A new talent academy at the University of Edinburgh will support the ‘next generation of AI experts’.
Five scholarships have been offered to students at the university thanks to a scheme unveiled by the national standards body, BSI.
Under the initiative, students attending key courses at the university will have their tuition fees paid as well as contributions to living expenses, commencing in September.
It applies to those taking Edinburgh Futures Institute’s Masters in AI and Data Ethics, as well as undergraduate AI-related courses in computer science and cognitive science.
Three of the AI scholarships have been offered to undergraduates from Black African and Caribbean heritage applicants from socio-economically challenged backgrounds as part of the University’s partnership with the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation (CSF).
The AI Talent Academy, which is being championed by business improvement and standard company BSI’s regulatory services division, will also provide the opportunity for all five students to join BSI once they graduate.
The AI Talent Academy was launched at an event at the University of Edinburgh bringing AI experts from both parties together, as well as representatives from the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation.
Manuela Gazzard, president, regulatory services at BSI, said: “We’re genuinely excited to be partnering with the University of Edinburgh and the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation to help educate and equip tomorrow’s talent; and influence the existence of a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable AI community.
“This collaboration reinforces BSI’s purpose – ‘impact for a fair society and sustainable world’, and we hope there will be an opportunity to build on the scholarship’s success by affiliating with other academic institutions in the future.
“We wish all of the students who have successfully secured a scholarship the very best of luck for the year ahead – we are looking forward to watching them thrive.”
Professor Shannon Vallor, director of the Centre for Technomoral Futures at the University of Edinburgh, said: “We are excited for our students to learn from our interdisciplinary degree that draws from the university’s leading experts in the ethics of data and AI, with the added opportunity of gaining practical experience in promoting sustainable and responsible technology at BSI when they graduate.
“We are delighted that BSI is our partner in supporting the growing demand for ethical skills in the AI and data workforce. The BSI scholarships are truly an incredible opportunity for our students who are intent on becoming the next generation of AI experts.”
