Practice-Oriented Artificial Intelligence

Program Overview

The PrO-AI doctoral program trains AI experts who connect AI technology with real-world problems in various domains. Through a Foundation Year and three years of PhD study, students develop adaptable skills, engage in research under academic mentors and industry partners, and contribute to solving critical challenges with the responsible use of AI. The program fosters graduates who can seamlessly transition between different fields, driving innovation and societal impact through the application of AI techniques.

Program Outline

Practice-oriented artificial intelligence aims to bridge the gap between complex problem domains in science and research and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms and techniques that could be used to solve problems in those domains. The program aims to develop AI experts who can act as a bridge between domain experts and AI technology.

Objectives:

• Train experts with the flexibility to adapt to new domains during their careers.
• Deliver highly-trained AI innovators with transferable skills to deliver societal impact across domains.

Program Description:

The PrO-AI doctoral training program consists of a Foundation Year followed by three years of PhD study.

Outline:

Foundation Year:

• Practice projects offer 'deep dives' into a research domain.
• The 'Foundations of Practice-Oriented AI' module covers:
• Main topics in data-driven AI, knowledge-intensive AI, and human-AI interaction.
• Human-centered and participatory methodologies to bring AI techniques into practice.
• Academic mentors guide students in identifying areas for further study.
• Students develop an online portfolio of transferable skills training.

PhD Study:

• Students choose a research topic and conduct original research.

Teaching:

• Student-led, 'flipped classroom' approach.
• Industry partners enhance the training program.

Careers:

• Graduates have the skills to adapt quickly to new problem domains in science and research.
• Graduates can pursue careers in research groups or industries worldwide.

Other:

• The program has funding to support approximately ten studentships per year.
• The program is ranked fifth for research in the UK (Times Higher Education).
• 94% of the program's research is assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.

UK: full-time £4,758 per year Overseas: full-time £26,000 per year For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.