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Department of Computer Science and Technology

 

Here in the Department, we want to inspire more young people to think about study and careers in Computer Science and Technology. So we run, and take part in, a range of activities to engage the public, enthuse prospective students and encourage wider participation. 

Cambridge Festival

We open our doors to the public every spring, running a day of events and activities at the annual Cambridge Festival. In March 2023, visitors were able to meet our robots, make music with code and play a game of virtual football with AI footballers, among other activities. We're now planning for our event on Saturday 16 March 2024. (More details will be found from February 2024 onwards on the Cambridge Festival website.)

Undergraduate Open Days

We take part in the University's annual Cambridge Open Days in July and September where would-be undergraduates can find out what it's like to study here. At the July Open Days we offer an admissions talk, tours, hands-on activities, a sample lecture and opportunities to meet students and academic staff and ask questions about studying here. The 2024 July Open Days will take place on Thursday 4 and Friday 5 July. It is essential to register in advance to attend. 

The Cambridge Open Day in September is a smaller in-person Open Day focused on the Colleges. Many Colleges open for tours, talks and drop-in sessions. See details and how to register here. Though this Department is not open during the September Open Day, you can access our sample lectures and watch an Open Day video online.  

Undergraduate study events 

The University and colleges offer many events throughout the year where prospective undergraduates can find out more about subjects they're interested in studying here, hear about the admissions process, discover College life is like, and pick up lots of useful information. They include events for students of African and Caribbean origin, for students with experience of being in care, and for students who identify as female or non-binary and who are interested in studying science. Browse the full list of undergraduate study events here

Sutton Trust Summer School

The Department offers a Sutton Trust Computer Science Summer School every year. In August 2023, the Summer School offered participants the opportunity to spend a week living in a Cambridge college, attending sample lectures and taking part in practical work and supervisions.  The Summer School will run again in August 2024.

Physics at Work

Many of our undergraduates and researchers take Physics as one of their A Level subjects and apply their learning and skills in areas including artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics. In September 2023, we took part in the three-day Physics at Work event, showing 14-16-year-olds some of the practical problems in Computer Science that physics can be used to solve. 

Women in Computer Science programme

The Women in Computer Science programme is a sustained programme running over 5 months that gives female and non-binary students in Year 12 an insight into what studying Computer Science at university is like. 

The programme involves discussion groups which introduce students to different areas of Computer Science, and completing a research project in an area of their choice under the guidance of a current University of Cambridge student. All students who submit a completed research project will be invited to a residential event in Cambridge to celebrate their achievement, where they can meet each other in person and experience Cambridge for themselves. Nominations for this programme are open until Friday 19th January 2024. You can find out more about the programme here

Postgraduate Open Day

For those considering applying for the MPhil in Advanced Computer Science and/or the PhD in Computer Science, the virtual Cambridge Postgraduate Open Days are a great opportunity to talk to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges online and find out more about courses, application process and funding opportunities. The 2023 Cambridge Postgraduate Open Days ran 23 - 27 October, with the Department's session taking place on Thursday 26 October 2023. You can watch a recording of that session here

Contact details

If you have any questions about our outreach and public engagement activities please contact us at outreach-admin@cst.cam.ac.uk