The workshop will take place on August 07, 2025, on Zoom and Youtube Livestreaming
About The Data Science Summer School
The Data Science Summer School is a series of free and open-source theoretical and practical workshops on the exciting methods and technologies currently employed by industry, government, and civil society to address the world's most complex problems today. It is organized by the Hertie School Data Science Lab with funding and support from the Hertie School and the Dieter Schwarz Foundation
Workshop Details
What exactly is an AI agent—and how do you build one from scratch? In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore the foundations of autonomous AI agents, from basic architecture to real-world applications. Designed for beginners, the course introduces key concepts such as goal-driven behavior, agent-environment interaction, memory and planning, and the use of large language models (LLMs) as reasoning engines.
You’ll learn how to build simple agents using Python and popular frameworks, and see how agents can be customized to perform tasks like information retrieval, workflow automation, or data analysis. By the end, you'll have created your own functioning agent and gained the tools to continue exploring this rapidly evolving field.
No prior experience with AI agents is required, but basic Python knowledge is recommended.
Content Licensing
All workshop materials and recording are under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 license. You are free to share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, and adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material. However, you must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. You may not use the material for commercial purposes. If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
Workshop Materials
To be updated
Instructor
Huy Dang
Dang Ngoc Huy is Manager of the Hertie School's Data Science Lab and Programme Coordinator for its innovative Master of Data Science for Public Policy (MDS). A Hertie alum (MPP 2020), he helped design the MDS curriculum and supports lab instructors in delivering applied data science and public policy education, bringing hands‑on experience with machine learning, AI‑generated art, and computer vision. Before joining Hertie, Huy worked as a government official at Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance and as a strategic investment specialist with the IFC.
Schedule (Central European Summer Time - CEST)
Session Starts
Building Autonomous AI Agents (Part I)
Short Break
Session Continues
Building Autonomous AI Agents (Part II)