuss solutions.

Overall, participants rated the Deep Learning School as a challenging and valuable experience that gave them the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of Deep Learning and to demonstrate their skills. 

Thank you very much!

The Deep Learning School was a complete success, thanks in particular to the commitment and expertise of the speakers and tutors. Their commitment to providing high-quality content and support to participants was evident throughout the program, and we are very grateful for their contributions. We would also like to thank the BMBF for the financial support that made this event possible. 

The third edition of the Deep Learning School „Basic Concepts“ will take place in August 2023. In September 2023 advanced Deep Learning Concepts will be discussed in the Active Training Course „Advanced Deep Learning“ .