Tech workshops with Stelios

Overview

​Students, developers, and anyone interested in getting started with theory and practice on building LLM-based applications with Python.

Who is this for?

​Undeniably, large language models (LLMs) are at the centre of a modern gold-rush in technology.

Students, developers, and anyone interested in getting started with theory and practice on building LLM-based applications with Python.

​Who is leading the session?

​The session is led by Dr. Stelios Sotiriadis, CEO of Warestack, Associate Professor and MSc Programme Director at Birkbeck, University of London. His expertise includes cloud computing, distributed systems, and AI engineering.

​Stelios holds a PhD from the University of Derby, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto, and has worked with Huawei, IBM, Autodesk, and several startups. Since 2018 he has taught at Birkbeck and, in 2021, founded Warestack, building software for startups globally.

​What we’ll cover

​A practical introduction on the basics of local models and cloud APIs to build real software systems.
​You will learn:

• ​Introduction to natural language processing
• ​LLMs theory and intuition
• ​Agents are and how to build them
• ​Running local models with Ollama (free and offline)
• ​Calling local models using Python
• ​Building a ChatGPT-like chatbot with Python libraries

Requirements

• ​A laptop with Python (Windows, macOS, or Linux)
• ​Visual Studio Code installed
• ​Python pip installed
• ​At least 10 GB free disk space
• ​At least 8 GB RAM

​This space is needed for running local models.

​You may also use the lab computers if your device doesn’t meet the requirements.

Format

​A 1.5-hours live session including:

• ​Interactive theory
• ​Hands-on coding
• ​Step-by-step exercises

​The session will run in person, with streaming available for remote attendees.

Prerequisites
​You should be comfortable writing Python scripts (basic to intermediate level).

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Who is this for?

This workshop is designed for complete beginners and anyone who wants to learn Python from the ground up. Whether you're new to programming, switching careers, or building your confidence before moving into data, AI, or software development, this series will guide you step by step.
By the end of the programme, you’ll understand the fundamentals of Python and how real code works inside modern applications.

Who is leading the session?

The session is led by Dr. Stelios Sotiriadis, CEO of Warestack and Associate Professor & MSc Programme Director at Birkbeck, University of London. Stelios teaches cloud computing, distributed systems, data engineering, and AI engineering, and has extensive experience working with Huawei, IBM, Autodesk, and multiple startups.

He holds a PhD from the University of Derby, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto, and has been teaching at Birkbeck since 2018. In 2021 he founded Warestack, building developer tools and automation software for startups around the world.

About the Series

Python for Beginners: From Zero to Hero is a live coding workshop split into 5 sessions (10 hours total). You will write code with me in real time, learning Python through hands-on exercises rather than slides. This is a limited-space, interactive workshop, ideal if you prefer learning by doing.

What we’ll cover (Part 1)

A practical workshop to Python, including:

• What programming is and how Python works
• Writing your first scripts step by step
• Variables, input/output, data types, and operators
• Logic and decision making (if/else)
• Loops (for/while) and how to control program flow
• Best practices for beginners
• Small hands-on challenges to build confidence

Each exercise builds directly on the previous one, so by the end you’ll already feel comfortable writing real code.

Requirements

You just need:

• A laptop (Windows, macOS, or Linux)
• A Gmail account to access Google's Colab (if you don't have one please create)

Why Python?

Python is one of the most widely used programming languages in the world. It's the foundation of:

• AI and machine learning
• Data science
• Web development
• Automation
• Scripting and DevOps
• Modern backend systems

This workshop gives you the skills to move confidently toward all of these areas.

Format

A 2-hour live session including:

• Interactive explanations
• Live coding demonstrations
• Step-by-step guidance
• Hands-on exercises you complete during the session
• Time for questions and practical help
• Homework and exercises

This is a beginner-friendly, supportive learning environment.

Cost

The first session costs only £20, so you can get a flavour of the material and the teaching style. Each session after that is £40, making the total cost for all 5 sessions £180.

By the end of the 5 sessions, you will be able to confidently write Python code and build your own programs from scratch. You’ll understand how to work with data, automate tasks, and apply Python to real-world problems — giving you a strong foundation for further study in AI, data science, and software development.

Prerequisites

No prior programming experience or Python installation required. I’ll guide you through everything from scratch.

Parallel Processing with Python

Modern software often needs to do many things at the same time to run faster and scale better. This includes data processing, web services, and machine learning workloads. Understanding parallel and concurrent execution is now an important skill for Python developers.
This session gives a clear and practical introduction to parallel processing in Python. It focuses on the main ideas and shows when and how to use different approaches correctly.

Who is this for?

Students, developers, and anyone who wants to understand how Python programs can run faster by doing work in parallel. This session is useful if you want to speed up Python programs, understand the difference between threads and processes, and build more efficient and scalable applications.

Who is leading the session?

The session is led by Dr. Stelios Sotiriadis, CEO of Warestack and Associate Professor and MSc Programme Director at Birkbeck, University of London.

He works in distributed systems, cloud computing, operating systems, and Python-based data processing. He holds a PhD from the University of Derby, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto, and has worked with Huawei, IBM, Autodesk, and several startups. Since 2018, he has been teaching at Birkbeck and founded Warestack in 2021.
What we will cover

Requirements

A laptop with Python installed (Windows, macOS, or Linux), Visual Studio Code, and Python pip. Lab computers can be used if needed.

Format

This is a hands-on introduction with examples and short exercises. Topics include what concurrency and parallelism mean, threads vs processes in Python, the Global Interpreter Lock explained simply, using threading for I/O-heavy tasks, using multiprocessing for CPU-heavy tasks, basic use of concurrent.futures, common problems like race conditions, and when parallelism is not the right choice.

A 1.5-hour live session with short theory explanations, live coding, and guided exercises. The session runs in person, with streaming available for remote participants.

Prerequisites

Basic to intermediate Python knowledge, including functions, loops, and basic data structures.