- Time: 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Format: Networking breakfast with structured discussion and panel discussion
As high-performance computing (HPC) evolves to meet the demands of modern science and industry, system administrators across Australasia are facing a convergence of critical challenges. The increasing complexity of heterogeneous environments, driven by specialised accelerators, tight budgets, and evolving software stacks, demands agile, scalable, and reproducible infrastructure solutions.
Compounding technical challenges is a pronounced skills shortage. Fewer junior sysadmins are entering the field with foundational command-line experience, forcing teams to consider new models of talent development, such as structured training straight from university. These pressures underscore the importance of fostering a strong, collaborative HPC community in the ANZ and broader Australasian region, one that can share knowledge, tools, and strategies for building resilient and efficient infrastructure.
Through conversation with WHPC+ Australasia Chapter, the Australian Systems Administrator Group and SharonAI, we will explore ways to strengthen and grow the technical and digital research community across Australia.
About Women+ in HPC Australasia
The Australasian Chapter of the global organisation Women in High Performance Computing (WHPC) aims to better support diversity within Australia’s and New Zealand’s HPC and eResearch sectors.
We’ve added a “+” to our Chapter’s name, as we welcome people from all backgrounds and perspectives beyond gender to join our community – we all have a part to play in supporting diversity and inclusion.
Watch our 3min video on Why the WHPC Australasian Chapter in important or view the longer 8min version.
Our goals
- identifying opportunities and future activities to improve diversity, inclusion, balance and belonging in HPC and eResearch
- increasing the engagement of women in HPC
- increasing the number of women in HPC
- fostering collaboration and connections amongst existing diversity and inclusion initiatives
Contact us by email at ahoy@whpcanz.org.
About the Australian HPC Sysadmin SIG
The Australian HPC Sysadmin SIG is a collaborative community that brings together high-performance computing (HPC) system administrators from across Australia and New Zealand. While unofficial discussions take place on Slack, covering a wide range of topics such as technical challenges, infrastructure design, security, and user support, the group also convenes formally once a year at the eResearch Australasia conference. These annual meetings, whether through roundtable discussions or conference workshop, provide an opportunity for in-person engagement and knowledge exchange. The primary goal of the SIG is to foster connection and collaboration among professionals in this niche field, filling a gap where no other dedicated platform currently exists to support HPC sysadmins in the region.