INVITATION ONLY
For 2026, we are proud to have funded 60 summer placements at 11 host universities for students and graduates, to build their AI research knowledge, skills, networks and employability. To honour the achievements of this year’s cohort, we are bringing together everyone who participated for a unique and special celebration to meet students and faculty, and hear from AI leaders about the opportunities and careers in AI.
Attendees will also get to learn about the Academy’s Awardee Excellence Community, a growing community of Academy awardees from different backgrounds, regions and disciplines across the world, who receive access to exclusive events and opportunities.
AI is a growing field that is projected to be a significant part of our lives in the future. As an increasingly diverse society, can we truly say that the AI industry reflects the society it serves? Launched in 2024, the Google DeepMind Research Ready scheme aims to support undergraduates and recent graduates from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, with the tools and opportunities to progress into research and careers in AI.
Over 130 students have received funded AI placements so far, providing an opportunity and experience that will reduce their barriers into AI employment, and a way for the AI industry to diversify its workers and skillsets in the future. Our goal is to build an engineering community fit for the future, to create a world that is inclusive and functional for everyone's needs.
Programme*
|
12.00pm |
Registration and lunch |
|
1.00pm |
Welcome address |
|
1.05pm |
Keynote speech Paul Komarek, Research Engineering, Google DeepMind |
|
1.30pm |
Introduction to the Academy |
|
1.40pm |
Panel discussion |
|
2.20pm |
Q&A open to the audience |
|
2.40pm |
Networking and exhibition |
|
3.30pm |
Closing remarks |
|
4.00pm |
Close of event |
* Programme is subject to change.
Photography notice
Please note that photography will take place during this event. All photographs will be securely stored on the Academy’s servers and used for editorial, marketing and media use by the Academy and selected press or industry media. Please let us know if you do not agree to this processing. Please refer to our General Privacy Policy for more details.
Venue and accessibility
It is very important to the Royal Academy of Engineering that our events are accessible to all. If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the Events team more than one week in advance of this event so that necessary arrangements can be made. Contact details: [email protected].
Further information about accessibility at Prince Philip House can be found at: https://raeng.org.uk/about-us/accessibility.
Diversity monitoring form
The Academy is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and one of our goals is to develop an engineering community fit for the future. To help us achieve this, we would like to collect some basic anonymous data about the event attendees. If you would like to help, please complete the diversity monitoring form by logging into your user account on our website and completing ‘Update my D&I data’.