Training Academy 2025
In 2025, the UT Austin Portugal Program enters a new Phase that will run until 2030.
One of the highlights of this phase is the launch of our brand-new Training Academy, designed to equip Portugal’s research and entrepreneurial community, as well as industry professionals, through impactful training initiatives. These include certificate-awarding courses, bootcamps, and professional master’s programs in the Program’s flagship areas, tailored by UT Austin faculty or organized in conjunction with Portugal-based experts.
For a fresh start, we have several standout training offers, spanning from Advanced Computing to Clean Energy, Nanotechnologies and Space-Earth Technologies, scheduled for 2025. Browse below to learn more and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date.
Forthcoming Courses - Registrations are open!
Registration form here.
Instructor: Dr. Nathan Wiggins
Format & Duration: Online (live); 6 hours
Session Hours (PT time): 2 p.m. – 3.30 p.m. | 4 p.m. – 5.30 p.m.
Area: Advanced Computing
This course offers practical insights into leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs) for automating regulatory documentation and technical workflows.
Topics include:
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AI-assisted drafting and structuring of documents
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Creating compliance matrices aligned with the EU AI Act, GDPR, and Portuguese environmental law
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Automation of documentation workflows via prompt engineering and case-based learning
Participants will receive template libraries, case studies, and tools for immediate application in industry or public sector contexts.
A course certificate will be issued by TxEEE / UT Austin only if participants commit to 100% attendance.
Registration form here.
Instructor: Dr. Nathan Wiggins
Format & Duration: Online (live); 6 hours
Session Hours (PT time): 2 p.m. – 3.30 p.m. | 4 p.m. – 5.30 p.m.
Area: Advanced Computing
Get hands-on with SysML2, the next-generation systems modeling language, and learn how to automate model creation using scripting and AI-assisted tools.
Participants will:
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Install and use SysML2 in Jupyter Notebooks
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Script complex systems from behavior to validation
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Use LLMs to generate SysML2 code from natural language
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Build and troubleshoot complete models across domains
A course ideal for engineers and system architects embracing Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) with modern computational tools.
A course certificate will be issued by TxEEE / UT Austin only if participants commit to 100% attendance.
Registration form here.
Instructor: Lori A. Magruder
Format & Duration: Online (live); 8 hours (split into two days)
Session Hours (PT time): 2 p.m. – 3.45 p.m. | 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Area: Space-Earth Technologies
This immersive short course explores the power of spaceborne laser altimetry and how it is revolutionizing our understanding of Earth systems. Through real satellite mission case studies and hands-on demos, participants will discover how satellite-borne instruments observe and quantify environmental change across the globe.
What You’ll Learn:
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How missions like ICESat-2, GEDI, and GRACE-FO monitor vegetation, elevation, biomass, and water storage
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The principles behind lidar and laser altimetry, waveform processing, and point cloud generation
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How to access and visualize satellite data for forests, coastlines, and land deformation
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Cutting-edge techniques in data fusion, 3D mapping, and environmental applications
Modules:
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Module 1: Foundations of Earth Observation & Laser Altimetry
(incl. remote sensing basics, major satellite missions, data access & processing) -
Module 2: Real-World Applications in Earth System Science
(from forest carbon monitoring to coastal erosion and land dynamics)
This course is ideal for professionals and researchers in environmental science, geospatial analytics, forestry, and climate policy, seeking to apply advanced remote sensing techniques in real-world settings.
A course certificate will be issued by TxEEE / UT Austin only if participants commit to 100% attendance.
Registration form here.
Instructor: Dr. Krishna Kumar
Format & Duration: Online (live); 6 hours
Session Hours (PT time): 2 p.m. – 3.30 p.m. | 4 p.m. – 5.30 p.m.
Area: Advanced Computing
Explore the convergence of machine learning and scientific computing in this hands-on course. Designed for engineers, researchers, and data scientists, it covers:
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Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) for solving forward/inverse PDEs
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Operator Learning using DeepONets to speed up simulations
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Differentiable Programming for scientific modeling and optimization tasks
Participants will use tools like PyTorch, JAX, and Google Colab to work through real-world simulations, with applications ranging from environmental modeling to engineering design.
A course certificate will be issued by TxEEE / UT Austin only if participants commit to 100% attendance.
Ongoing Courses
Registration form closed.
Organized by: Universities of Bergen, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and UT Austin
Format: Blended – Online + Onboard Field Course
Dates: May 5 – August 25, 2025
Area: Space–Earth Interactions
Application Deadline: February 1, 2025
Embark on a transformative learning journey aboard the historic tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl, sailing from Ponta Delgada (Azores) to Nuuk (Greenland). This interdisciplinary course delves into the multifaceted challenges of climate change, integrating perspectives from natural sciences, policy, ethics, indigenous knowledge, and the arts.
Course Highlights:
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Online Component (May 5 – June 28): Weekly lectures and group work introducing climate science, policy frameworks, and human-nature interactions.
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Onboard Field Course: A three-week immersive experience at sea, fostering international collaboration and hands-on learning.
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Final Workshop & Report: Synthesis of insights and collaborative projects developed during the course.
Eligibility & Support:
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Open to PhD students; Master’s students may also apply.
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UT Austin Portugal Program offers five sponsored spots for candidates affiliated with Portuguese institutions, covering onboard accommodation and meals.
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Additional financial assistance for travel and land-based accommodation may be available upon request, subject to eligibility and institutional support.
This course offers a unique opportunity to engage with global experts, contribute to meaningful discussions on climate action, and build lasting networks across disciplines.
Course web page here.
General registration and participation requirements
- As a general rule, eligible trainees must be affiliated with an organization based in Portugal. To this end, and to complete your registration request, you must submit a letter of support from your supervisor/manager or employer on official letterhead.
- All courses will be delivered in English.
- UT Austin will issue a certificate upon completion of the course. If no additional requirements apply beyond attendance, trainees will receive a certificate only if they meet the minimum attendance threshold. Please refer to the course description for the specific number of hours required for certificate eligibility.
Contacts
For queries related to:
- Course content and structure and assessment: Marco Bravo, UT Austin – bravo@utexas.edu
- Eligibility requirements, registration guidelines and form: UT Austin Portugal office in PT – info@utaustinportugal.org
