HKPUG #90 Threads vs Goroutines & Narwhals: Python Beyond Boundaries

Date: 30 August 2025 (Sat)
Time: 16:00 - 18:00 *HKT
Coordinator: Sky Ng & Alex Au

Light Refreshments are available!

Please fill in the form for admission:
https://forms.gle/kbSGz4kjt1wbVbhx5

Topics:

• Threads vs. Goroutines: A Practical Dive into Concurrency in Python and Go (Dominic Chan):

Concurrency is one of the most important aspects of modern software, and both Python and Go approach it in unique ways. Dominic will walk us through the practical differences between Python’s threading model and Go’s goroutines.

While Python threads run on OS-level threads (with the Global Interpreter Lock affecting execution), they integrate seamlessly with Python’s rich ecosystem of libraries and async capabilities, making them powerful for I/O-bound tasks and real-world applications. On the other hand, Go’s lightweight goroutines shine in creating highly concurrent systems with minimal overhead.

Through examples, Dominic will highlight where each model excels, and what we can learn by comparing the two.

• Narwhals: Discover DataFrame Interoperability (Luciano):

Luciano will introduce Narwhals, a lightweight Python library for DataFrame interoperability. Narwhals “aims to bring pandas, Polars (and more!) together” by wrapping any DataFrame (pandas, Polars, Dask, etc.) and exposing a unified subset of the Polars API. According to the Narwhals documentation, it is “extremely lightweight and extensible” and adds zero dependencies (no extra libraries) so your code remains low-overhead.

Luciano will demo how to use Narwhals for agnostic data operations across libraries.

Capacity: 80

Venue Info:
City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong (Exact Lecture Hall TBC)

Rundown:

• 16:00 - 16:20 Registration & Networking
• 16:20 - 16:30 Upcoming Events Promotion
• 16:30 - 17:00 Threads vs. Goroutines: A Practical Dive into Concurrency in Python and Go (Dominic Chan, 5 mins Q&A)
• 17:00 - 17:15 Break & Networking
• 17:10 - 17:45 Narwhals: Discover Dataframe Interoperability (Mark, 5 mins Q&A)
• 17:45 - 18:00 Closing & Networking
• 18:00 - Networking Session after Meetup (Outside City University)

Speakers Bio:

• Luciano is a Python developer at a consultancy specializing in business intelligence for the aviation sector, with expertise in designing and maintaining data pipelines. He is passionate about technology and problem-solving, originally from Italy, with professional experience in Germany and now based in Hong Kong.

Audience pre-requisite:

• Recommended having medium-level knowledge about Python (>= 1 year of experience)

How to join?

• Fill in the form for admission: https://forms.gle/kbSGz4kjt1wbVbhx5
• Click "Attend" in this page