Expanding HLRS Academic HPC Simulation Training Programs to More Target Groups

Abstract

For a long time, high-performance computers and simulations were of interest only at universities and research institutes. In recent years, however, their application and relevance in a wider field has grown; not only do industry and small and medium-sized businesses benefit from these technologies, but their social and political impacts are also increasing significantly. Therefore, there is an increasing need for experts in this field as well as better understanding of the importance of high-performance computing (HPC) and simulations among the general public. For this reason, the German National Supercomputing Center HLRS has broadened its academic training program to include courses for students and teachers as well as for professionals. Specifically, this expansion involves two projects: "Simulated Worlds," which offers a variety of educational programs for middle and high school students, and the "MoeWE" project with its "Supercomputing Academy" for professionals. These projects complement the center's academic educational focus by addressing the special needs of these new target groups who have otherwise not been able to benefit from HLRS' academic training program. In this paper, we present background concepts, programmatic offerings, and exemplary content of the two projects; discuss the experiences involved in their development and implementation; and provide insights that may be useful for improving education and training in this area.

BEAST Lab: A Practical Course on Experimental Evaluation of Diverse Modern HPC Architectures and Accelerators

“…This lab also introduces a selfpaced learning approach where status surveys, developer diaries, and group competitions are used to motivate and track students' progress. The German National Supercomputing Center HLRS has expanded its academic training programs to include courses for students, teachers, and professionals in response to the increasing demand from broader application domains and relevance of high-performance computing and simulations beyond academia [7]. Kokkos is presented as a generic parallel programming model suitable for the education of a broader audience, including academia, in the recent work of Sandia National Laboratory [3], where they introduce the best practices obtained from giving virtual classes on Kokkos.…”