Episode 110: Impactful Open Source: Teaching Open Source Technology Managers at Brandeis, with Ken Udas and Georg Link

Guests Ken Udas | Georg Link Panelist Richard Littauer Show Notes Hello and welcome to a special episode of Sustain. This is the Impactful Open Source series, part of a former podcast host by Richard Littauer. This is the podcast where we talk about taking source code and moving it until it makes an impact on the world at large, either on cities, universities, or governments. Today, I have two special guests, Ken Udas, who is the Program Officer at Open Source Technology Management Program at Brandeis University, where he has been founding a new course on open source. Also, Georg Link, who is of the assistants there and is the Director of Sales at Bitergia and Founder of the CHAOSS Project. We will learn all about the program at Brandeis University and how it works and the how the courses were designed into three areas. Also, we find out how Brandeis fits into the open source ecosystem in the next five to ten years and the flexible model they are using to help. Download this episode now to find out more! [00:02:16] Ken tells us all about the program at Brandeis University and how it works. [00:04:46] Richard asks Ken since open source program offices are run by one or two people, there’s not many in the world and it’s a problem, so what he’s trying to solve is figuring out how do we get more people to run these offices and he’s not trying to get more people making open source software. [00:07:45] Ken and Georg share with us the hands-on stuff they are teaching the students, having mentors, and how they designed the courses in three areas: Community, Production, and Business. [00:12:56] Richard asks Georg is all of the resources are open source, if it’s all viewable anywhere, and if he can see the presentation mock-ups. [00:14:16] Richard wonders what’s the level of open source that Ken and Georg work with. Georg tells us about the experts that he’s pulled in when he designed the community. We also learn how many students he has. [00:18:07] Ken tells us how he thinks Brandeis will fit into the open source ecosystem in the next five to ten years. He explains a model that they put together to be flexible. Also, we find out about their unique program. [00:24:16] Georg mentions one of the cool things he’s noticed just from the first few courses, is the importance of connecting the learners with the open source ecosystem. [00:25:52] Richard wants to know how they started figuring out and have the idea that there’s nobody to do this work, and how did they have the idea to have a university course and Ken explains. [00:30:27] Find out where you can learn more about the program and where you can find Ken and Georg on the internet. Links SustainOSS SustainOSS Twitter SustainOSS Discourse Ken Udas- Latent Pattern Transmission Ken Udas Twitter Georg Link Website Georg Link Twitter CHAOSS CHAOSScast podcast Bitergia Brandeis -Open Source Technology Management OSI (Open Source Initiative) Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Special Guests: Georg Link and Ken Udas.