Computer Science in Action
By Parth (Year 12)
It was an honour for my classmates and me to attend the Computer Science in Action day held at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster. The day gave us energetic, interactive sessions, which allowed us to explore cutting-edge research as well as how this can be applied to real-world problems. This hugely ignited our interest and passion for computer science, proving to be a very useful day.
The event was hosted by Professor Matthew Leeke, who began with an educational yet still energetic attitude, breaking the ice and setting the tone for the day. The first talk was by Dan Aldred, development manager at Cambridge International Education. In this, he discussed his own creative projects, such as creating a wearable glove to control the flight of a drone, as well as sharing seven tips for success in both computer science and life in general. This sparked great interest, showing how valuable creativity can be in computer science and how we can think in different ways to succeed and innovate.
Following this was Dr. Tishtrya Mehta, a data scientist working with the government. She gave a wonderfully interesting talk on how AI conveys meaning, going into the details of natural language processing. This talk was incredibly engaging and caused a desire for me and many of my classmates to research further into AI and NLP. After this, Dr. Chris Howe of ai.io gave a talk on the applications of AI to sports. This talk provided insight into how AI can have real-world applications in a more relatable manner. The use of AI to give young athletes around the world opportunities to be scouted was truly inspiring and emphasised how computer science can make a huge impact on individuals’ lives.
After a short lunch break, we then listened to another talk from the host, this time on tips for exams. Although this was not as specific to computer science, it provided very helpful practical advice for improving academically. This was followed by a talk by cloud engineer Caleb Oniwinde, who explained how cloud computing is crucial to the tech industry and broke down its key concepts. This was incredibly helpful and sparked the interest of my peers and me in cloud computing.
The day ended with an inspirational talk by Sue Black OBE, a computer scientist and technology evangelist at Durham University. She talked us through the struggles she faced in her life, from grief and loss to domestic abuse, and her constant fights for the welfare of what she cares about. Her impact in saving the funding of Bletchley Park was truly inspirational, not just from the perspective of a student, but as a human being. This talk was impactful for all of us, emphasising that despite difficult circumstances, it is possible to accomplish your goals.
Overall, the day at the Emmanuel Centre was incredibly fruitful for all of us. We feel very lucky to attend a school that offers opportunities for learning and igniting passion like this, and my peers and I look forward to delving deeper into the world of computer science.
