MIDSEA summer school 2024

by Andra, Chandra, Licka, Mousumi, and Zhi

MLGH-sg at MIDSEA summer school 2024

As the morning sun rose over Quy Nhon, a coastal city in central Vietnam (and our stomachs filled with breakfasts from the hotel buffet), our group joined dozens of other researchers and infectious disease modellers making their daily commute from the Seagull Hotel to the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE). For ten days in June 2024, this became our routine as participants of the [MIDSEA] (https://midsea.network) Summer School 2024, an intensive program bringing together talents from across Southeast Asia (and beyond) to learn the depths of mathematical modelling of infectious diseases.

We began our journey gently, with an optional R programming course for those new to the language, a symposium on the career paths of some of the faculties, and an introduction to infectious disease modelling (modelling 101). In the following days, we got to choose specialised tracks that allowed us to learn more deeply about the aspects of modelling that we were interested in. Those tracks are modelling 102, inference, simulations, interventions, and spatial analysis. There were also two masterclasses to know about some faculties’ journey through and in modelling as well as workshops.

But the summer school was far more than just classroom learning. We also got a chance to do a couple of excursions. One to the Ky Co beach (using a speedboat!) and the other to the neighbouring province Phu Yen, where we went to explore multiple exciting and beautiful places such as Da Dia reef, Mang Lang church, Nhan Tower, and Nghinh Phong Square.

The gala dinner was really memorable! Of course, the food was great (as of for every day, the food served in the venue was really delicious, and there was so much variety from day to day), but the most exciting part was we also got the chance to listen to participants performing karaoke and singing songs from their countries using their local languages. Chandra from our group was one of the performers. Finally, in this blog, each of us who went to the summer school will share their thoughts about their experience there!

Personal reflections

Andra

It was actually my second time in Quy Nhon. I was also there to attend CBID (Computational Biology for Infectious Diseases) summer school in 2017. I had just finished my master’s back then. It was exciting to return to the city and attend another summer school. This time, it was a bit different, though; other than learning (I chose the spatial track as I was interested in how to do spatial modelling as well as to learn how we work with satellite data and their derivatives), I also got the chance to be a faculty member. I taught on the inference track for the first day when I taught about the basics of model fitting. For this lecture, I pushed myself to write the slides in quarto. It was a fun experience preparing and delivering the slides!

I also became the jury for the poster session. It was a really interesting experience trying to judge my fellow friends’ posters. It was a hard job as the participants made and presented the posters really well. At the same time, their works were also really interesting!!

Overall, the summer school was a real blast! We had fun, made new friends, and also learned a lot there. As for where the next edition will be held… well, let’s just say it’s going to be exciting. Stay tuned!

Chandra

It was my first time attending the summer school and visiting Vietnam. The city was beautiful—well-planned and clean. I loved the local food, music, welcoming people and beach sites, as well as the stunning evenings. People were very lively, celebrating early in the morning at the beach and late at night with karaoke and relaxing by the shore.

I chose the geospatial modeling track, which was entirely new to me. The instructor, DICKENS Borame, explained the concepts effectively, complemented by hands-on R sessions. We worked on group projects and had final-day presentations from each group. The learning experience was incredible. I had the opportunity to interact with people from diverse backgrounds and research areas, and the poster sessions were very insightful. It was great learning experience in this area.

The ICISE campus was full of greenery-calm and serene-with beautiful flowers, ponds, and beach views. We also had the chance to visit Mang Lang Church, Ganh Da Dia Beach, Nhan Tower (from the ancient Cham civilization), and Nghinh Phong Tower. These sites were beautiful and remarkable. Additionally, we explored Ky Co and Bai San Ho beaches, where we swam and went for snorkeling. These moments were truly amazing and unforgettable. The hospitality of the organizers was exceptional, and the arrangements were excellent.

Last but not least, I sang the song “Awaara Hoon” (meaning “I am a Vagabond”) from the 1951 Indian film Awaara, directed by and starring Raj Kapoor, which was internationally popular, at the farewell dinner, my first international performance.

Licka

It was my first in-person summer school and first time in Quy Nhon. Choosing a track was not an easy task since I was interested in modelling 102, inference, and simulations. Fortunately, materials of each track were gather and made available for us (MIDSEA faculty members and organizers are the best ^^).

I was finally in the ‘modelling 102’ track to consolidate the understanding of modelling acquired so far. We have touched upon the different types of models (statistical versus mechanistic, deterministic versus stochastic etc.),and had hands-on sessions to model different scenarii (interventions, time-varying transmission rate…). Futhermore, as groups, we have worked on a specific transmissible disease (because Covid-19 is still chasing me, I was part of the group working on it), with a given scenario to model, mentors helping us shape our ideas, and the opportunity to present our results in front of the participants.

The length of the summer school was longer than what we usually encounter but it has been organized in a way that we could easily keep up the pace thanks to workshops, breaks, and excursions in-between classes. I also had the pleasure of meeting and befriending some wonderful people from all over Southeast Asia.

P.S: MIDSEA 2024 was great but truly the icing of the cake was the food. A+ for organizers who helped with the catering.

Mousumi

It was my first visit to Vietnam as well, I spent two days in Ho Chi Minh city before the summer school began. During this time, I explored the city and tried the flavorful local delicacies. From the bustling streets to a place called Que Nhon, a city with beautiful beaches and welcoming people, every experience was truly memorable. I started my days with the lively sounds of local Zumba classes and ended them with cheerful tunes of Karaoke.

At the summer school, after the R session on the first day, I chose “interventions” track, where I learned how to incorporate interventions into models and perform cost effectiveness analysis. The afternoon sessions featured intriguing talks that, while not directly related to modelling, addressed broader themes such as ethics, equity, experience with policy makers, effective presentation techniques, GitHub, and more. I also presented a poster on our ongoing work, received valuable feedback, and was thrilled to see my name listed twice as a runner-up during the poster prize distribution. The days were filled with enriching discussions, engaging scientific sessions, and, of course, the delightful Vietnamese cuisine.

One of the most rewarding aspects was meeting experts in infectious disease research from across South-East Asia. Engaging with professionals from diverse backgrounds- including modelers, clinicians, and policymakers, this summer school broadened my understanding and helped me see the bigger picture of the field of infectious disease.

Zhi

This was my first time visiting Vietnam. Quy Nhon is a beautiful coastal city with stunning scenery. From the hotel window, I could see the sandy beach and the long coastline. One afternoon, we took a speedboat to a small island for snorkeling. The water was crystal clear, and the colorful coral reefs and fish amazed me. Besides that, I rented a motorbike and went for a ride on the highway. The sea breeze blowing against me was refreshing, and the sense of freedom and exploration made the experience unforgettable.

At the summer school, after the first day’s R programming course, I chose the Modelling Interventions track. The course covered the theory of compartmental models. Kiesha and Hannah guided us through cost-effectiveness analysis for malaria and modeling the impact of vaccination within this framework. Through practical examples, I gained a deeper understanding of infectious disease modeling. The food in Vietnam was also impressive. The fresh seafood and authentic Vietnamese dishes were unforgettable. Overall, it was a wonderful and memorable experience.