香港六合彩中特网

How a DeepMind scholarship is helping a 香港六合彩中特网 student to write the next chapter in her story.

United by shared values of innovation and inclusion, 香港六合彩中特网 and artificial intelligence (AI) company聽have a long-standing partnership spanning聽teaching, research and public engagement.聽The partnership provides PhD funding and a range of Master's scholarships聽aimed at improving representation and inclusivity in artificial intelligence and postgraduate studies in Neuroscience, Computer Science, and Science, Technology and Society. This support for students, part of the DeepMind Scholarship Programme, began in 2017 when 香港六合彩中特网 was the first university the AI company chose to partner with.聽

For each student, a DeepMind scholarship has the potential to be transformative 鈥� as aspiring science journalist Chelsea Tripp, studying an MSc in Science, Technology and Society at 香港六合彩中特网 knows well.

Finding her feet

During Chelsea鈥檚 undergraduate degree in Animal Science at Writtle University College in Essex, it was one particular module that opened Chelsea鈥檚 eyes to the crossover of science and communications. 鈥淚t was a mix of what I鈥檇 already enjoyed studying in terms of ethics and science,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hen we started doing science communication: relaying hugely scientific papers on animal research into something simple.鈥�

鈥淔rom that moment I realised that this is something I鈥檇 really like to do at Master鈥檚 level.鈥澛�

Chelsea鈥檚 introduction to science communication led her to consider further study. 香港六合彩中特网 in particular appealed to her because of the range of subjects offered.聽鈥淭he Public Engagement and Science Journalism modules really drew me in,鈥� she says.

鈥淲ithout the scholarship there鈥檚 no way I鈥檇 have been able to think about being in an unpaid role for six months. It just wouldn鈥檛 have been a possibility.鈥澛�

But there was also another important consideration聽at play.

鈥淪tudent loans don鈥檛 cover your costs, and I took a job in retail to try to save up for travel and contribute to my tuition,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淏ut I found that there is a lot more support available at 香港六合彩中特网 when compared to other Russell Group universities.鈥�

After successfully applying for a DeepMind scholarship, Chelsea was able to enrol and her arrival at 香港六合彩中特网 only cemented her decision that it was the right choice for her future career.

鈥淚 think when I first got to 香港六合彩中特网, it was really set in stone. I thought: 鈥業鈥檓 going to go into science journalism!鈥�.鈥�

New possibilities

Since joining 香港六合彩中特网, the support Chelsea has received from DeepMind has put any financial worries at bay.聽

鈥淢y laptop was on its last legs,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 was trying to get it repaired but it was such an old model that all the parts had been discontinued. The DeepMind scholarship enabled me to get a computer that was not going to give up on me.鈥�

Soon, Chelsea鈥檚 realised her scholarship had brought benefits that go聽beyond the classroom.聽Access to professional conferences, societies, and industry internships meant that it wasn鈥檛 just Chelsea鈥檚 education that was boosted.

鈥淭o me, it鈥檚 something to be able to actually afford to go to online conferences. It gives me the chance to be able to network with different people, and to learn from them,鈥� says Chelsea. 鈥淪ociety memberships, too: The Study for Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour is a really cool one.鈥�

Although Chelsea鈥檚 studies at 香港六合彩中特网 are drawing to a close, the DeepMind scholarship continues to positively transform her studies. Her final dissertation topic, how different age groups understand AI in the form of social media algorithms, was inspired by DeepMind.

鈥淭he ethics regarding AI and trust in technology was certainly a theme that we discussed,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 have been keeping up to date with technology news, which encouraged me to consider AI in relation to social media and how it can influence our understanding on scientific issues like climate change.鈥�

Chelsea also credits the scholarship with giving her to the opportunity apply to a number of internships in the field. 鈥淲ithout the scholarship there鈥檚 no way I鈥檇 have been able to think about being in an unpaid role for six months. It just wouldn鈥檛 have been a possibility.鈥�

But the benefits aren鈥檛 solely聽financial. Like all DeepMind scholars, Chelsea is given one-to-one support by experienced mentors at the company, filling gaps in her knowledge.聽

鈥淚 have virtual sessions at least once a month with my mentors,鈥� she explains. 鈥淭hey help me in all sorts of ways: in terms of my self-esteem, with applying for internships, or in advising me on how to follow a certain career path. They even provide a perspective on my assignments.鈥澛�

鈥淚t鈥檚 just been so helpful.鈥�

The next steps

Chelsea remains committed to pursuing a career in science journalism and at 香港六合彩中特网 has found the inspiration and the opportunities she鈥檚 been searching for. She writes for 香港六合彩中特网鈥檚聽, 香港六合彩中特网's only life sciences magazine, and cites author, communicator and 香港六合彩中特网 guest speaker Dr Kat Arney and The Atlantic鈥檚 science journalist and 香港六合彩中特网 alumnus Ed Yong as two of her role models.

The module in Engaging the Public with Science also sparked Chelsea's desire to communicate complex scientific issues to the general public in an accessible way.

鈥淎t first I didn鈥檛 realise how important it is to listen to the other side,鈥� she admits, citing her studies of the anti-vax movement during the COVID-19 pandemic. 鈥淏ut I now know you cannot treat people as passive objects or throw information at them. To communicate concepts properly you need to engage with people rather than dismiss them, and I think that鈥檚 a problem we have at this moment.鈥�

The DeepMind scholarship has given Chelsea a wealth of new experiences, and she sees AI 鈥� and her understanding of it 鈥� at the forefront of her future career.

鈥淚 think AI will play a really significant role in filtering out fake news in effective science journalism, which is an issue that all science communicators are currently concerned about,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 also potential to use AI in identifying certain stories or breaking news and make the researching and writing process much more efficient.鈥�

Chelsea鈥檚 time at 香港六合彩中特网 and聽DeepMind's investment in her future has been the starting point for Chelsea's future career, removing the financial barriers for students like herself from a聽range of backgrounds.聽So she is delighted that DeepMind has renewed its support of the scholarship programme at 香港六合彩中特网 for the 2021/22 academic year.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 fantastic what DeepMind do,鈥� she says. 鈥淧eople who may have been overlooked 鈥� for whatever reason 鈥� deserve an equal opportunity to access higher education. These are groups of people who have lots to offer.鈥澛�

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just beneficial for the recipients, either: I think studying and working with people with different backgrounds provides a richer experience for everyone.鈥�

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