WSI news

WSI Research Pilot Projects Call 2022/23

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

WSI Stimulus Fund Call 2022/23

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Web Science CDT Alumna wins Vice-Chancellor Award

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Dr Sami Kanza has been recognised in the annual Vice-Chancellor Awards for her contributions to the University's ‘Triple Helix’ strategy.

Celebrating Computer Science at ��ɫ��Ƶ

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0100

��ɫ��Ƶ's Regius Professor of Computer Science recognised with international award

Thu, 12 May 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Doctoral students showcase research at latest cohort conference

Thu, 05 May 2022 00:00:00 +0100

UK-India AI Collaboration Initiative announced

Wed, 04 May 2022 00:00:00 +0100

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a wave of new UK-India collaboration on artificial intelligence. The initiative aims to grow innovation and prosperity in both countries, and harness the power of emerging technology to confront global challenges.

Can Jazz and AI co-exist?

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100

New Editor-in-Chief of Royal Society Open Science journal announced

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Work after Covid19: What do our futures look like?

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Z21 Innovation Funded projects, latest successes

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0100

��ɫ��Ƶ Doctoral Students join the Turing Enrichment Scheme

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Thirty colleagues appointed as Turing Fellows for 2021-22 academic year

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0100

��ɫ��Ƶ experts using tech to help diagnose and treat COVID-19

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Web Science success

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0100

The Birth of Web Science Podcast

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Professor Steven Meers, Dstl, in conversation with Professor Dame Wendy Hall

Mon, 31 May 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Head of AI Lab at Dstl, Professor Steven Meers joined Wendy online to discuss and share their perspectives on the latest developments in Human Centred AI and Autonomous Systems.

New data sharing initiative in ��ɫ��Ƶ to improve public health and patient care

Thu, 20 May 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Web Science Doctoral Student co-authors Ofcom report

Thu, 06 May 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Emily Burden, an iPhD student with the Web Science Centre for Doctoral Training, recently co-authored a report on online hate regulation, with Professor Helen Margetts OBE, and Dr Bertie Vidgen.

13th ACM Web Science Conference 2021 hosted by the ��ɫ��Ƶ - REGISTRATION OPEN!

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Join world leaders in Web Science research, technology, industry and policy-making at this global, interdisciplinary event to explore how Web Science can help us address the challenges and opportunities we face from the effects of the pandemic and other global threats.

WSI announces new Director

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

The Web Science Institute is delighted to announce that Anneke Lucassen will be joining our team as WSI Director.

Z21 project uses artificial intelligence to protect online customers

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Dr Matthew Ryan named as new Policy Director

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

WSI hosts Distinguished Lecture with Red Dot Founder & CEO, ElsaMarie D'Silva

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

The Future of Text Book: A 2020 Vision - join the launch event, 20 November 2020

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Web Science Institute features in a special edition of Spotlight on Research

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

In a special issue of Spotlight on Research, WSI Executive Director, Professor Dame Wendy Hall, shares her insight into the interdisciplinary work, the impact COVID-19 has had on future plans and details how you can get involved.

Z21 Projects | Latest news

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0100

The Z21 Innovation Fund was founded by the Web Science Institute (WSI) in 2017. Working with theSolent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) a funding programme was set up fund proof of concept projects which had the potential to be accelerated into new businesses and create new jobs in the Solent region.

Author David Birch talks about his latest book to students and academics

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0100

CDT Students participate in 'virtual' NExT++ Workshop

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0100

CDT Web Science Students were given the opportunity to participate in the 7th NExT++ Workshop, held virtually on 11 September 2020.

Shining a spotlight on Web Science – a resounding success

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Wendy Hall features in BBC's Inside Science

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0100

WebSci20 panel feature in BBC's Digital Planet

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0100

WebSci'20 launches virtually!

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0100

COVID-19 pandemic lockdown meant plans to hold the international ACM Web Science Conference 2020 (#WebSci20) physically at the University of ��ɫ��Ƶ were in tatters.

'The Future of work in the Age of Covid-19' with Dr Daniel Susskind

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0100

On 10 June, the WSI, in partnership with the Work Futures Research Centre hosted a virtual Distinguished Lecture. This was the first time that the WSI had hosted a Distinguished Lecture online and it was thrilled to have almost 250 participants.

Work Futures Research Centre (WFRC) relaunches

Tue, 19 May 2020 00:00:00 +0100

With the future of the nature and form of work being particularly uncertain at the present time, the ��ɫ��Ƶ's Work Futures Research Centre (WFRC) is relaunching, with a new-look and an exciting programme of activities.

Why data trusts could help us better respond and rebuild from COVID-19 globally

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0100

On April 15, 2020 - Lord Tim Clement-Jones and Dame Wendy Hall shared perspectives on "Why data trusts could help us better respond and rebuild from COVID-19 globally" as part of a live video discussion moderated by David Bray, PhD, Atlantic Council GeoTech Center Director on the role of Data Trusts in the global response to and recovery from COVID-19.

WSI Director Speaks to Parliamentarians at Portcullis House

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000

On 27th February, WSI Director with responsibility for policy, Kieron O’Hara, gave a keynote at the annual Parliament and Internet Conference, at Portcullis House, Westminster.

Impact of data-driven agency on life and the law explored in new book

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Leading scholars in computer science, law, philosophy and politics have assessed the momentous impact of data-driven agency on society in a newly published book.

Four Internets | 'Communications of the ACM' article by Kieron O'Hara and Wendy Hall

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000

The vision of an open Internet is characteristic of Silicon Valley's tech pioneers. The free and efficient flow of packets of bits requires decentralization to prevent bottlenecks occurring at the central points as the system scales, open standards to allow interoperability, and IP addresses to identify the correct destination.

CDT students attend Web Science workshop in Bangalore, India

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

A group of CDT students took up the opportunity to participate in the 2020 Web Science for Development Workshop. Hosted by the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Bangalore, the three day event brought together professionals from several domains to address issues relevant to the World Wide Web and humanity.

Dstl hosts Web Science Cohort Conference

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

This year’s CDT annual Cohort Conference took place at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) in Portsdown West, hosted by Maire Byrne, a CDT alumna, now employed at Dstl.

��ɫ��Ƶ Data Science Academy to deliver IFoA Certificate in Data Science

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Jointly accredited by the WSI and the IFoA, this new standalone credential, launches in the first quarter of this year, and will offer IFoA members a practical introduction to the concepts, tools and techniques of data science within an actuarial context.

The CDT hosts its annual writing retreat at Cumberland Lodge, near Windsor

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

The residential event was attended by nine final year PhD students who were embarking on writing up their research.

'The dream of a global internet is edging towards destruction' by Kieron O'Hara and Wendy Hall

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

WSI Director's Wendy Hall and Kieron O'Hara talk about five competing visions for the internet in a article featured in The Wired World in 2020.

WSI White Paper: Building Trust through Data Foundations

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000

A new White Paper has been published that sets out how to embody a Data Governance Model which builds trust, particularly when used with large group data sharing, within and between different organisations through the legal structure of a Data Foundation in the Channel Islands.

iPhD students celebrate successful MSc year

Sun, 22 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Professor Dame Wendy Hall features in Royal Society’s People of Science

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Professor Dame Wendy Hall features in a new series of short films featuring Fellows of the Royal Society discussing their favourite scientists in history.

WSI Executive Director named one of the most influential people in UK technology

Thu, 05 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Professor Dame Wendy Hall from the ��ɫ��Ƶ has been announced on the 10th annual UKtech50 - a list of the most influential people in the UK tech sector and is the only academic to appear on the prestigious list, published by Computer Weekly.

CDT Students participate in NExT++ Workshop, Singapore

Fri, 29 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000

CDT Web Science Students were given the opportunity to participate in the latest NExT++ Workshop, held on 11-12 November at the Carlton Hotel, Singapore along with ��ɫ��Ƶ academics, Dr Mark Weal and Professor Dame Wendy Hall.

Web Science PhD student represents the CDT at Beyond Conference 2019

Fri, 29 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Clare Walsh, who is in the final stages of her Web Science PhD, was selected to represent the CDT at the annual conference, which took place in Edinburgh from 20-21 November.

12th International ACM Conference on Web Science to be held in ��ɫ��Ƶ, UK

Thu, 24 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0100

The Web Science Institute will be hosting the next ACM Web Science Conference in ��ɫ��Ƶ from 7th-10th July 2020.

WSI Distinguished Lecture with Professor Phil Howard

Mon, 14 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0100

The latest in our series of Distinguished Lectures was held at the ��ɫ��Ƶ on Tuesday 8 October to a packed lecture theatre.

WSI Academic Advisory Board member awarded prestigious fellowship

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Dr Matthew Ryan, who is a Lecturer in Governance and Public Policy, was awarded a UK Research and Innovation Future Leader Fellowship along with fellow University academic, Dr Christina Vanderwel.

WSI hosts its first AI for Future Society (AIFS) Week

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Run in tandem with the WSTNet Web Science Summer School, AIFS Week 2019 offered PhD students the opportunity to participate in day sessions on the key topics of Digital Futures, Machine Learning and Deep Learning, Ethics for Researchers, and the Future of AI.

Technical Challenges in delivering a Digital Built Britain | A seminar with Dr Matthew West

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0100

We were delighted to host a seminar with Dr Matthew West on Friday 13 September at the ��ɫ��Ƶ. This was a fantastic opportunity for students and staff alike to hear him explore the issues that building a 'digital Britain' raises, and the approaches that have been taken in other industries to meet the requirements they give rise to.

WSTNet Web Science Summer School comes to ��ɫ��Ƶ

Mon, 16 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0100

The WSI was delighted to host this year’s annual WSTNet Web Science Summer School, co-ordinated by Professor Les Carr and Dr Mark Weal. WWSSS’19 addressed the interdisciplinary theme of “Web Science and AI for Future Society” through a broad range of sessions covering Digital Futures, Machine Learning and Deep Learning, ethics for researchers, data visualisation and the Future of AI.

Professor Pauline Leonard joins the WSI team as Director

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Pauline Leonard is Professor of Sociology and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and of the Royal Society of Arts.

'��ɫ��Ƶ's finest invention and its pioneer tech start ups'

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0100

In a recent article published in the Daily Telegraph, Ellie Zolfagharifard talks about how the City of ��ɫ��Ƶ is 'beginning to inspire a new generation of technology pioneers'.

Colleagues Getting Coffee Vlog with Wendy Hall

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Wendy talks about all things AI, machine learning, women in digital, automation and the future.

MSc students focus on influencing and communicating

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0100

As the MSc Web Science summer project kicked off in June, this year’s cohort took up the opportunity to attend a half day interactive training session.

Computer scientists enhance crowdsourcing techniques for sustainable disaster relief

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Researchers from the ��ɫ��Ƶ are testing strategies that will sustain and improve crowdsourced analysis of drone footage in humanitarian relief efforts.

Web Science Institute & the ��ɫ��Ƶ Library host a talk by Kate Zwaard and Dr Colleen Shogan from the US Library of Congress

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Students celebrate at the ��ɫ��Ƶ's Summer Graduation

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Rob Blair, Jennifer Gaskell, Anna Weston, Gefion Thuermer and Jack Webster from the Web Science DTC/CDT received their Doctorates at the summer ceremony on 23 July 2019.

CDT students showcase their research at WebSci’19

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0100

The 11th ACM Web Science conference (WebSci’19) took place at Northeastern University in Boston from 30 June to 3 July with the theme of "Synergies for the Good: The Web and Society”. This annual event attracts an international audience and offers researchers from multiple disciplines the opportunity to discuss a wide range of topical social and technical topics.

AI through the looking glass: Webinar with Professor Dame Wendy Hall

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Co-chair of the UK Government’s review on Artificial Intelligence, Regius Professor Dame Wendy Hall, discussed the future of AI and its ethical, economic and social implications in this keynote address.

BBC Media editor, Amol Rajan asks 'What kind of internet do you want?'

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0100

In an article written by Amol Rajan for the BBC News online, he talks about how he has been influenced by a paper written by Professor Dame Wendy Hall and Dr Keiron O'Hara.

Data Infrastructures for the AI Economy Workshop, 24 June 2019

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Hosted by the Centre for Machine Intelligence and Web Science Institute with support from the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account, the workshop brought together businesses, government, the Alan Turing Institute, the Open Data Institute, the ��ɫ��Ƶ Connect Initiative, and researchers from the ��ɫ��Ƶ.

WSI to host WSTNet Web Science Summer School 2019

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0100

The WSI will be hosting the WSTNet Web Science Summer School this year at the ��ɫ��Ƶ between 8-13 September.

The UK Government Office for Artificial Intelligence visits ��ɫ��Ƶ

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Public Policy ��ɫ��Ƶ recently co-ordinated a visit from the Government Office for Artificial Intelligence, which is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the AI and Data Grand Challenge.

Research projects QROWD and SCIFI produce new publication: Citizen-Centric Services for Smarter Cities

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Insights into WAIS projects QROWD and SCIFI have been brought together in a new publication on citizen-centric development of smart city services, designed to assist cities in their smart city journeys.

Z21 startup announces $1.1m Seed round

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Aura Vision, which began its journey with crucial early investment from the Z21 Innovation fund has raised a $1.1M seed round, from a mix of angel investors, angel funds and corporate venture funds.

Data Protection by Design: Building the foundations of trustworthy data sharing

Sun, 02 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0100

The ��ɫ��Ƶ will be presenting a paper on the popular topic of Data Trusts at the Data for Policy Conference which is due to take place at UCL, London on 11-12 June 2019.

Members of the ICO visit ��ɫ��Ƶ

Fri, 24 May 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Simon McDougall and Reuben Binns from the Information Commissioner’s Office visited the University to give a talk on Privacy, Data Protection and Auditing, to Web Science CDT students on Tuesday 21 May 2019.

CDT Students participate in Next++ Workshop, Singapore

Wed, 01 May 2019 00:00:00 +0100

CDT Web Science Students were given the opportunity to visit Singapore and participate in a NExT++ Project Workshop as part of their Web Science iPhD programme.

CDT students take part in a Media Training event

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0100

We were delighted to have Bill Thompson who is Principle Research Engineer in Research and Development (R&D) at the BBC run a half day training event at the ��ɫ��Ƶ, to help develop students ability to communicate their research to the world using various types of media.

CDT students participate in Government policy-making workshop

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Four Web Science PhD students took the opportunity to try out their policy-making skills during a visit to the Houses of Parliament, organised by Public Policy ��ɫ��Ƶ. They met MPs and participated in a Treasury workshop led by the Cabinet Office Open Innovation Team. Using government expenditure data, the group were tasked with generating their own policy decisions to make budget savings in keeping with the requirements of the Government’s forthcoming Spending Review.

Best New Innovator 2019

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Z21 funded project 'Boon' has taken home the Best New Innovator Award at Venturefest South 2019.

Z21 funded project 'Intro' to feature at Venturefest South 2019

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Founders, Tom Phipps and Max Beech, will be keynote speakers at Venturefest South 2019. In addition, their QR tech is being built into every stand which will allow every exhibiting business to have a profile on their platform - that's over 100 businesses!

Short online courses with ��ɫ��Ƶ Data Science Academy - 50% discount for UOS staff and students

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

We offer a range of Continuing Professional Development courses (CPD) in Data Science and are primarily targeted at professionals requiring general as well as sector related skills in this fascinating area.

Z21 startup takes its place at Silicon Valley's Y Combinator accelerator

Fri, 22 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Aura Vision, a Z21 Innovation project, outshone thousands of candidates to join the latest cohort of the world-famous accelerator, which has launched countless global brands including Airbnb, Dropbox and Reddit.

POLITICO AI Summit - Keynote interview with Professor Dame Wendy Hall

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Watch the exclusive interview where Professor Hall highlights the work the UK is leading on data trusts, AI skills and more.

Web Science Doctoral Training Centre celebrates 10 years of Web Science doctoral research

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

The EPSRC Web Science Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) recently marked the end of its ten year grant with a showcase highlighting the achievements of alumni and current students.

MSc students present research project proposals

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

This year’s MSc Web Science students had their first opportunity to share their current research interests with an audience of CDT students. The session was chaired by MSc Programme Leader Professor Les Carr and CDT Director, Dr Mark Weal. The MSc summer projects would be developed in due course into full PhD research proposals by those students continuing onto year 2 of the iPhD Web Science programme.

CDT students enhance their academic networking skills

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Doctoral researchers from the Web Science CDT and South Coast DTP joined forces to take part in an interactive networking session led by Impact Factory.

Social Machines book published

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

A new book "The Theory and Practice of Social Machines" has been published by Springer. This is an exciting new output from the SOCIAM project in which the ��ɫ��Ƶ was a partner.

Professor Susan Halford delivers her ex-augural lecture

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Professor Susan Halford delivered a lecture entitled "Digital Futures: the difference Web Science makes", at the ��ɫ��Ƶ on Monday 11 February to a room full of ex colleagues, external guests and past and present students.

Ordnance Survey hosts CDT conference

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Jeremy Morley, Chief Geospatial Scientist, welcomed CDT students to the Ordnance Survey Headquarters in ��ɫ��Ƶ for their annual cohort conference.

W3C UK and Ireland office host two day event to discuss digital accessibilty

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

The W3C UK and Ireland office based in the ��ɫ��Ƶ, hosted a two day meeting of 13 members of the Cognitive and Learning Disabilities Accessibility Task Force (Cognitive A11Y TF) on January 28th and 29th 2019.

Dagstuhl Seminar: 10 Years of Web Science report published

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

The report, co-authored by Professor Susan Halford, documents the program and the outcomes of Dagstuhl Seminar that took place in Schloss Dagstuhl from 25-29 June 2018.

WSI Brochure

Fri, 04 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Our new brochure has been published and is now available to view and download.

Z21 Innovation Fund: Call for Applications for MVP Funding

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The Z21 Innovation Fund is a collaboration between the Web Science Institute (WSI) at the ��ɫ��Ƶ and the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The mission of the Fund is to accelerate ��ɫ��Ƶ Web startups towards investment and rapid growth and create high-tech jobs in the Solent region.

CDT Annual Winter Networking Event

Mon, 17 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Over fifty CDT students, alumni and staff gathered for the annual Winter Networking event at the Maritimo Lounge in Ocean Village, ��ɫ��Ƶ.

iPhD students celebrate MSc Graduation

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The CDT’s 2017 cohort have completed the MSc Web Science programme and received their awards at the University’s Winter Graduation ceremony.

A Distinguished Lecture with Rob Kitchin

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Rob Kitchin, Professor at the Institute of Social Science, Maynooth University delivered a Distinguished Lecture on 5 December 2018 at the ��ɫ��Ƶ.

Four Internets: The Geopolitics of Digital Governance - Paper published

Mon, 10 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Paper published today in CIGI (Centre for International Govenance Innovation) by Dame Wendy Hall and Dr Kieron O'Hara.

BOON spreads the joy of Christmas giving using artificial intelligence

Mon, 10 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Another Z21 Innovation project BOON, goes live today.

CDT Students attend an International Workshop at the University of Naples Frederico II

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

CDT students and staff participated in an international workshop on Digital Research Designs with staff and students from the Social Sciences department at the University of Naples Federico II.

WSI hosts a workshop with Academics from Tsinghau Universtiy

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The event which took place on 26-27 November 2018 at the Grand Harbour Hotel in ��ɫ��Ƶ, was attended by a wide range of experts from both ��ɫ��Ƶ and Tsinghau Universities, Imperial College, London, and ��ɫ��Ƶ Connect.

Do You Know How Much Data You Are Giving Away?

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Dr Kate Lyle worked with CDT students to produce a public engagement activity about Big Data as part of her RAEng Ingenious Award funded project.

CDT students participate in research workshop in China

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

A group of students were invited to participate in a two day workshop at the Nanjing University of Science and Technology, China, between 30 October and 3 November 2018.

Lecture and discussion with Liam Maxwell

Thu, 08 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Liam Maxwell, the UK Government’s National Technology Adviser visited the ��ɫ��Ƶ on 26 October to hold a lecture and discussion with our Web Science iPhD students.

A Distinguished Lecture with Alex Rehding

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Alex Rehding, Fanny Peabody Professor of Music at Harvard University delivered a Distinguished Lecture on Monday 29 October 2018 at the ��ɫ��Ƶ.

Web Science CDT welcomes new iPhD Cohort

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0100

The Web Science Centre for Doctoral Training held an Induction event on Monday 24 September to welcome the 2018 cohort of new students to the 4 year integrated Web Science iPhD programme.

Z21 Innovation Fund supports startup BOON

Thu, 20 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Graduate Dylan Grey developed the idea for BOON during his Masters in Electronic Engineering at the ��ɫ��Ƶ and received funding from the Z21 Innovation Fund.

WSI Seminar with George Tilesch

Fri, 14 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0100

George Tilesch visited the ��ɫ��Ƶ on 11 September to give a seminar on the Artificial Intelligence revolution in a talk entitled 'AI: In Whose Image?'

Big Data Engagement at the Farnborough Air Show (20-21/7/2018) and the Country File Roadshow 4-5/8/2018)

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0100

A small team of Web Science students participated in an engagement activity with Dr Kate Lyle around Big Data awareness at both the Farnborough Air Show and the Country File Roadshow this summer.

CDT represented at the Web Science Trust Summer School

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0100

CDT student Fernando Santos Sanchez, based in the Faculty of Medicine, attended the 2018 WST Summer School which was held in Hannover, Germany.

CDT students attend the 2018 Digital Economy Network Summer School

Wed, 18 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0100

The 2018 Summer School, hosted by the Centre for Digital Entertainment was held in the stunning Italian Villa venue in Poole.

Four CDT Students attend Brave Conversations, London

Tue, 03 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Rafael Melgarejo Heredia, Steve Anning, Juljan Krause and Clare Walsh were all invited to participate in a discussion about how the Web has grown, and how they might want it to develop in the future.

Town Hall Meeting | The Alan Turing Institute Partnership | 15 June 2018

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0100

��ɫ��Ƶ staff are invited to attend a Town Hall discussion with Sir Alan Wilson, CEO of The Alan Turing Institute (ATI) the national Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.

Web Science CDT Students attend WebSci18

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Web Science DTC students were given the opportunity to attend the annual Web Science Conference at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Bots, Humans and Business

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Customers are more intelligent and resourceful than ever, and so are machines. Both bring great promise and potential danger to business in a time when government oversight is increasing around the world — and the full implications of our many global challenges are still to play out. This means that it is imperative for business executives and governmental agencies to prepare for this as best they can.

iClic and the Web Science Centre for Doctoral Training host a day of presentations and discussions about the new General Data Protection Regulation

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0100

The conference, hosted by Dr Sophie Stalla-Bourdillion from iClic, and Gefion Thuermer from the Centre for Doctoral Training, took place at the ��ɫ��Ƶ on 25th May, the day the new GDPR came into force.

CDT Students research trip to Hong Kong and Taiwan

Wed, 30 May 2018 00:00:00 +0100

A group of students were invited to participate in a Humanities/Music research trip to visit partner institutions between 17 and 25 May.

CDT Students research visit to Shanghai, China

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Students were invited to participate in a 5 day research trip to Shanghai University in March 2018.

A Distinguished Lecture with Richard Rogers, 'Otherwise Engaged: Social Media from Vanity Metrics to Critical Analytics’

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0100

In a talk to an audience of Academics and Students, Professor Rogers calls for a change in how social networks are studied by Social Researchers.

��ɫ��Ƶ Entrepreneurs secure £100k seed investment for retail customer tracking system

Tue, 27 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Machine learning experts from the ��ɫ��Ƶ have completed a £100,000 seed investment deal for a retail technology startup that has been supported by the Web Science Institute’s Z21 Innovation Fund.

Web Science CDT staff and students attend the EPSRC Digital Economy Network Annual Meeting

Fri, 09 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The meeting which was held at the Digital Catapult Centre, London is an opportunity to discuss plans for DEN activities in the coming year and to network with key stakeholders, staff and students from other DEN Member CDTs.

DTC/CDT Writing Retreat 2018

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The Centre for Doctoral Training 'Writing Retreat' was held this year at Cumberland Lodge, located in the the middle of the Windsor Great Park from 5-8th January.

Wellcome Trust Talk with Tom Scott

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

On Monday 5 February, a number of students attended a talk given by Tom Scott, Head of Digital Engagement at the Wellcome Collection Museum and Library.

CDT Students Research visit to Singapore

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Three of our iPHD students, Claire Walsh, Jonathan Staniforth and Sarah Hewitt spent five days in Singapore and attended The Wellness Seminar 2018.

WSI partners Fawley Waterside: An Intelligent Merchant City

Fri, 12 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The Web Science Institute has partnered with Fawley Waterside Limited as they embark on building a new 'intelligent' town on the outskirts of ��ɫ��Ƶ.

Fully Funded iPhD opportunitites available in the Web Science Centre for Doctoral Training

Thu, 11 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

We are inviting applications now for our 2018 intake. The Web Science Centre for Doctoral Training at ��ɫ��Ƶ is looking for the best and brightest students. The award is open to all disciplines and we currently have PhD students from many different disciplines: Computer Science, Law, Sociology, Music, Languages, Geography, Politics, Education and more.

Web Science students celebrate MSc graduation

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Students who successfully completed the MSc Web Science have been awarded their degrees at the University’s Winter Graduation ceremony.

Z21 feature in Winter edition of RE:ACTION

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Z21 Innovation Fund beta project Aura Vision, founded by 2 PhD students, feature on page 16 of the ��ɫ��Ƶ Winter edition of RE:ACTION. Click on the button below to read the article.

Web Science CDT students get hands on Terrarium-building experience

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The Web Science Center for Doctoral Training held a Terrarium-building workshop led by Will Lawrence, one of our Web Science Students, and his company Jar and Fern.

Playwright Rory Mullarkey visits the Web Science Institute

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Z21 Innovation Fund to accelerate ��ɫ��Ƶ start ups

Wed, 15 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The fund, a collaboration between the ��ɫ��Ƶ and the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), launched on Wednesday 15 November 2017, with an event at the University’s Highfield Campus during Global Entrepreneurship Week that saw representatives of Solent LEP and the Web Science Institute unveil plans alongside investors, external mentors, students and University staff.

Ben Williamson Seminar

Wed, 25 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0100

The Web Science Institute was delighted to host a seminar with Dr Ben Williamson here at the ��ɫ��Ƶ on 25 October 2017.

A Distinguished Lecture with Mireille Hildebrandt

Wed, 11 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0100

The Web Science Institute was delighted to host Mireille Hildebrandt at the ��ɫ��Ƶ on Monday 9 October to deliver the 10th in the series of Web Science Institute Distinguished Lectures, entitled "Interpretation and Prediction: Magical Thinking in ML".

Call for applications for WSI Research Collaboration Stimulus Fund Grants 2017-18, CLOSING DATE 6 September 2017

Thu, 24 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0100

The Web Science Institute has been granted a Research Collaboration Stimulus Fund for 2017/18. This is funded from the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) to stimulate interactions with government, industry and other users of University research and to pump-prime research initiatives that will lead to much larger grant and contract proposals for 2018/19.

iPhD Web Science Student completes a two week work placement at the Houses of Parliament

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Business Stories with Gerard Grech

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Gerard Grech, CEO fo Tech City UK, gave an informal interview with Lohan Presencer on Friday 9 June to both staff and students at the ��ɫ��Ƶ.

Business Stories with Judith Clegg

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0100

The first of our monthly events titled 'Business Stories' was on 12 May 2017, with Judith Clegg, CEO and Founder of Takeout.

Web Science student secures 20k to develop app

Thu, 25 May 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Travis Ralph-Donaldson who attended the ��ɫ��Ƶ's Dragons' Den Competition on Saturday 13 May 2017, has secured the investment for his app 'Handy Kanji'.

iPhD Studentships: Web Science Innovation

Fri, 19 May 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Fully funded 4 year iPhD studentships are available for September 2017 start - Deadline for funding consideration is 31 May 2017.

Web Science goes 'Down Under'

Fri, 19 May 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Professor Susan Halford along with four Web Science students, attend the Brave Conversations 2017 Web Science Conference in Canberra, Australia.

A Distinguished Lecture with Paul Maltby

Fri, 17 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The Web Science Institute was delighted to have Paul Maltby here at the ��ɫ��Ƶ on Friday 10 March, speaking to an audience of Students, Academics and Industry guests about Transformative Data.

A Career in Web Analytics

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Guest speaker Adrian Kingwell, Managing Director, Mezzo Labs, gave a brief overview of what a web analytics agency does and then describe a "day in the life" of a web analyst.

Critical Engagement with Digital Health Technologies for NHS STPs

Fri, 20 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

What happens when forty researchers, patients, entrepreneurs and health and social care staff come together to discuss digital technologies and their impact on NHS sustainability and transformation?

WebScience@10: Celebrations

Fri, 25 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The innovative discipline of Web Science was 10 years old this year, and students and staff were invited to help celebrate this important anniversary by joining the global birthday party on Tuesday 29 November.

WSI Strategic Partnership Manager and ECS Undergraduate Students help put the UK as a leading nation in Building Information Modelling

Thu, 17 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

This pioneering work came about through the research of programme leader and Strategic Partnership Manager at the University’s Web Science Institute, Dr Sepi Chakaveh and has enabled Undergraduate students from Electronics and Computer Science at the ��ɫ��Ƶ to play a part in the development of the UK as a leading nation in Building Information Modelling (BIM).

Fully Funded 4 Year iPhD opportunites available for October 2017.

Thu, 03 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The Web Science Centre for Doctoral Training at the ��ɫ��Ƶ is offering fully funded studentships for 4-year PhD training (MSc + PhD). The combined masters and PhD degree has no fees to pay and a tax-free stipend to study the World Wide Web.

The Web Science Institute was excited to have Professor Jeanette Hofmann deliver a Distinguished Lecture at the ��ɫ��Ƶ on Friday 14 October.

Thu, 03 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Professor Hofmann of the Social Science Research Centre Berlin (WZB) gave a talk entitled "Democratic self-determination in a digital age".

Web visionaries celebrate “strong match” that will promote the development of global Web standards

Fri, 21 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0100

The ��ɫ��Ƶ’s Web Science Institute (WSI) was praised for its “energy and community” at the official launch of a new partnership that will help the adoption and implementation of Web standards in the UK.

WSI hosts a seminar with Anni Rowland-Campbell

Fri, 14 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0100

At the Web Science Institute seminar held earlier this week, Anni Rowland-Campbell spoke on the socio-technical changes that are happening in the world as a result of the Social Machine, which began with the World Wide Web. The talk focused on Tim Berners-Lee proposal of the Web where the “people do the creative work and the machine does the administration”1. Setting out to challenge this, Rowland-Campbell argued that the balance between “man” and “machine” is changing, and the idea of humanity is changing as a result. In her talk she provides a number of suggestions on how this symbiotic relationship between man and machine may play out.

Professor Susan Halford, Director of the Web Science Institute has been made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA).

Thu, 04 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0100

Professor Halford has been honoured by the RSA in recognition of her innovative work as Director of the Web Science Institute, and longstanding contribution to social science research.

Web Science Student awarded WSI Prize

Thu, 28 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0100

Web Science Institute hosts Ethics Symposium at Taylor Wessing, London

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0100

The Web Science Institute hosted an Ethics Symposium at Taylor Wessing, London on Tuesday, 19th July 2016 bringing together experts and practitioners from a wide range of stakeholders who focussed on the specific challenges of data sharing.

WSI Distinguished Lecture with Tom Steinberg

Thu, 14 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0100

The Web Science Instiute was proud to host a Distinguished Lecture with Tom Steinberg, founder of mySociety at the ��ɫ��Ƶ on Friday 8th July 2016.

Web Science Institute Executive Director named as one of the most influential women in UK Engineering

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0100

Professor Dame Wendy Hall from the ��ɫ��Ƶ has been named as one of the ‘Top 50 Women in Engineering’.

The Future of the Internet is at risk say global web experts

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0100

Global web experts, including Professor Dame Wendy Hall, Executive Director of the Web Science Institute, ��ɫ��Ƶ, have warned that the future of the Internet is at a crossroads and we must act quickly to safeguard its future.

World Wide Web Consortium selects Web Science Institute at the ��ɫ��Ƶ to host UK & Ireland Office

Tue, 31 May 2016 00:00:00 +0100

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is pleased to announce that the Web Science Institute (WSI) at the ��ɫ��Ƶ has become the W3C UK & Ireland Office.

Web Science CDT Student wins Best Paper Award at Web Science 2016 Conference

Thu, 26 May 2016 00:00:00 +0100

Niko Tsakalakis, a first year Web Science student at the ��ɫ��Ƶ’s Centre for Doctoral Training, has won the Best Paper Award at this week’s Web Science Conference in Hannover, Germany.

Call for Papers, 3rd International Workshop on the Sharing Economy 15-16 September 2016, ��ɫ��Ƶ

Fri, 20 May 2016 00:00:00 +0100

The submission window opens on February 15th; the deadline is June 1st 2016; notification of authors is July 1st 2016.

Cross Institute Datathon: Asthma

Tue, 17 May 2016 00:00:00 +0100

Initiated by the ��ɫ��Ƶ Institutes, the latest Datathon programme was hosted at the Data Science Institute, Imperial College, creating the opportunity for diverse teams from Web Science, Medical Research, Data Science and Bioinformatics to explore the integration of social machines with medical data around the theme of asthma.

Fully funded PhD opportunities available in the Web Science Centre for Doctoral Training

Fri, 29 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0100

The Web is a foundational technology that supports a mobile infrastructure of social networks and big data services, powering the emerging digital economy. Web Science explores the impact of the Web on all aspects of human society, from the individual right through to national and global scales, on the one hand investigating the technical capabilities of its distributed information infrastructure and on the other scrutinising the public policy and social practices that have made it a transformative global phenomenon.

CEG Digital Announces Partnership with ��ɫ��Ƶ

Thu, 28 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0100

CEG is proud to announce a new partnership with the Web Science Institute at the ��ɫ��Ƶ.

WSI Director Professor Dame Wendy Hall takes research position in the residence at the Library of Congress

Thu, 07 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0100

Professor Dame Wendy Hall has arrived at The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress, Washington DC as the Kluge Chair in Technology and Society. Her tenure began on March 24. She will be in residence for three months.

Twitter celebrates it's 10th Birthday

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 00:00:00 +0100

Professor Dame Wendy Hall and Dr Lisa Harris reflect on the impact of 10 years of Twitter.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall named one of the top fifty most inspirational women in European technology

Fri, 11 Mar 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Web Science Institute Executive Director, Professor Dame Wendy Hall has been named by the Inspiring Fifty programme as one of the top most inspirational women in European technology.

WSI Distinguished Lecture with JP Rangaswami

Mon, 02 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The Web Science Institute was delighted to host a Distinguished Lecture with JP Rangaswami of Deutsche Bank at the ��ɫ��Ƶ on Monday 12 October 2015.

Former Web Science Student awarded major funding for pioneering web solution

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0100

Dr Mike Santer, a former Web Science student at the ��ɫ��Ƶ is the Founder and Director of BluPoint which has been awarded £0.5m by InnovateUK to launch its "pop-up" local web technology.

Cross-Institute Datathon: Mobilisation and Emergency Responses to Natural Disasters, 21 July 2015

Mon, 03 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0100

The Institute for Life Sciences, ��ɫ��Ƶ Marine and Maritime Institute and the Web Science Institute held a one day Cross-Institute Datathon on 21 July 2015, the aim of which was to develop interdisciplinary data analysis skills across the University.

Call for applications for WSI Research Collaboration Stimulus Fund Grants 2015-16 CLOSING DATE 7 August 2015

Mon, 13 Jul 2015 00:00:00 +0100

The Web Science Institute has been granted a £100,000 Research Collaboration Stimulus Fund for 2015/16.This is funded from the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) allocated to the University by HEFCE to stimulate interactions with business, government, industry and other users of University research.

Web Science Institute "One Year On": Privacy and Trust in the Era of Big Data Analytics

Mon, 15 Jun 2015 00:00:00 +0100

The WSI held a special event in London on Monday 8 June to celebrate it's First Birthday bringing together leading figures from Web and Internet Science.

WSI Distinguished Lecture with Professor Chris Lintott

Wed, 06 May 2015 00:00:00 +0100

The Web Science Institute hosted the fourth in its series of Distinguished Lectures at the ��ɫ��Ƶ on Friday 23 April 2015.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall receives Outstanding Contribution to ACM Award

Fri, 01 May 2015 00:00:00 +0100

Professor Dame Wendy Hall has been recognised by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for transforming the way the world views computing.

WSI showcase at the German Embassy in London on 16 April 2015.

Thu, 30 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0100

As part of the German Embassy Talks series, the Web Science Institute took part in an afternoon of presentations, lectures and a panel discussion on the topic "Exploring the Emerging Digital Frontiers: From Mind to Market".

M-H. Carolyn Nguyen of Microsoft talks about Internet Governance at the ��ɫ��Ƶ, Friday 17 April 2015

Thu, 23 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0100

M-H. Carolyn Nguyen, Director in Microsoft's Telecommunications and Internet Governance Group gave a talk on "Rethinking the Internet Governance Dialogue".

WSI Distinguished Lecture with Dr Phil Tetlow

Mon, 23 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The Web Science Institute hosted the third in its series of Distinguished Lectures at the ��ɫ��Ƶ on Monday 23 March 2015.

Watch WSI Directors Professors Susan Halford and Les Carr along with their co-authors in this SAGE Journal of Sociology vodcast.

Tue, 10 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The vodcast discusses two key papers published in Sociology.

Web Science 2015 - Call for Papers and Posters

Thu, 05 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The Web Science conference welcomes participation from all disciplines including, but not limited to, art, computer and information sciences, communication, economics, humanities, informatics, law, linguistics, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology, in pursuit of an understanding of the Web.

The Web Science DTC/CDT hosted the 2015 Web Science Research Sandpit (23rd March - 24th April 2015) which focused on research and innovation in the Web, Internet and Digital Economy

Tue, 24 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The research sandpit was held to answer questions and generate insight on issues relevant to the Web, Internet and Digital Economy, build relationships between Web Science partners, and facilitate networking opportunities for students and trainee researchers and influence their future research directions and careers.

IIIT-Bangalore hosts India's first Web Observatory

Sun, 22 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000

India’s first web observatory was launched at the International Institute of Information Technology–Bangalore on Tuesday 17th February 2015.

Web Science Undergraduate wins a prize in Cyber Security Challenge UK

Tue, 17 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000

19 year old first year Web Science student Mark Cole was one of five contestants from around the UK to be crowned the winning team by a panel of cyber security professionals on Saturday 24th January 2015 in Farnborough.

Professor named in Debrett's 500 most influential people in the UK

Thu, 12 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Dame Professor Wendy Hall, Executive Director of the Web Science Institute has been recognised in the Engineering and Technology category of the prestigious Debrett's 500.

WSI Distinguished Lecture with Professor Evelyn Ruppert

Thu, 05 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The Web Science Institute hosted the second in it's series of Distinguished Lectures at the ��ɫ��Ƶ on Thursday 22 January 2015.

Integrated PhD (MSc+PhD) Web Science - CLOSING DATE MAY 2015

Fri, 23 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The ��ɫ��Ƶ and the Centre for Doctoral Training in Web Science are offering a fully-funded integrated PhD studentship to start on the 21st September 2015. The integrated PhD is a one year MSc followed by a 3 year PhD

"Whose Web is it Anyway?" - Queen's Lecture 2014

Tue, 16 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Professor Dame Wendy Hall delivered this year's Queen's Lecture at the Technische Universitat Berlin on 24 November.

ODI Summit 2014, 3-4 November 2014

Fri, 21 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0000

The ODI Summit 2014 took place across London on the 3-4 November 2014.

WSI Distinguished Lecture with Professor Barry Wellman

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0000

The Web Science Institute hosted it's first in a series of Distinguished Lectures at the ��ɫ��Ƶ on Friday 31 October 2014 with Professor Barry Wellman, Director of NetLab at the University of Toronto, Canada.

Government Chief Technology Officer appointed Visiting Professor

Thu, 09 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0100

The ��ɫ��Ƶ has appointed Liam Maxwell, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for HM Government, as a Visiting Professor.

Professors Susan Halford and Les Carr talk to Class Central about the Web Science MOOC - how the web is changing the world

Fri, 03 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0100

Web Science Institute Directors Susan Halford and Les Carr talk to Class Central about the new Web Science MOOC which starts October 6 on the Futurelearn platform.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall talks Desert Island Discs

Fri, 19 Sep 2014 00:00:00 +0100

Professor Dame Wendy Hall talked to Kirsty Young and selected eight of her favourite recordings to take to the BBC's mystical island.

Web Science Institute Official Launch, June 2014

Thu, 18 Sep 2014 00:00:00 +0100

The ��ɫ��Ƶ officially launched its new world-leading Web Science Institute on Thursday 12 June at the Royal Society in London.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall named Most Influential Woman in UK IT 2014

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0100

Professor Dame Wendy Hall, Director of the Web Science Institute at the ��ɫ��Ƶ, has been named as the most influential woman in UK IT 2014 by a national computing website.

The Web Science Institute officially launches this week

Thu, 12 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0100

The ��ɫ��Ƶ has played a significant role in the development of the Web over the last 25 years, including the foundation of the innovative discipline of Web Science 10 years ago.

Call for Participation - Research Week 2014

Mon, 24 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

The Web Science Research Week will launch a series of research challenges with participation from postgraduate students, researchers and academics from across the University.

WSI and Digital Economy at #IDRW2014

Wed, 22 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0000

A number of WSI and DE USRG members will be participating in events during the Interdisciplinary Research Week at ��ɫ��Ƶ between 23 and 27 March 2014.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall in 'Life Scientific' on Radio 4

Thu, 16 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Professor Dame Wendy Hall talks to professor and presenter, Jim Al-Khalili, about how the Web is still not quite what it should be and about the new discipline she has helped to found, Web Science.

Major funding boost to train the engineers and scientists of tomorrow

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Postgraduate training at the ��ɫ��Ƶ in engineering and scientific fields, important to the UK’s economy, has received a major funding boost through three new Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs).

Web Science paper shortlisted for Sociology prize

Thu, 12 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Susan Halford, Catherine Pope and Mark Weal‘s recent article Digital Futures? Sociological Challenges and Opportunities in the Emergent Semantic Web has been shortlisted for the annual best paper prize by Sociology, the flagship journal of the British Sociological Association.

DTC Student’s Work Featured in The Times

Sat, 30 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Michael Yip, who recently graduated from the Web Science DTC, has had his work featured in the Times in an article about the ‘dark net’. Michael has worked with SOCA during his PhD on the problems of cyber security and now works for the cyber security team at PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

VC launches Web Science Institute #sotonwsi

Tue, 12 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Over 100 people packed into the Nuffield Theatre cafe at the ��ɫ��Ƶ yesterday to partake of some rather good Upton’s sausages and toast the new Web Science Institute.

New Web Science Institute to explore how the Web will shape our future

Mon, 11 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The ��ɫ��Ƶ is launching the new Web Science Institute today (11th November) to investigate how the World Wide Web is changing the world and the world is changing the Web.

Explore the world’s oceans for free with the ��ɫ��Ƶ MOOC

Mon, 04 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The ��ɫ��Ƶ today (4 November) launches its second Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), which will allow people to explore our underwater world and see our planet as never before.

��ɫ��Ƶ launches first MOOC to engage global learners

Wed, 18 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The ��ɫ��Ƶ today (18 September) launches its first Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which will enable anyone to study online, for free, wherever they are in the world.

Web Science and Open Data pioneer receives Knighthood

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Professor Nigel Shadbolt, one of the world’s leading experts in Web Science and the pioneering co-founder of the Open Data Institute (ODI), has been knighted in the 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to science and engineering.

First standard for provenance of information on the Web published

Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

PROV, a worldwide specification for provenance of information on the Web, has reached a key milestone, with the publication of a standard thanks to the work of an international group led by a ��ɫ��Ƶ professor.

��ɫ��Ƶ receives Regius Professorship

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The ��ɫ��Ƶ has been awarded a rare professorship, bestowed by The Queen, to mark its excellence in the field of Computer Science.

��ɫ��Ƶ leads the world on emerging open data industry as ODI opens for business

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The Open Data Institute (ODI), founded by ��ɫ��Ƶ Professors Nigel Shadbolt and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, opens officially today.

UKtech50 recognises ��ɫ��Ƶ’s expertise and influence in UK IT

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Two of the world’s leading experts in Web Science from the ��ɫ��Ƶ have been named in a definitive list of the real movers and shakers in UK IT.

Joint venture to shape the future of the Web

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0000

��ɫ��Ƶ in the UK and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Germany come together to launch SoFWIRed, a new collaborative venture in Web and Internet Science

��ɫ��Ƶ Professor named among most influential women in UK IT

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Professor Dame Wendy Hall, Dean of Physical and Applied Sciences at the ��ɫ��Ƶ, has been named as the second most influential woman in UK IT by a national computing website.

Three ��ɫ��Ƶ Professors listed in the ‘100 most important people in British Science’

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Three Professors from the ��ɫ��Ƶ feature in the list of ‘100 most important figures in British Science’ published in today’s (Thursday 7 October) Times newspaper.

University sets sail for the ��ɫ��Ƶ Boat Show

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The ��ɫ��Ƶ and the National Oceanography Centre will be showcasing their innovative marine research and world-leading maritime related courses at this year’s ��ɫ��Ƶ Boat Show, which starts on Friday.

Institute for Web Science partnership announced

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

The ��ɫ��Ƶ and the University of Oxford have agreed to partner in the establishment of a joint Institute for Web Science.

Key role for Nigel Shadbolt in local government data release

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Professor Nigel Shadbolt of the ��ɫ��Ƶ's School of Electronics and Computer Science has been asked by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and Communities Secretary, John Denham, to lead a panel of experts who will oversee the release of local public data, ensuring that it is linked effectively across relevant agencies, authorities and government departments.

Accelerating business growth in global markets

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The ��ɫ��Ƶ has launched a new business development office in China to explore new research opportunities and attract investment from China to the Solent region.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall elected Fellow of the Royal Society

Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Dame Wendy Hall DBE, Professor of Computer Science at the ��ɫ��Ƶ, has been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, it is announced today (Friday 15 May).

Windsor Castle investiture for ��ɫ��Ƶ's Professor Dame Wendy Hall

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Computer expert, Professor Wendy Hall of the ��ɫ��Ƶ, was at Windsor Castle this week for her investiture as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).

Putting science in the picture

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

A ��ɫ��Ƶ biosciences graduate, who successfully combines his twin passion for science and art, is donating two of his paintings to his former university.

DBE for ��ɫ��Ƶ’s Professor Wendy Hall

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Professor Wendy Hall, CBE, has been appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the New Year Honours List for services to science and technology.

��ɫ��Ƶ wins £15 million to train scientists and engineers for Britain’s future

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The ��ɫ��Ƶ has won funding for three new centres that will generate the scientists needed for Britain’s future, it was announced today (5 December 2008) by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) – the UK funding body for science and engineering.

��ɫ��Ƶ Professor elected to lead global computing organisation

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0100

A ��ɫ��Ƶ professor has been elected president of the world's largest educational and scientific computing society - the first time in 60 years a person outside North America has held the position.

��ɫ��Ƶ and MIT launch World Wide Web research collaboration

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 +0000

AI risks left unchecked, expert warns ahead of UN report

Dame Wendy Hall was speaking ahead of the release of a report about the future of the technology by the United Nation’s AI high-level advisory body.

The ��ɫ��Ƶ Regius Professor of Computer Science is a key contributor to the UN report , which has published a series of recommendations about the development of AI globally.

Dame Wendy, who is the only British expert on the UN body, said: “We are already seeing the impact of AI breakthroughs across health, energy controls, food production, education.

“Artificial intelligence must be allowed to develop for the good of humanity – but, without governance, it has potential to evolve in ways that would be harmful to society.

“At the very least, we hope this report will stimulate meaningful conversations and debate about global governance.”

Dame Wendy joined 31 other experts on the UN’s advisory body, which was set up in 2023 to analyse the international governance of AI.

Its final recommendations, published in the Governing AI for Humanity report, outline areas that experts say will “reap the benefits of AI” while “minimising and mitigating the risks.” These include:

establishing a global dialogue among the major nations developing AI
creating an AI standards charter that establishes regulation
launching a fund to support countries in the global south to benefit from AI
creating an Office for AI – born out of the UN’s AI advisory body

Dame Wendy also warned that some countries risk being “left behind” if the tech remains unregulated.

She added: “Current global efforts to establish AI governance are insufficient.

"We desperately need a global approach that will address the challenges of AI and ensure that it benefits everyone - not just the few nations leading its development.”

Dame Wendy, the director of the Web Science Institute , has been at the forefront of computer science development for 40 years from ��ɫ��Ƶ.

The University itself was recently awarded millions of pounds to lead UK plans to become an AI powerhouse through the Responsible AI UK programme , which is working to develop safe and trustworthy artificial intelligence.

Dame Wendy is also the theme lead for Data, Health and Society at the NIHR ��ɫ��Ƶ Biomedical Research Centre .

Read the UN report at www.un.org/en/ai-advisory-body .

AI risks left unchecked, expert warns ahead of UN report

Dame Wendy Hall was speaking ahead of the release of a report about the future of the technology by the United Nation’s AI high-level advisory body.

The ��ɫ��Ƶ Regius Professor of Computer Science is a key contributor to the UN report , which has published a series of recommendations about the development of AI globally.

Dame Wendy, who is the only British expert on the UN body, said: “We are already seeing the impact of AI breakthroughs across health, energy controls, food production, education.

“Artificial intelligence must be allowed to develop for the good of humanity – but, without governance, it has potential to evolve in ways that would be harmful to society.

“At the very least, we hope this report will stimulate meaningful conversations and debate about global governance.”

Dame Wendy joined 31 other experts on the UN’s advisory body, which was set up in 2023 to analyse the international governance of AI.

establishing a global dialogue among the major nations developing AI
creating an AI standards charter that establishes regulation
launching a fund to support countries in the global south to benefit from AI
creating an Office for AI – born out of the UN’s AI advisory body

Dame Wendy also warned that some countries risk being “left behind” if the tech remains unregulated.

She added: “Current global efforts to establish AI governance are insufficient.

"We desperately need a global approach that will address the challenges of AI and ensure that it benefits everyone - not just the few nations leading its development.”

Dame Wendy, the director of the Web Science Institute , has been at the forefront of computer science development for 40 years from ��ɫ��Ƶ.

Dame Wendy is also the theme lead for Data, Health and Society at the NIHR ��ɫ��Ƶ Biomedical Research Centre .

Read the UN report at www.un.org/en/ai-advisory-body .

Web Science Institute hosts workshop on the role of AI in administrative justice

Working together with the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge, and the Nuffield Foundation, the Web Science Institute (WSI) has hosted the first of four workshops aimed at fostering discussion and generating new research ideas on how to steer the rapid design and development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to deliver just outcomes.

What role could artificial intelligence play in administrative justice?

The first workshop saw the WSI joined by leading voices from industry and academia across disciplines to explore how artificial intelligence could be used in administrative justice.

Each year, the State and public bodies in the UK make millions of decisions about people’s entitlements to welfare benefits, healthcare, housing, and education. A broad conception of administrative justice includes this decision-making. The workshop explored how AI could help improve delivery of administrative justice, including looking at where the possible risks are and how to manage them.

Workshop series

The following three workshops will explore the use of AI in...

Market Failures
Civic AI for Place-based Solutions
AI for Public Health

The workshop series has been commissioned by the Nuffield Foundation in collaboration with the Ada Lovelace Institute, and are led by Professor Diane Coyle at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy and Professor Wendy Hall, director of the WSI.

New AI@��ɫ��Ƶ initiative aims to bring together expertise from across the University and region

Coordinated by the Web Science Institute, AI@��ɫ��Ƶ will help to curate and extend the university’s interdisciplinary network of world-leading AI researchers and researchers using AI.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall recently addressed business leaders from across the region at the Annual Business South Conference, where she took the opportunity to spotlight AI@��ɫ��Ƶ and promote the city as a hub of AI brilliance.

She encouraged industry to collaborate and work with the ��ɫ��Ƶ, saying:

“We have a major opportunity to make ��ɫ��Ƶ an AI City of Excellence and in time, we could scale it up to the whole Central South to be recognised as an AI Region of Excellence. At the University we really want to be working with businesses and Business South’s Action Groups to take this forward.”

AI@��ɫ��Ƶ will also support in building relationships with public service providers, businesses and residents in and around the city as part of Civic AI@��ɫ��Ƶ agenda, which aims to establish ��ɫ��Ƶ as the UK’s first AI City of Excellence.

For anyone interested in finding out more about AI@��ɫ��Ƶ and to get involved, please contact Claire Wilkins, the newly appointed AI@��ɫ��Ƶ Manager on AI@southampton.ac.uk and keep an eye on the SharePoint site for news of upcoming events and opportunities.

New guidance on use of generative AI published in white paper

Written by PhD candidate Arjun Raj Awasthi and sociologist Dr Achala Gupta, the paper considers perspectives from government, academia and industry on the contentious debates surrounding GenAI tools and the new opportunities arising for the higher education sector as a result of their increasing popularity.

Focusing on the impacts and influences of GenAI on academic integrity, accessibility and ethics, the paper offers guidance to higher education institutions looking to responsibly implement new artificial intelligence technologies. Dr Achala Gupta shares more details:

“Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping higher education, bringing both opportunities and challenges. Our white paper unpacks the key debates, policies, and possibilities surrounding GenAI in higher education.

“Across the sector, it is vital to move beyond uncertainties and critically explore how these tools can be responsibly integrated to enhance learning, teaching, and research. We’re thankful to the British Educational Research Association (BERA) for funding this work, and to Public Policy ��ɫ��Ƶ for their support.” To read the full project report from BERA, click here.

The paper is the latest in a portfolio of leading research conducted by the WSI and follows impactful initiatives such as AI@��ɫ��Ƶ which aim to positively contribute to innovation and civic collaboration within the city of ��ɫ��Ƶ and beyond. Read the full paper here or visit the Web Science Institute to discover more about our work.

Professor Thomas Irvine announced as new WSI Deputy Director

Tom, who is also the Head of Music in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, has contributed to the WSI’s success as an associate director since 2018. Responding to his appointment, Professor Irvine shared his excitement:

“I am honoured to have been appointed to a more responsible role at WSI. The institute has been a professional and intellectual home for me for the past eight years, and I am delighted at the chance to give something back to my wonderful colleagues there, continuing to offer the perspectives of a musician and humanities scholar to WSI’s important work as thought leaders on the relationship between humans and technology.”

Tom’s past research has explored the global history of Western Art Music and more recently, as an Alan Turing Fellow, investigated the use of machine learning in jazz composition, highlighting the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to tackling today’s research challenges.

Specifically, he aims to use his new role to foster closer collaboration between faculties and research groups to learn more about how the arts and humanities can help solve critical challenges in web science, data science and AI. He explains:

“I’m really looking forward to helping bring WSI into even closer collaboration with the faculties and the other interdisciplinary institutes. I’m excited to learn more about all the great work being done across the University at the intersection of data and society. The current AI revolution makes this an especially compelling time for us to be exploring this area together.”

Professor Les Carr, Deputy Director of the WSI, expresses his delight in welcoming Tom into his new role:

“Tom has helped us to see Web Science from different perspectives and to broaden our achievements by collaborating with researchers in seemingly unrelated fields. I’m excited to discover what more he can help us accomplish in the future”.

The announcement follows Professor Pauline Leonard’s departure from the role earlier this year. Professor Dame Wendy Hall, Director of the WSI, explains her anticipation for future projects:

“We are so grateful for Pauline’s contributions in developing the WSI and are very pleased that she will continue with us as an associate director. Retaining the brilliant expertise and experience of both Pauline and Tom will ensure that we build on our momentum to position ��ɫ��Ƶ at the forefront of Web Science and AI research.”

To stay up to date with the latest news and research from the Web Science Institute, visit the WSI SharePoint site.

The Roberta Project: Designing Data Trusts for Maternal Health and Wellbeing

How can we empower communities to take control of their own health data in a way that is ethical, inclusive, and impactful?

The project focuses on a growing source of health information: community-based data. This includes everything from fitness trackers and wellbeing apps to personal logs and digital diaries. Although this data is increasingly generated by individuals, more can be done to support its use in meaningful ways to improve care or support research.

The Roberta Project sets out to change that by designing a blueprint for a ‘data trust’ - a framework for individuals and communities to decide how their data should be managed, shared, and used. In this case, the trust is imagined as a way for people affected by pregnancy loss to voluntarily contribute data they generate in daily life, not only to support others through research and policy change, but to ensure their data is handled with care, transparency, and consent. The project is undertaking a series of codesign workshops involving people with lived experience, clinicians, community groups, policy makers, and legal experts. Participants explore scenarios using a fictional character, Roberta, who navigates pregnancy after loss using digital health tools. Through these sessions, participants discuss the realities of using and sharing personal health data, the risks and benefits of data donation, and how a data trust might protect their interests while enabling social good.

Digital health tools are a growing part of people’s lives, but they aren’t always designed with empathy. Some commercial apps fail to account for pregnancy loss, often continuing to send notifications after a miscarriage. Roberta’s story helps participants surface these challenges and reimagine what respectful, inclusive digital health design might look like. Beyond design, the project is also building practical pathways for implementation. It draws on legal models such as the Digital Jersey Data Trust, applying this to maternal health in the UK context.

The Roberta Project connects cutting-edge legal, technical and social insights to explore how data trusts can be piloted in real-world health settings. By creating a space where affected communities co-design how their data is used, the Roberta Project represents a powerful model for participatory data governance. It blends web science, public health, and ethical technology design, championing data stewardship that is not only trustworthy but deeply human.

Web Science Institute Policy Officer Alistair Sackley reflects on pivoting policy strategy in Public Policy

Web Science Institute Policy Officer, Alistair Sackley, reflects on pivoting policy strategy in Public Policy, ��ɫ��Ƶ to focus on institutional expertise where it will make the most difference in THE Campus.

A shift in mindset to prioritise the things that matter most and doing them well paves the way for a hyper-focused, place-based and open-eyed approach to bridging the gap between academia and policymakers, and progress.

Extract:

We don’t just react to the world, we model it. We look for patterns, test assumptions and decide where to place our effort. This is an idea that’s easy to like, but I’ve learned how readily those models warp under pressure. Keep saying yes, keep moving, hope momentum will turn into progress. It often doesn’t.

That was my mistake at Public Policy, ��ɫ��Ƶ. On paper, everything looked promising: strong civic partnerships, direct access to policymakers, visible support from leadership. But I was everywhere and going nowhere.

In academia and policy, I discovered that friction is often mistaken for failure. So, I decided to assume the opposite: that many problems persist because we tackle them at the wrong scale. I began to act as if most problems are local until proven otherwise. In this case, “local” means close enough to understand, fast enough to learn from, and relevant enough to act on. And if I can act, I’m not stuck.

Read the full article

WSI Annual Report 2025

Inside, you’ll find key highlights, developments, and insights into how we’re shaping the future, including:

Accelerating research, education and knowledge exchange in AI;
How we are affecting policy change;
Giving projects a head start;
Spotlight on students;
Shaping a future ready ��ɫ��Ƶ.

Check out the full report and see how we’re making a difference!

Leveraging AI for Societal and Sustainable Good

This workshop was one of many AI-focussed events taking place as part of this months AI@��ɫ��Ƶ Festival 2025.  The festival brings together over 50 contributors from across the University for 10 days of AI related events, talks, workshops and performances open to all staff, providing an opportunity to learn more about the world-leading AI related research, education and training activity from all five faculties. 

The workshop invited researchers and academics from across faculties and career stages to explore, develop and capture emerging research questions on how AI can be used as a tool for the benefit of people, society and the world we live in.

Professor Lindsay-Marie Armstrong, SRI Deputy Director, Associate Professor Lexi Webster, Digital Humanities Deputy Director and Dr Richard Gomer, Senior Computer Science Lecturer shared insights and perspectives from their respective fields and contributed to wider discussions on how AI can be applied to further the development of three key areas:

Society
Sustainability
Data

Conversation focussed not only on known issues, but also on future questions to help shape the research roadmap, including:

What role can/should people and societies play in designing AI-driven solutions that impact the places we work, live and enjoy, and services and systems we use?
How can AI help protect the world around us?
Who owns and controls individual’s data and what policies or agreements are needed to improve access to data sources?

Participants built new connections while scoping out potential research projects of the future - taking into consideration the challenges, opportunities and target stakeholders needed to develop the seed of an idea into a reality. Three potential research areas were identified, these included:

Building energy efficiency: sub-hourly datasets - interpretable AI models - decision making society
Civic partnerships: Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, AI-literacy among citizens with Citizens Advice Bureau, Co-creation projects.
Buildings detection in low and middle income countries using AI: increase accuracy of livelihoods and localities to inform Local Authority, Government and NGO policy.

Bringing three research institutes together for this workshop has uncovered three important and timely topics with real potential for future interdisciplinary research surrounding AI and its impacts on sustainability and/in society.

Researchers have the chance to further explore their ideas through SRI’s research funding opportunities. Applications are open until 20th July for the institute’s annual funding calls:

Responsive & Travel Fund
Proposal Development Seed Fund
Early Career Colleagues Fellowship

Keep in touch with the Institutes

SIAH: Find out more about the themes and work SIAH here
SRI: Details of SRI’s funding calls can be found here
WSI: Register here to stay up to date with news and events from Web Science Institute.

AI@��ɫ��Ƶ officially launches

Spearheaded by Professor Dame Wendy Hall, AI@��ɫ��Ƶ is a new initiative at the University which will accelerate research, education and knowledge exchange in the rapidly evolving and exciting field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The launch event saw Dame Wendy, Director of the Web Science Institute, and Professor Gopal Ramchurnboth speak about the opportunities and excellence in AI related research here at the university, a panel discussion with ��ɫ��Ƶ academics delved deeper into some key questions around AI and the future and then comedian Will Hunt rounded off the evening with an AI themed standup comedy set.

The festival itself was 22 events and over 50 contributors coming together over 10 days to take part in workshops, lectures, seminars, a games night and a film screening all related to AI excellence at ��ɫ��Ƶ.

The launch event and end of the festival activities coincides with the publishing of a new report by the universities of ��ɫ��Ƶ and Cambridge, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, that has outlined the growing role of AI in services like healthcare, local government, and justice. The report also looks at how the technology might be harnessed to improve quality of life. Findings from the report, titled Just outcomes: How can AI make people's lives better?, were drawn from a series of expert workshops involving leaders from healthcare, law, policy and academia. While recognising the potential for AI to improve productivity and economic growth, authors emphasised the importance that people understand the risks and opportunities of the technology for jobs and income.

Co-author, Dame Wendy said: “Artificial Intelligence is too profound a breakthrough not to use — it will help us all lead better lives. But public services won’t automatically deliver fairer or more effective outcomes with AI unless we intentionally design systems in the public interest. Without clear rules, skilled staff and public engagement, we risk building systems that are unfair, intrusive, and alienating.”

Just outcomes: How can AI make people’s lives better?

Findings from the report, titled Just outcomes: How can AI make people's lives better?, were drawn from a series of workshops involving expert leaders from healthcare, law, policy and academia.

The report focuses on new research ideas on how to steer the development and use of AI in the public sector for the benefit of people and society. It also looks at how the technology might be harnessed to improve quality of life.

Administrative justice: AI could reduce errors and delays in judicial decisions — but safeguards are needed to ensure fairness and accountability.  
Local government: Councils could use AI to improve services in planning, transport and care — but must be supported to develop skills and ensure ethical use. 
Public health: AI could analyse health, social and environmental data to predict and prevent illness — but privacy protections and public trust are critical. 
Regulation and markets: With AI development dominated by a few large tech firms, the government should consider alternatives that deliver a wider set of social goods and benefits.

AI is already influencing public service delivery, including council chatbots, GP appointment systems and hospital triage tools. But without robust regulation, public oversight and investment in digital skills, AI adoption could lead to job losses, increase inequality, and hand control to unaccountable tech giants.

Co-author Professor Dame Wendy Hall is a Regius Professor of Computer Science at the ��ɫ��Ƶ and member of the UN’s high-level advisory body on AI. She said: “Artificial Intelligence is too profound a breakthrough not to use — it will help us all lead better lives. “But public services won’t automatically deliver fairer or more effective outcomes with AI unless we intentionally design systems in the public interest. “Without clear rules, skilled staff and public engagement, we risk building systems that are unfair, intrusive, and alienating.”

While recognising the potential for AI to improve productivity and economic growth, authors emphasised the importance that people understand the risks and opportunities of the technology for jobs and income.

Professor Dame Diane Coyle, Co-Director of the Bennett Institute, said: “AI has the potential to improve public services but only if it's used in ways that prioritise fairness, transparency and public value. “The decisions we make now will shape the future of our society. With the right strategy, evidence and collaboration, AI can help build a more just, connected society.”

Just Outcome: How can AI make people’s lives better is available to download now.

WSI Associate Director Professor Michael Boniface appointed to key research role

This initiative is proudly hosted by University Hospital ��ɫ��Ƶ NHS Foundation Trust in collaboration with the ��ɫ��Ƶ’s School of Health Sciences. Following a highly competitive selection process, Professor Boniface’s appointment is a testament to his exceptional contributions to the field of applied health and care research.

Professor Catherine Bowen, the Director Designate of the proposed ARC and current Deputy Director of ARC Wessex, shared her enthusiasm for the appointment:

“Michael emerged as an outstanding candidate. His ground-breaking research during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond has significantly impacted the health and care system. His leadership in the ARC Workforce and Health Systems theme has driven true innovation. With extensive experience in overseeing and implementing large-scale research projects, his contributions have been instrumental in advancing our application for the next ARC.”

Beyond his new role, Professor Boniface serves as the Director of the IT Innovation Centre in the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the ��ɫ��Ƶ. Over his career, he has successfully led international research projects valued at over £14 million.

Reflecting on his appointment, Professor Boniface said: “Creativity, discovery, and the innovative use of health data and technology will be integral in supporting our research efforts to align with the government’s plans to transition health, public health and and social care from analogue to digital. This approach fuels pioneering ideas that have the potential to transform lives. Our ability to swiftly translate these ideas into real-world benefits through collaborative, applied research makes this region an incredibly exciting place to be.”

The proposed new phase of the Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) for the Wessex region is positioned to start in April 2026, spanning five years. If all goes well, this initiative will secure a £16 million investment to enhance applied health and care research. The application to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is currently being reviewed, with a decision anticipated in autumn 2025.

Web Science Institute celebrates 75 years of the Turing Test

This paper, written in 1950, introduces the concept of the Turing Test, which addresses the question of whether machines can think.

Hosted by WSI director Professor Dame Wendy Hall, the event featured insightful keynotes and panel discussions by renowned computer science academics, AI commentators and industry leaders, including Dr Alan Kay, Professor Emeritus Gary Marcus, Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Dr William Isaac, Principal Scientist at Google DeepMind and Professor Yarin Gal from the AI Security Institute. There was also a guest appearance by singer, songwriter Peter Gabriel who has an interest in AI.

Sessions included considering past interpretations of Alan Turing’s work, which were supported by insights from his nephew Sir Dermot Turing of the National Museum of Computing. And discussions focused on its uses and relevance today, and how the future of the Turing Test may be updated to remain fit for purpose amidst rapid developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning technology.

The event, which was attended by over 175 people at the Royal Society and over 1,000 people online, garnered media interest from the BBC, Financial Times, The Economist and Bloomberg, highlighting both its topical themes and the expertise of its panel members.

Attendees were also invited to explore an AI Exhibition, curated by the WSI and The Royal Society, showcasing computing through the 20^th and 21^st Century, from Alan Turing’s early work and the beginnings of AI through to the technology shaping lives and society today.

The positive reception of the event is a testament to the WSI and ��ɫ��Ƶ’s commitment to interdisciplinary and international collaboration, evidenced by the reputation of its attending academics from the University of Oxford, University College London, New York University, the University of Edinburgh, Trinity College Dublin and Université de Montréal. It builds on the WSI’s growing portfolio of leading research in the field of AI, machine learning and computer science.

To find out more about research at WSI, visit the SharePoint site. Or, to see how the event unfolded, watch it back here.

AI@��ɫ��Ƶ officially launches

The report was produced by the Web Science Institute, the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at Cambridge, and the Nuffield Foundation.

Reflections on AI and Education: Insights from the 75th Anniversary of the Turing Paper Event

The event, led by the WSI in collaboration with The Royal Society brought together academic researchers and world-renowned speakers.

Read the full review below.

Reflections on AI and Education: Insights from the 75th Anniversary of the Turing Test event

The event, led by the WSI in collaboration with The Royal Society brought together academic researchers and world-renowned speakers.

Read the full review below.

New guidance outlines AI’s role in making democracy more responsive

Written by Tiago C. Peixoto, a Senior Governance Specialist at the World Bank and visiting professor at the CDF, the paper argues that AI’s real promise lies in making public voice consequential: lowering coordination costs and raising the price of institutional unresponsiveness.

This paper recenters deliberative democracy around a single question: not how citizens form preferences, but whether those preferences have political effect. It clarifies the democratic goods that deliberation at scale could offer, shows how large majorities routinely fail to move policy, and argues for reimagining AI not as a tool for mass conversation but as orchestration infrastructure capable of converting deliberative consensus into coordinated pressure. This is the “algorithmic hand,” an approach that lowers the costs of collective action and raises the costs of institutional non-response.

Tiago C. Peixoto is a Senior Governance Specialist at the World Bank and visiting professor at the Centre for Democratic Futures.

This paper is the latest in a portfolio of leading research conducted by the WSI and follows impactful initiatives such asAI@��ɫ��Ƶ which aim to positively contribute to innovation and civic collaboration within the city of ��ɫ��Ƶ and beyond.

Read the full paper here or visit the Web Science Institute to discover more about our work.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall announced as keynote speaker at India AI Impact Summit 2026

The India AI Impact Summit is a major international convening focused on the societal, economic and governance implications of artificial intelligence, bringing together global leaders from government, industry, academia and civil society. Hosted by the Government of India, the Summit aims to advance inclusive, responsible and impact-driven approaches to AI development, with a strong emphasis on global cooperation and perspectives from the Global South.

Dame Wendy will deliver her keynote alongside leading figures in artificial intelligence, including Demis Hassabis, Nobel Laureate and CEO and Co-Founder of Google DeepMind, and Professor Fei-Fei Li, Co-Director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute. Together, the keynote speakers represent the forefront of research, innovation and policy thinking shaping the future of AI globally.

A leading authority on artificial intelligence, data governance and the future of the web, Dame Wendy has played a central role in shaping international debates on responsible AI, including as Co-Chair of the UK Government’s AI Review, on the UN AI Advisory Board (2023-2024) and as a long-standing advocate for human-centred, trustworthy technologies.

Her participation underscores the Web Science Institute’s continued commitment to interdisciplinary research and global engagement on the challenges and opportunities posed by emerging technologies.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall delivers keynote speech at India AI India Summit

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi opened to global attention including a keynote address from Dame Wendy Hall, Director of the Web Science Institute, whose speech helped set the intellectual tone for the international gathering of AI leaders.

Announced as a keynote speaker alongside figures such as Sir Demis Hassabis, Nobel Laureate and CEO and Co-Founder of Google DeepMind, Dame Wendy’s role underscored the summit’s focus on governance, ethics and global cooperation as much as technical innovation.

In her address, she deliberately shifted attention away from technical advances to the unintended consequences of powerful technologies. Drawing on her early experiences of the Web and its unforeseen societal impacts, she warned against repeating past mistakes.

“It is not enough to ask what a technology can do,” Dame Wendy told delegates. “We must also ask what might go wrong — and how we will mitigate harm while innovation continues at speed.”

Referencing the public release of ChatGPT as a major inflection point, she described AI systems as “social machines” shaped by human behaviour as much as algorithms. She called for sustained global dialogue on values, standards and governance, arguing that while regulation is national, principles must be international. Dame Wendy’s visit to India also included engagement at the ��ɫ��Ƶ Delhi, where she met students and staff to discuss interdisciplinary collaboration in AI — reinforcing the importance of global academic partnerships. Accompanying Wendy at the summit was Professor Thomas Irvine, Deputy Director of the Web Science Institute. Reflecting on the pace of change, he said: “Things are moving quickly, and solid data about what is actually happening is scarce. This is the moment for the academic community — alongside the third sector and yes, the platforms — to step up. We’re ready to do our part at the Web Science Institute.”

He also emphasised the importance of interdisciplinary voices. “Humanities and the arts need to be in the room at these discussions. I met impressive social scientists and creative artists here — their perspectives are essential.”

Together, their presence signalled a strong call for evidence-based, inclusive and globally coordinated AI governance — at a moment when the direction of travel remains firmly in human hands.

For more information on the Web Science Institute please contact wsi@soton.ac.uk

University contributes to AI+Us training programme

AI+Us is a training programme encompassing various initiatives aimed at equipping individuals with the necessary skills to navigate the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. The AI@��ɫ��Ƶ workshop was funded by RAi UK through the AI+Us alliance.

The event, held on Highfield Campus and open to all students, started with an in-depth introduction to GenAI tools, giving participants a strong foundation in ethical practice before moving into an interactive, hands-on session understanding and refining their prompt skills.

In teams, the students then used AI to tackle a variety of community-focused civic challenges drawn from local authorities in the ��ɫ��Ƶ region. They applied their new AI skills to explore ideas and develop solutions, discovering how AI can be used responsibly to benefit society. The day culminated in the presentation of certificates to the teams, celebrating their skill, creativity and teamwork.

The atmosphere throughout was energetic, and full of curiosity. Aime Burn, studying an MA in Artificial Intelligence (Digital Transformation), commented:

“Thank you for such a brilliant event on Saturday. I learned a lot about prompt engineering and also laughed nonstop with my team all day!”

A huge thank you to everyone who made the event possible, and to all our participants for their enthusiasm and engagement. Special thanks to the Digital Learning Team, who have been delivering AI training across the University since 2025.

AI Arts Festival 2026 a resounding success in Winchester

Hosted at the Theatre Royal Winchester and The Arc, the festival brought together artists, researchers, and the public for a packed programme exploring how AI is transforming the arts. From music and theatre to interactive installations, the event highlighted the growing role of technology as a creative partner.

Presented by AI@��ɫ��Ƶ, organised by the Web Science Institute, in partnership with the ��ɫ��Ƶ Institute for Arts and Humanities and Winchester School of Art at the ��ɫ��Ƶ, the festival featured a mix of performances, exhibitions, and hands-on experiences, many of which reached capacity.

Standout moments included the engaging Robot Filmmaking and AI Mozart, both of which blended AI-generated content with live performance. Across the day, audiences were invited not just to watch but to actively participate in new forms of creative expression.

Mike Corner-Jones came to the festival with his wife, “I am actually studying a part time MA in Artificial Intelligence at the University and I was delighted to hear about Festival. We have just had a great time, particularly at the standup comedy - I'll never quite look at the air fryer in the same way again!”

Claire Wilkins, AI@��ɫ��Ƶ Manager, reflected on the day’s success: “It’s been incredible to see such a strong turnout and level of engagement. Bringing together over 700 people to explore how AI and the arts intersect shows just how much appetite there is for creativity, innovation, and collaboration in this space.”

UK risks losing control of its creative economy in the age of AI

The UK risks becoming a data supply chain for global artificial intelligence systems unless it establishes enforceable control over how its creative output is used, according to new research from the Web Science Institute at the ��ɫ��Ƶ.

The paper, Creative Sovereignty as National Security, argues that current approaches to AI and copyright - including opt-out regimes and proposed levies - fail to address a deeper problem: the UK generates valuable cultural and informational input, but does not control the conditions under which it is absorbed, transformed and monetised by AI systems .

Co-author Matt Javanshir, a research student in WSI’s Human-Centred AI PhD Programme, said:
“This is not just a question of copyright or compensation. It’s about who governs how UK knowledge is used in AI systems. Without that, we risk contributing our collective creative input into a system that is increasingly influencing our cultural media production and communicative landscape, but over which we have little control as to its design or development. In that sense, our creative sovereignty is also a matter of national security.”

The researchers propose a new model based on ‘structured permission’ - allowing AI training and deployment, but only under enforceable conditions, including mandatory payment to rightsholders, auditable transparency, and compliance as a condition of access to the UK market.

Central to the proposal is a ‘creative sovereignty levy’, applied to major training events and large-scale AI deployment. Unlike existing proposals, the levy is framed not simply as a redistribution mechanism, but as part of a broader system of governance - compensating rightsholders while funding the infrastructure needed for transparency, audit, and fair compensation.

Co-author Alistair Sackley, Web Science Institute Specialist Policy Officer, said:
“A levy on its own doesn’t solve the problem. Without governance, it’s just redistribution layered onto a system we don’t control. The question is how to make the system itself accountable.”

The paper positions generative AI as critical national infrastructure, with implications not just for economic growth but for cultural resilience, public trust, and democratic legitimacy. It argues that the UK’s leverage lies not in controlling where AI is developed, but in setting the conditions for access to its market.

The authors call on policymakers to move beyond narrow debates over licensing and instead focus on governing the interface between AI systems and UK creative output - ensuring that innovation can continue while maintaining accountability and long-term sustainability.

Professor Thomas Irvine, Deputy Director, Web Science Institute and co-author, commented:

“We feel that our intervention comes at the right time, as the UK government has recently concluded that more work is necessary to find a policy response for the impacts of generative AI on our creative and cultural industries. It’s been exciting to work together with Matt, a brilliant junior researcher who has come to us after a career in industry, and Alistair, a seasoned public policy expert. This combination of research and public impact is something WSI works hard to foster.”

AI expert Dame Wendy Hall appointed 2026-27 President of the British Science Association

Dame Wendy takes over from 2025-26 President, engineer and Crossbench Member of the House of Lords, Julia Elizabeth King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge.

Dame Wendy Hall DBE FRS FREng FCGI is an expert in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI policy, among other areas of web and data science. She was one of the first computer scientists to undertake serious research in multimedia and hypermedia (interactive multimedia), and has been at its forefront ever since.

The influence of her work has been significant in many areas including digital libraries, the development of the internet, and the emerging research discipline of Web Science.

At our University, Dame Wendy is Associate Vice President (International Engagement) and Director of the Web Science Institute.

She became a Dame Commander of the British Empire in the 2009 UK New Year's Honours list and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in the same year. Dame Wendy is a Fellow, and former President, of the Association for Computing Machinery, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, and a distinguished fellow of the British Computer Society.

In 2017, Dame Wendy was co-Chair of the UK government’s AI Review, which was published in October 2017. She is an advisor to the UK government and other governments and companies around the world, and in 2023 was appointed to the United Nations high-level advisory body on AI.

Her latest book, Four Internets, co-written with Kieron O’Hara was published in 2021, and is about data, geopolitics and the governance of cyberspace.

In 2026 her new book AI Explained: A Guide for Non-Technical Readers, will help people understand how artificial intelligence actually works, from first principles to the generative model.

Dame Wendy will deliver her Presidential Address, a conversation with BBC Technology Editor Zoe Kleinman about the future of AI - at this year’s British Science Festival, which is organised by the British Science Association and hosted by the ��ɫ��Ƶ.

Dame Wendy Hall says: “I am thrilled to have been invited to serve as Honorary President of the British Science Association from September 2026, especially as this coincides with the annual Science Festival being held at ��ɫ��Ƶ.

“I have long been an admirer of the work the British Science Association does to promote science in the UK and around the world. I will be able to use the platform to talk about the increased need for education in Artificial Intelligence and Web Science.

“I am excited to be part of this journey in the coming year and to follow in the footsteps of the distinguished past Presidents.”

The British Science Association’s Chair of Council Hilary Newiss says:

“The warmest of welcomes to Dame Wendy Hall, our incoming President for 2026-27.

"Dame Wendy’s distinguished and prolific career at the forefront of AI and web science research has shattered glass ceilings for women in science and technology and inspired so many of those who have had the privilege of working with or being taught by her.

"She has spent her career campaigning for a better gender balance in technology, recognising and campaigning for more women working within the teams which design and develop the technologies that impact all of our lives. An education leader and an authoritative voice in computer science across national media, Wendy is a wonderful fit for the British Science Association Presidency, as the charity continues working toward a future where science is more relevant, representative, and connected to society.”

The role of President is a year-long, honorary appointment which begins in September, coinciding with the annual British Science Festival. The President works with the British Science Association’s Chief Executive, Senior Management Team and Council to use their platform, driving the Association’s mission to make science more relevant, representative and connected to society.

Past Presidents include Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, Professor Alice Roberts, Professor Dame Athene Donald, Professor Dame Uta Frith, Lord Browne of Madingley, Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell-Burnell and Sir David Attenborough.

75 years on, is the Turing Test still relevant?

This paper builds on discussions at The Royal Society, where leading researchers, technologists and thinkers reflected on the legacy, and limitations, of the Turing Test.

This event brought together some of the biggest names in computer science and AI from research, academia and industry, including Dr Alan Kay, Professor Emeritus Gary Marcus, Dr William Isaac, Principal Scientist at Google DeepMind and Professor Yarin Gal from the AI Security Institute, Keynotes and panel discussions on stage focussed on the development of machine intelligence since 1950, and how it is tested, measured and debated.

While the test remains culturally iconic, the paper argues that it is no longer an adequate measure of machine intelligence.

Looking forward, the authors call for a shift in how we frame and evaluate AI. Rather than pursuing narrow benchmarks or speculative goals, the paper advocates for approaches that prioritise safety, transparency and societal benefit. It highlights growing concerns around accountability, bias, environmental impact and the uneven distribution of AI’s risks and rewards.

Read the full position paper

Watch back the event

The UK hasn’t solved AI and copyright. It has parked it.

Following a period of consultation, stakeholder engagement, and ongoing public and political debate, policymakers remain positioned between two key priorities: safeguarding the rights of creators and accelerating AI innovation. But what if the issue isn't choosing between them?

The report concludes that the UK’s challenge extends beyond copyright alone. Instead, it points to a broader governance gap, raising questions about how regulatory frameworks can ensure both the protection of creative industries and the responsible development of AI.

Read the full report

Dame Wendy Hall wins the Sir Frank Whittle Medal

The Sir Frank Whittle Medal, named after Britain’s wartime jet engine inventor, recognises Dame Wendy’s extraordinary achievements during a career spanning five decades in leading the development of web science and shaping the UK’s AI strategy.

One of Britain’s most senior computer scientists, Dame Wendy becomes only the third woman in 25 years to win the Whittle Medal since it was first presented in 2001.

Dame Wendy’s work has shaped the development of digital libraries and the evolution of the internet – and she and her research group were investigating multimedia and hypermedia challenges years before the World Wide Web existed.

Recognised as a leading figure in shaping the future of technology, she co-chaired the UK Government’s AI Review in 2017, a pivotal report that informed the UK’s national AI strategy. She became a member of the AI Council and was appointed the UK’s AI Skills Champion in 2018. In 2023, she was appointed to the United Nations High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, and continues to advise governments and organisations worldwide. In a new book AI Explained: A Guide for Non-Technical Readers, to be published in September 2026, she explains how artificial intelligence actually works, from first principles to the generative model in a way that non-technical readers can understand.

Beyond her research and advisory roles, Dame Wendy has been a vocal champion of women in engineering and a role model for future generations of computer scientists and engineers, including as Senior Vice President of the Royal Academy of Engineering from 2005 to 2008. Her career exemplifies leadership, vision and a dedication to the responsible development and governance of emerging technologies.

Dame Wendy has just been announced as President of the British Science Association for 2026-27 and will deliver her Presidential Address – a conversation with BBC Technology Editor Zoe Kleinman about the future of AI – at this year’s British Science Festival, to be hosted by our University.

She also features in a new series of photographs of 50 of the UK’s leading engineers, specially commissioned by the Academy to mark its 50^th anniversary this year. An exhibition of these unique images of people whose innovation has helped to tackle some of humanity’s greatest challenges is currently touring the UK.

Nominating Dame Wendy for the award, Professor Sir Bashir M Al-Hashimi CBE FREng FRS, Senior Vice President (Research & Special Initiatives) at King’s College London, said:

“Wendy Hall is both a pioneering computer scientist and a national treasure. In an increasingly digital age, her vision and sustained contributions underpin many of the technologies we now take for granted. From shaping the Web to guiding AI policy, her influence continues to grow and her counsel is more vital than ever. Her legacy is a testament to the profound and lasting impact one individual can have on a global discipline.”

Dame Wendy commented:

“I am thrilled to have been awarded the Sir Frank Whittle Medal this year. Looking back at the roll call of previous winners I am hugely flattered to be in such esteemed company. When I was elected a Fellow of the Academy in 2000, there were very few computer scientists in Fellowship. Nearly 30 years later, computers have come to dominate every aspect of our lives and computer science has been embraced by the Academy. Today, as we look forward, we can see how AI is increasingly going to dominate our world and I am passionate about ensuring that safety, environmental and societal issues are at the heart of the way AI products and services are designed and developed. Being a Fellow of the Academy has always given me the confidence to speak out about such issues and to call for more diversity across all our engineering professions.”