About this day
For A-level, IB, BTEC Level 3 and T Level Computer Science students
Join us this autumn for an action-packed day exploring the world of computer science! Through high-energy, interactive sessions, students will dive into cutting-edge research, tackle real-world tech challenges, and discover just how exciting computer science can be.
Our incredible speakers, from leading academics to industry innovators, will showcase the power of technology, revealing its impact on everything from AI and robotics, to gaming and brain-computer interfaces. We want students to see that computer science is shaping the future, and they can be part of it!
A special Exam Success session will provide students with expert strategies to boost confidence and exam performance. With live polls, quizzes, and plenty of opportunities to engage with speakers, this is computer science like never before.
Host and Exam Session: Prof. Matthew Leeke (University of Birmingham)
“It was a very smoothly organised event and my students found all the sessions insightful. As a teacher I had myself wishing to be a student again! It was an inspiring day.”
– Ruislip High School –
Programme & speakers
Fireside chat with Professor Matthew Leeke Mike Bithell, Director, Bithell Games
Award-winning game designer Mike Bithell, creator of the acclaimed puzzle-platform hit game Thomas Was Alone and founder of Bithell Games, joins Prof. Matthew Leeke for a fascinating conversation on storytelling, creativity, and innovation in modern game development.
About Mike Bithell
Mike is a videogame director and designer who has worked at studios large and small, but is best known for games like Thomas Was Alone, Subsurface Circular and TRON: Catalyst.
Robots that work together Amanda Prorok, Professor of Collective Intelligence and Robotics , University of Cambridge
What happens when robots work together to achieve complex tasks, and how do we program our robots to work together efficiently? Explore how new algorithms for coordination can help us solve some pressing problems in transport and logistics.
About Dr Amanda Prorok
Amanda Prorok is Professor of Collective Intelligence and Robotics in the Department of Computer Science and Technology at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Pembroke College. Her research lab designs algorithms for coordinating systems composed of multiple autonomous robots.
Brain-Computer Interfaces, in our Everyday Lives! Max Wilson, Brain Data Group, University of Nottingham
You can now buy brain scanners online for less than the price of a phone, and we expect soon they will be built into your glasses and VR headsets. This is transforming scientific research because now we will start to get brain data from millions of people over repeated sessions, rather than only in the lab as one-off occasions. These new Brain-Computer Interfaces are also creating many new opportunities for us to build brain-controlled VR and other experiences.
About Dr Max Wilson
Max is the head of the Brain Data Group in the School of Computer Science, at the University of Nottingham, studying consumer neurotechnology, studying people with scientific neurotechnology, and building brain-controlled VR.
If you aren't paying, you're the product - how you're secretly working for Big AI Emma Byrne, Science Writer and Communicator
From CAPTCHAs to conversations, from social media to stolen books and films, is Big AI making us all into digital serfs? Let’s take a deep dive into the world of AI with Emma Byrne!
About Dr Emma Byrne
Emma Byrne began her research career in computational neuroscience in the early 2000s. She is also an award-winning author and broadcaster on the topics of AI and neuroscience, and is the recipient of the 2025 Rosalind Franklin medal.
The Human Story of AI Caroline Shenton-Taylor, Applied Nuclear Physicist, University of Surrey
In a Fix with pattern recognition? Need a textbook Rich with AI ideas? Behind the breakthroughs in artificial intelligence are the people who dreamed it first. Curious minds with bold ideas, training electronic machines to do the unimaginable. This talk celebrates the hidden pioneers who made the smart technology we use today. A fun and fascinating adventure following the stories of AI’s early innovators, including Evelyn Fix and Elaine Rich!
About Dr Caroline Shenton-Taylor
Caroline is an applied nuclear physicist, sitting at the interface between industry and academia. Her team specialise in neural networks, artificial intelligence and novel methods, addressing challenges in nuclear security, nuclear decommissioning and medicine. Winner of UK Famelab 2014, she regularly speaks at festivals, on radio and YouTube (Dr CST).