The neo-Baroque university building was constructed between 1927 and 1930. Monumental yet intimate, the French-style landscaped park in front of it is the most attractive of its kind in town. Photo by Kristof Borkowski CC BY-NC 2.0
Join the Intermediate-level workshop on Bayesian occupancy, N-mixture and population modelling
January 23, 2026
An intermediate-level workshop on Bayesian occupancy, N-mixture and population modelling using NIMBLE and JAGS will be held at the University of Debrecen, from 22 to 26 June 2026.
The neo-Baroque university building was constructed between 1927 and 1930. Monumental yet intimate, the French-style landscaped park in front of it is the most attractive of its kind in town. Photo by Kristof Borkowski CC BY-NC 2.0
Marc Kéry and Michael Schaub from the Swiss Ornithological Institute will hold it.
Find complete workshop instructions here.
The instructors will cover key models for the analysis of distribution, abundance, and animal demography, along with their spatial and temporal patterns, in a Bayesian framework, following the book “Bayesian population analysis using WinBUGS” (Academic Press, 2012) in concept. They will introduce Bayesian statistical inference and computation and use the R programs NIMBLE and JAGS to fit and understand some of the most widely used models for the analysis of animal and plant populations.
In this intermediate-level workshop, about 90% of the time is spent on lecturing and 10% on solving exercises. No previous experience with program NIMBLE or JAGS, or Bayesian statistics, is assumed. However, a good working knowledge of modern regression methods (i.e. generalised linear models and some mixed modelling) and of the program R is required.
Place: University of Debrecen
Date: from 22 to 26 June 2026
Price:
Registration: Reduced fees for Master’s and PhD-students and for Central/Eastern European countries
Central/Eastern Europe: Student € 75; Regular € 150
Elsewhere: Student € 150; Regular € 300
Please send your application to Michael Schaub (michael.schaub@vogelwarte.ch), with cc to Zoltán Németh (nemethzoltan@science.unideb.hu), describing your background and knowledge in statistical modelling, R and NIMBLE/JAGS, by 25 February 2026 at the latest. Workshop invitations with practical information will be sent out immediately afterwards.
Photo of University of Debrecen, main building by Horváth Árpád, CC BY-SA 2.0