A 10-week, expert-led virtual seminar for professional engineers to engage deeply with foundational and contemporary research.
Register for Fall ‘25 Seminar Performance, Extensibility, and Security Trade-Offs in Operating Systems
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Seminar Overview
This program provides a structured environment for practicing engineers to explore a specific topic in computer systems. Each seminar is designed as a deep dive, moving from foundational papers to cutting-edge research.
The format is intended to integrate with a professional schedule. Participants read one to two academic papers per week and join a one-hour, live discussion led by an active expert in the field. This model encourages a cumulative understanding of the material within a cohort of motivated peers.
Course Objectives
Participants in the seminar will:
- Build deep, cumulative knowledge in a specific, high-leverage systems topic.
- Develop the practical skill of reading, interpreting, and applying academic research to their work.
- Engage with intellectually stimulating material in a focused, collaborative setting.
How It Works
- Expert-Led Instruction: Each seminar is taught by an active researcher or practitioner with deep expertise in the subject matter.
- Thematic Curriculum: Unlike a general-purpose reading group, each 10-week seminar is built around a single theme, allowing for a focused and coherent learning arc.
- Manageable Workload: The weekly commitment is one to two papers and a single one-hour discussion session, ensuring the course complements rather than competes with your work.
- Peer-Based Cohort: You will learn alongside a small group of experienced engineers from various companies, providing a unique opportunity for shared insight and discussion.
Professional Development & Expense Reports
This seminar is designed as a professional development opportunity. Many companies provide budgets for continuing education that can be applied to this course. We provide the following template to assist with manager approval or expense reporting.
Click for an email template to share with your manager.
Subject: Request for Professional Development: Advanced Systems Seminar
Body:
Hi [Manager Name],
I would like to request approval to enroll in the upcoming “[Seminar Topic]” seminar offered by Better Bytes Education.
It is a 10-week, expert-led virtual course for experienced engineers. The curriculum provides a deep dive into a topic that is highly relevant to our work on [Project X, Team Y]. The weekly time commitment is designed for working professionals: reading one or two papers and attending a one-hour discussion.
This seems like an effective way to deepen my expertise and gain perspective on the state-of-the-art in this area.
The cost is [Cost]. The full course description is available here: [Link to this page].
Thank you for considering this request.
Best,
[Your Name]
Frequently Asked Questions
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What if I have to miss a session? All sessions are recorded and will be available to participants, along with all reading materials, for the duration of the course.
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Are there grades or homework? This course is not graded. The expectation is that participants keep up with the reading to facilitate a productive discussion for everyone.
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Do you offer group discounts? Yes, we offer a 15% discount for groups of 3 or more from the same company. Please contact us at [education@betterbytes.org] for details.
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Is this seminar open to international participants? Yes, this is a fully virtual seminar open to engineers globally. Please be mindful of the session time in your local timezone.