We are pleased to announce that the STFC Astronomy and AI online event on Wednesday 3rd July and the following STFC Astronomy and AI summer school with public engagement, are now open to a wider audience! Any astronomy PhD students may register for the online event, while the summer school is limited to STFC-funded astronomy PhD students. For both the online event and summer school, we are also accepting registration from final year undergraduate & master’s students in physics and computer science. Female students are especially encouraged to apply. The timetable for the summer school has also been changed – see below for more details.

STFC Astronomy and AI online event

https://futureofknowledge.com/astronomy-and-ai-online-event/ 

Aiming to provide panel discussions and example use cases of AI in astronomy, this event will be held on Wednesday 3rd July, now aiming to reach a wider diversity of students: any astronomy PhD students may apply, as well as final year undergraduate & master’s students in physics and computer science – female students are especially encouraged to apply. This event will host two panels of astronomy PhD students and researchers with experience in using AI and deep learning, to discuss the broader questions about AI. Alongside this, a number of recorded case studies will be released online, showcasing how researchers in astronomy are using AI and deep learning in their own work.

STFC Astronomy and AI summer school with public engagement

https://futureofknowledge.com/summer-school/

Our summer school will now take place over three days from Wednesday 10th to Friday 12th July at Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK, and is aimed at STFC-funded astronomy PhD students as well as final year undergraduate & master’s students in physics and computer science – female students are especially encouraged to apply. The summer school places emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach of bringing together knowledge and researchers from different fields utilising AI, to devise solutions and create new opportunities. There is also the opportunity for attendees to participate in outreach training and a public engagement activity. We will provide seminars, workshops and one-to-one conversations where participants can learn about current uses of AI, collaborate to co-create new projects and get expert perspectives on their work. Participants will explore and gain insights in three key areas:

• What are the roles of AI in astronomy and in the sciences more broadly?
• What do curiosity and knowledge creation look like in a world of AI?
• Public engagement and working with AI and immersive technologies to engage new audiences in astronomy, which will involve outreach training on the Thursday.

We will support face-to-face, hybrid and online engagement. The summer school will take place at Augustine House Library, with those wishing to attend in person staying in university accommodation next to the venue. Participants have the option to stay another night and contribute to a public engagement event for schools on Friday 12th, involving working with immersive tech to communicate ideas in astronomy, and assessing generative AI as a tool for creating activities and puzzles relating to your work.

To register and find out more, follow the links above.

Thanks,
James Pearson (james.pearson@open.ac.uk) & Prof Berry Billingsley (berry.billingsley@canterbury.ac.uk)