A two-day event aimed at training government officials to work with Artificial Intelligence, organised by the Department of Computer Science, was hosted by Royal Holloway last week.
The training event saw Royal Holloway welcome 100 senior leaders to the university’s Egham campus. Officials came from 34 departments across government – including HMRC, Home Office, Department for Transport, Department for Education, along with key figures from 10 Downing Street.
This event was jointly funded by 10 Downing Street and our School of Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences (EPMS), with the aim of equipping the civil service with the necessary skills to effectively apply AI to address key challenges in the public sector.
Earlier this year, Dr Khuong An Nguyen from the Department of Computer Science visited the Cabinet Office and 10 Downing Street to collaborate with the government on AI initiatives. It was during this visit that the idea of organising an AI training event at Royal Holloway was suggested.
Officials were treated to a comprehensive agenda of talks and hands-on sessions across the two days. The first day focused on data and tools, including a talk from Professor Hugh Shanahan on the importance of data in AI, and a session on data processing and visualisation with Professor Zhiyuan Luo.
Day two introduced essential AI concepts applied to such data, with sessions on supervised learning with Dr Nicolo Colombo, unsupervised learning with Professor Volodya Vovk, and generative AI with Professor Chris Watkins. Officials also had the opportunity to apply these AI concepts on real-world datasets through hands-on lab sessions with Dr Matteo Fontana.
Dr Khuong An Nguyen, who organised the event said: “In the latest ‘AI in government’ report from the Cabinet Office in March 2024, 70% of civil service found ‘skills’ as a barrier to AI adoption. That’s why our Computer Science staff designed this training course, to help officials understand AI concepts, explain AI behaviours, and apply AI techniques in their daily work.
“For many years, we have taught students, trained business executives, and supported industry partners. It is now our endeavour to help the government upskill its workforce and create a new AI-capable civil service to better serve the public.”
Professor Mark Fellowes, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic Strategy, Planning and Resources at Royal Holloway, added: “We are proud to have hosted this important event, equipping government leaders with the skills to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.
“This collaboration highlights the vital role that universities play in bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world application, ensuring that our country’s public sector is well-prepared to harness the power of AI.”
