The global COVID-19 pandemic has kept many of us socially isolated from friends, family, and colleagues for several months at this point. But thanks to modern technology, the separation has only been in the physical sense. From job interviews to grade school book reports, many of the things we’d previously done in person are now happening online. The social distancing campaign has also shown that virtual meetups can be a viable alternative to traditional events, with several notable hacker conventions already making the leap into cyberspace.

With this in mind, we’re proud to announce HackadayU. With weekly online videos and live office hours, these online classes will help you make the most of your time in isolation by learning new skills or diving deeper into subjects with experienced instructors from all over the world. Whether you’re just curious about a topic or want to use these classes to help put yourself on a new career path, we’re here to help.

In a community like ours, where so many people already rely on self-study and tutorial videos, these four week classes are perfect for professional engineers and hobbyists alike. To make sure HackadayU is inclusive as possible, classes will be offered on a pay-as-you-wish basis: we’ll pick up the tab for the instructor’s time, and you kick in whatever you think is fair. All money collected will be donated to charities that help feed, house, and educate others. We know these are tough times, and the hope is that HackadayU can not only benefit the members of our core community, but pass on some goodwill to those who are struggling.

Classes will be rolling out through the rest of 2020, but here’s a look at some of what we’ve got planned:

Introduction to Reverse Engineering with Ghidra

Our first class will be starting on June 22nd and focuses on Ghidra, the National Security Agency’s open source reverse engineering tool. Instructor Matthew Alt, perhaps better known to Hackaday readers as wrongbaud, will show students how this powerful tool can be used to explore the inner workings of a piece of software for fun and profit. Tickets are available for this class now.

Introduction to KiCad and FreeCAD

On July 7th, Hackaday’s very own Anool Mahidharia will take the reigns for this primer on two open source tools that should be in every hacker’s toolbox: KiCad and FreeCAD. Between rapid PCB manufacturing services and affordable desktop 3D printers, turning your ideas into reality has never been easier or cheaper; but you’ve got to speak the language. Mastering these programs will allow you to reap the benefits of modern manufacturing techniques at zero cost, no matter what operating system you’re on.

Introduction to Quantum Computing

For those who want to explore the absolute cutting edge, Kitty Yeung’s class can help demystify the future of ultra-high performance computing. While your instructor might have a PhD in Applied Physics, you won’t need one to follow along; this class has been specifically tailored for hobbyists who may not …read more

Source:: Hackaday