We spoke with STAI CDT students Elfia Bezou-Vrakatseli and Andrei-Bogdan Balcau, who both took part in the 2024/2025 Turing PhD Enrichment Scheme, to reflect on their experiences and insights gained during the programme.
This prestigious scheme offers UK university doctoral students the opportunity to undertake a six- or nine-month placement at The Alan Turing Institute in London, joining a vibrant cohort of PhD researchers in data science and AI. During the placement, students collaborate with the Institute’s diverse research community, gain valuable interdisciplinary experience, and develop new skills that enhance and enrich their doctoral research.
What were the main focus areas of your work during the Turing Enrichment Scheme?
Elfia: As part of the Ethics and Responsible Innovation team, I focused on AI ethics, transparency, and explainability. I gained practical experience in AI policy, public trust, and interpretability challenges.
Andrei: As an Enrichment Student, I primarily engaged in digital twinning training sessions and workshops at the Turing. Through these, I explored methods for ensuring the trustworthy development of digital twins and their applications in domains such as cardiac modelling and natural or built environment systems.
What were your highlights of taking part in the scheme?
Elfia: A highlight was organising a session with my Turing team at the TechUK Digital Ethics Summit 2024, called “Ethics in Action: A World Café with the Alan Turing Institute”. There, we facilitated discussions on ethical, safe, and responsible AI innovation in the public sector.
Andrei: It was really rewarding to have the opportunity to exchange ideas with researchers across disciplines. This has also significantly broadened my academic network.
How has participating in the Turing Enrichment Scheme influenced your PhD research and future career aspirations?
Elfia: The scheme’s interdisciplinary environment exposed me to cutting-edge research and enriched my technical and communication skills through workshops and seminars. Collaborating with peers and Turing Fellows expanded my network and inspired new research directions. The experience broadened both the scope and depth of my research, refining my empirical methods and fostering a critical, impact-oriented perspective. It strengthened my commitment to ensuring AI is both technically robust and socially responsible. Looking ahead, it has deepened my appreciation for the societal impact of trustworthy AI and will continue to guide my career path at the intersection of research, policy, and real-world applications.
Andrei: Participating in the scheme has deepened my understanding of Digital Twinning research, both within the Turing community and across the wider UK research landscape. The interdisciplinary experiences and connections I developed have strengthened the impact and scope of my PhD work, and positioned me at the forefront of emerging research in digital twinning. These experiences have also reinforced my aspiration to pursue a research career that bridges computational modelling and real-world applications.