Microsoft: Azure AI Masterclass

Many educational institutions are already researching, experimenting and trying out the applications that generative AI can offer in education. But they also have a lot of questions. Microsoft Netherlands saw opportunities and hired us for a masterclass and workshop on Azure AI. Goal: to inspire and inform participants about the possibilities and limitations.

Help education understand and use Azure AI

Microsoft asked us to organize a masterclass and workshop for various colleges and universities. We held inspiring sessions full of demos, examples, stories and lots of interaction. In our experience, this approach works best to include a large, diverse group (there were over 25 participants) in this story. And it worked: the energy and inspiration splashed out twice for 8 hours!

The sessions were not only supposed to convey knowledge, but also immediately hands-on offer experience and encourage people to work themselves. That's why we showed participants what Azure AI can do by letting them build a chatbot themselves. In addition, we discussed important topics such as security, governance, responsible AI, privacy and costs.

Masterclass and workshop

Our AI experts Albert-Jan Schot and Rutger Knijnenburg organized two sessions.

The first session was a masterclass on Azure AI, in collaboration with Erasmus University. The masterclass started with an inspiring story by Bas Smit (Strategic Advisor for Education at Erasmus Digitalisation & Information Services) about a Genai project for which he is responsible. This project should give students and staff the opportunity to use generative AI applications within Microsoft Azure in a safe and responsible way, in accordance with the compliance rules set by the university. In the second part of the masterclass, Albert-Jan and Rutger showed what the platform has to offer, from the basic principles to the advanced tools.

The second session was a workshop, where participants used the Azure AI components to assemble a working chatbot. Especially in this last session, we saw a lot of enthusiasm, because the participants really got a feel for how the technology works.

First step towards new collaborations

Both Microsoft and the participants were very satisfied with the content and format of the sessions. Appie and Rutger received a lot of praise for their expertise, energy and enthusiasm. This is what Armand Bloem, Higher Education Lead at Microsoft, who said: “During the masterclass and workshop, Albert-Jan and Rutger were able to present their deep knowledge of the subject matter well and energetically. They were continuously connected with the group and adapted well to the participants' level of knowledge.”

“During the masterclass and workshop, Albert-Jan and Rutger were able to present their deep knowledge of the subject matter well and energetically. They were continuously connected with the group and adapted well to the participants' level of knowledge.”

But the project didn't just lead to enthusiasm and greater understanding of Azure AI. There were also concrete steps towards further cooperation and implementation of AI solutions in education. According to Armand, it is precisely our open mind and customer-oriented approach that makes us the right partner for helping universities and colleges with AI on Azure: “Many consultancy organizations come up with a process that defines the steps that must be followed. At Blis Digital, that's different. They really look at the customer's problem and quickly choose the most efficient solution. I never feel like they're about burning as many hours as possible. They are mainly about finding the best possible solution. They are also willing to contribute ideas and invest in presales. This is especially important in education because the trajectories are often a bit longer.”

Thanks to these 2 inspiring sessions, we are now talking to several educational institutions about AI projects.

Azure AI masterclass for IT Pros

Curious about how to apply Azure AI within your organization? Explore the unparalleled possibilities of Azure AI in our Masterclass, designed specifically for IT professionals. Including CTOs, developers and (senior) low-code developers. The program covers all key aspects of Azure AI, including Cognitive Services and Azure Machine Learning.

Learn more about Azure AI masterclass

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