University of Warwick: Future of Artificial Intelligence research to be expanded thanks to scholarship programme support
Students who are the future of Artificial Intelligence research will have the chance to study for PhDs at the University of Warwick after alumnus and philanthropist Jonathan Feuer made a second substantial philanthropic donation to support up to 12 further Feuer International Scholarships in AI.Caption: Three Feuer scholars together, focusing on Aparajita Haldar Credit: University of Warwick
Aimed at attracting outstanding students, the fully funded PhD scholarships will support young people with potentially world-changing ideas around AI from across all academic disciplines.
The scholarships are funded by successful Warwick alumnus Jonathan Feuer, Co-Founder and Chairman of AI company Eigen Technologies, and were established to create a group of extremely talented, academically brilliant, world-leading young researchers who will go on to have careers in the field of Artificial Intelligence.
Five scholars have been funded so far, and the next phase of scholarships will see the programme become part of the University’s internationally recognised Cyber Security research group.
Professor Carsten Maple, Warwick’s Pro Vice Chancellor for North America and a Cyber Security expert at WMG, will promote the scholarships to his networks in international universities. He said: “We’re seeking out the best talent to work on trustworthy and resilient AI projects that will transform society in all areas, from healthcare to the arts. I can’t wait to meet students interested in pursuing this incredible opportunity.”
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick Professor Stuart Croft said: “We’re very excited about the potential of this newly extended scholarship programme and are grateful to Jonathan for his visionary philanthropy. His commitment to bringing excellent doctoral students to Warwick in the interdisciplinary area of Artificial Intelligence is outstanding.”Caption: Three Feuer scholars together, focusing on Aparajita Haldar Credit: University of Warwick
Jonathan, who studied Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics and Economics at Warwick from 1980-83, is passionate about the opportunities artificial intelligence offers. With the Feuer International Scholarships in AI, he is keen to continue building a prestigious cohort of interdisciplinary researchers with the ability to apply academic excellence and rigour to real-world challenges.
“I am keen to encourage the next generation to address and crack the major imponderables of our time. This AI scholarship has no boundaries to prevent cutting edge exploration – it is down to the individual to make that determination.”
The current Feuer scholars are researching AI in areas as diverse as healthcare, privacy, cloud-based systems, traffic management, and machine learning.
Aparajita Haldar, the first Feuer International Scholar, joined the University in 2018. Following her graduation, she hopes to find work in London at an SME specialising in AI after being inspired by meeting Jonathan’s team of researchers at Eigen Technologies.
“I’m looking forward to solving exciting artificial intelligence problems, tackling bias issues in machine learning, and developing software that will have a positive impact on lives,” she says.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Jonathan Feuer for enabling me to pursue my research with relative ease in tumultuous times. This funding can make a huge difference in motivating young researchers to take the plunge and join a PhD programme, especially researchers from countries outside the UK.”