This post is from 2017. To apply for the 2018 version, please read this post
In both our previous deep learning courses at USF (which were recorded and formed the basis of our MOOCs), we allowed students that could not participate in person to attend via video and text chat through our International Fellowship. As Rachel described in discussing our last course, this (along with our Diversity Fellowship program) was an important part of our mission:
“…we worked hard to curate a diverse group of participants, because we’d observed that artificial intelligence is missing out because of its lack of diversity. A study of 366 companies found that ethnically diverse companies are 35% more likely to perform well financially, and teams with more women perform better on collective intelligence tests. Scientific papers written by diverse teams receive more citations and have higher impact factors.”
In fact, many of our strongest students and most effective projects have come from the International Fellowship. By opening up the opportunity to learn deep learning in a collaborative environment, students have been able to apply this powerful technology to local problems in their area. For instance, past International Fellows are working to:
- Provide better crop insurance to farmers in India who otherwise have to take predatory loans from thugs, which have led to high suicide rates
- Provide resources for Urdu speakers in Pakistan
- Develop wearable devices for patients with Parkinson’s disease,
This year, we’re presenting an entirely new version of part 1 of our deep learning course, and today we’re launching the International Fellowship for it. The program allows those who can not get to San Francisco to attend virtual classes for free during the same time period as the in-person class and provides access to all the same online resources. (Note that International Fellowships do not provide an official completion certificate through USF). International fellows can come from anywhere on the planet other than San Francisco (including from the US), but need to be able to attend each class via Youtube Live at 6.30pm-9pm Pacific Time each Monday for 7 weeks from Oct 30, 2017 onwards. For many people that means getting up in the middle of the night—but our past students tell us it’s worth it!
Updated 10/7/2018: We are removing last years’ instructions to avoid confusion. Please see this post for the 2018 instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will the updated course be released online? Yes, the course will be recorded and released after the in-person version ends.
- Can I apply again if I was an international fellow last year? Yes, you are welcome to apply again.
- Do I get a certificate of completion for the international fellowship? No, the USF Data Institute only awards certificates to graduates of the in-person course.