Computing – Looking back to the future

More £10,000 scholarships

We were yet again over the moon to be awarded a share of £8 million by the Office for Students to support the delivery of our AI and Data Science conversion course to underrepresented groups, to increase diversity. Continuing our invaluable work in widening participation and providing accessibility to higher education for many, we have been able to offer scholarships of £10,000 each to 27 students to study MSc Applied AI and Data Science. We still have a number of these left for our January and May 2024 starts, so please share this fantastic opportunity amongst your networks.

On the airwaves

Dr Shakeel Ahmad, Associate Professor in Computing, was invited as a panel expert during Community Hour on Unity 101 to discuss, ‘Artificial Intelligence: How will this shape our future?’. He was supported by Sasha Westlake, one of our MSc Applied AI and Data Science students, about her experience of studying our flagship course. As a conversion course, we encourage applicants from any subject background, including, BA (Hons) Hair and Make-up, which Sasha studied at undergraduate level. She thrived on the course and now works as a Business Analyst for Boeing.

Digital Bootcamp

Some of our students from the Department of Science and Engineering were selected to attend the European Innovation Academy Bootcamp in Porto over the summer, supported by our careers service, Solent Futures. This incredible entrepreneurial adventure brought them not only a fantastic opportunity to learn from Silicon Valley mentors, but meet new people, network, and attend hands-on workshops.

Made up of 110 teams, the global entrepreneurial bootcamp saw students from 70 countries competing to launch a business start-up in just 15 days. Three of our students from MSc Applied AI and Data Science were in the top ten teams, who were then given the opportunity to pitch to a wider audience.

Masoumeh Vejdannia, MSc Applied AI and Data Science student was in one of the top teams and cinched the prestigious ‘Bigger Prize’ at EIA2023 said, “I'm proud to share that our motivation, hard work, and exceptional teamwork, combined with the knowledge I gained from Solent University and the guidance of my professors led us to a remarkable achievement. I want to express my deepest gratitude to Solent University and the Department of Science and Engineering for their unwavering support. This achievement would not have been possible without their guidance and belief in our potential. Thank you for being a crucial part of this incredible journey.”

We can’t wait to hear where AI takes them next, we predict great success.

Celebrating student success

We’re enjoying seeing our current students develop and making the most of the opportunities their course and lecturers offer. Chris Hodges, BSc (Hons) Computer Systems and Networks Engineering student, has just secured a placement at CISCO, providing a great opportunity to add to his skills and knowledge, which he says offers “potential progression into a graduate position after I complete my degree.”

July saw almost 200 exceptional computing students graduate from Solent, cheered on by their friends, families, peers, and all of us as they embark on their next chapter.

We’ve also spent the year catching up with our successful alumni and their thriving careers, from getting their dream jobs to great promotions. Read more about our alumni stories. 

We want to offer our thanks to all our students for their hard work, dedication and enthusiasm for this fulfilling subject and wish them well on their next byte of success ahead.

Research active: Smart cities, collaborative robotics and boosting the efficiency of the solar energy system

Our PhD students and staff have been active with their research to improve systems, and lives.

Sonia Hassan, a PhD student at Solent, presented her research at the IEEE International Smart Cities Conference (ISC2) in Romania in September. Her paper explores the innovative Data As Partner (DAP) philosophy as a transformative approach to organisational data strategy, drawing upon established concepts of information value, technology acceptance, and inclusivity for people with disabilities (PwD) in smart cities. Her key findings offer valuable insights for refining the DAP framework and optimising its integration into real-world scenarios, in empowering individuals in smart cities, especially those with disabilities.

Dr Bacha, a senior lecturer in Data Science, published two research papers in Materials Today Communications journal having Q2 ranking with impact factor of 3.662. The papers addressed the interesting problems of using machine learning algorithms in a rather unconventional research area of material sciences to propose a metasurface-based solar absorber having a simple symmetric square-ring structure with an intent to boost the efficiency of the solar energy system. Dr Bacha has collaborated with a research group at the Information Technology University, Lahore, Pakistan, and proposed a data-driven machine learning approach to predict the optical response more robustly resulting with decision tree algorithm performing exceptionally fast and accurate.

Dr Raza Hassan, a senior lecturer in Data Science, published three research articles in IntechOpen, the Journal of Supercomputing, and Plos. These articles highlight Dr Raza's dedication to enhancing data transmission and securing information through artificial intelligence (AI), and cooperative motion planning for multiple robots, underscoring his engagement in AI-driven advancements within collaborative robotics. Collectively, these research endeavours showcase Dr Raza as a thought leader, positioning him at the forefront of AI and data science, and shaping the future of technological innovation.

Watch this space for further exciting developments.