Last month, students and staff from the STAI CDT came together at Cumberland Lodge for the annual STAI CDT retreat. The event provided an opportunity to reflect on the past year, explore future career pathways and strengthen connections across the cohort through a range of professional development and team-building activities.
Exploring Future Careers
Career development was a central theme of this year’s retreat. Students took part in a practical session focused on CV writing and career planning, gaining valuable insights into opportunities both within and beyond academia.
Representatives from the Architecture and Technology Group Formal team, from the semiconductor company, Arm, gave a very informative talk where they shared their experiences of working in industry, offered advice on applications and recruitment processes, and provided guidance on how students can tailor their CVs for industrial roles.
Students also had the opportunity to discuss career pathways in academia with STAI CDT Director Professor Elizabeth Black and STAI CDT former Director and Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost of the University of Sussex, Professor Michael Luck, who answered questions about building a successful academic career.
These sessions were followed by CV review activities, giving students the chance to reflect on their skills, experiences and career ambitions, and to consider how best to present these to future employers.
Learning from Alumni
On Friday, we were delighted to welcome six STAI CDT alumni back to the programme to share their experiences since graduation and answer questions from current students.
The discussion highlighted the wide range of career paths available to STAI CDT graduates. Alumni reflected on their experiences of working in start-ups, securing research funding, undertaking postdoctoral positions in the UK and overseas, and delivering impactful research projects.
Among the speakers:
- Benedikt Brueckner shared his experience of working in a start-up setting, offering insights into how research is shaped by client needs and how this differs from a more traditional academic environment.
- Alex Jackson spoke about securing and delivering an ARIA-funded research project, sharing insights into the experience and the key lessons he learned along the way.
- Mackenzie Jorgensen reflected on her post-doctoral projects and how seeing the real-world impact of her work has shaped her career choices and motivations.
- Elfia Bezou Vrakatseli discussed her experience of undertaking a postdoctoral position abroad and her plans for the future.
- Madeleine Waller shared her insights about postdoctoral research as a stepping stone to exploring different fields and longer-term career goals.
- Richard Wallis reflected on securing postdoctoral funding from the UK AI Security Institute (AISI) and his experience transitioning into the next stage of his research career.
We are incredibly proud of our alumni and grateful that they took the time to share their experiences. Their insights provided valuable inspiration and practical advice for current students as they consider their own next steps.
Cohort Bonding
Alongside the professional development activities, the retreat also provided plenty of opportunities for students and staff to connect and have fun together.
One of the highlights was the Scrapheap Challenge, where teams were tasked with using a collection of everyday materials to transport an object from one side of a space to the other using momentum alone. The challenge showcased impressive creativity, problem-solving and teamwork, with teams demonstrating excellent communication skills as they worked together to develop innovative solutions.
STAI CDT student Sam Goring also led a highly entertaining game of Presentation Roulette. Students and staff were challenged to present on random topics using a set of unfamiliar slides, resulting in plenty of laughter while also providing valuable practice in presentation and public speaking skills.
Reflecting on AI Safety and Fairness in Research
The retreat also included a thought-provoking student-led session, “Can AI Safety and Fairness Tools Be Truly Objective?”, delivered by STAI CDT aligned PhD students Ma’ayan Armony, Oliver Bloodworth and Irem Yoldas.
The session explored the challenges of objectivity in AI safety and fairness research through a series of case studies, an interactive quiz and group discussion. Participants were encouraged to reflect on how their own perspectives, assumptions and decisions can influence the research process and the tools they develop.
The engaging session prompted valuable conversations across the cohort, encouraging students to think critically about the societal and ethical dimensions of their work and the responsibility researchers have in shaping the future of AI.
Overall, the STAI CDT retreat once again demonstrated the value of bringing our community together. Through engaging discussions, career development opportunities, alumni insights and collaborative activities, students and staff left Cumberland Lodge with new ideas, stronger connections and fresh inspiration for the year ahead.