Over the course of their degree, trainees are expected to complete a minimum of 40 hours of professional skills training for master’s students and 80 hours for PhD students. These training activities focus on areas such as communication and interpersonal skills, critical and creative thinking, personal effectiveness, integrity and ethical conduct, teaching competence, leadership, research management, knowledge mobilization and knowledge translation, and societal/civic responsibilities. These professional development activities are meant to complement trainee learning and align well with the areas outlined in reports by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) and other organizations. The opportunities below directly contribute to this requirement.
Students choose their own set of training activities from these opportunities as part of their Individual Training Plan. Considering the time commitment is about 20 hours per year of study, we do not expect these activities to impede trainee research activities. In fact, training in areas such as ethics and project management is designed to give trainees tools to improve their research activities.
UBC ML Reading Groups
Our reading groups serve as dynamic forums for discussing the latest research, sharing insights, and building connections with fellow enthusiasts. Engage in thought-provoking discussions, stay updated on emerging trends, and contribute to the collective knowledge pool. Feel free to click the links below for additional information regarding each reading group and how to join.
UBC Workshops
| Training Opportunity | Key Areas | Individual Development Plan (IDP) Credit |
| UBC Graduate Pathways to Success Events Calendar | Graduate school success, self management, professional effectiveness, career building, leadership | Estimated 1-2 hour time commitment per session |
| UBC Cloud Innovation Centre (CIC) Events Calendar | Amazon Web Services (AWS) functionality, community health and wellness | Estimated 1-3 hour time commitment per session |
| UBC Career Centre Events Calendar | Applying for jobs, resume & LinkedIn tips | Estimated 1-3 hour time commitment per session |
| UBC Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication Events Calendar | Effective writing, research, and presentation skills | Estimated 1-3 hour time commitment per session |
| UBC Equity & Inclusion Office Events Calendar | Inclusive work environment, positive space workshop, IBPOC women/gender diverse networking | Estimated 1-3 hour time commitment per session |
| UBC Wellbeing Events Calendar | Work/life balance, community building with respect, wellness | Estimated 1-3 hour time commitment per session |
| UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology Events Calendar | Professional development related to teaching and learning endeavors | Estimated 1-24 hour time commitment per course |
UBC Research Events & External Training
| Training Opportunity | Key Areas | Individual Development Plan (IDP) Credit |
| Centre for Artificial Intelligence Decision-making and Action (CAIDA) Events Calendar | Estimated 1-4 hour time commitment per session | |
| TrustML Research Cluster Events Calendar | Trustworthiness of machine learning based systems | Estimated 3-9 hour time commitment per session |
| Entrepreneurship@UBC Events Calendar | Entrepreneurship, leadership, enterprise development | Estimated 2-5 hour time commitment per session |
| Mitacs Training | Networking skills, project & time management, reconciliation and EDI, communication skills, career planning, R&D management, leadership skills, writing and presentation skills | Estimated 1-3 hour time commitment per session |