Surrey welcomes Director General of Department for Education's Skills Group on campus visit

On Thursday 16th of January, we were delighted to welcome a delegation from the Department for Education (DfE), led by Julia Kinniburgh, Director General of the Skills Group.

Pictured, from left to right: PhD researchers Alex McDermott and Asmar Nadeem; Paul Mittendorfer; Lynne Tabone; Professor Adrian Hilton; Julia Kinniburgh; Professor Yi-ZheSong - at the Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI (PAI)

During the visit, guests were given a broad overview of the many ways in which the University of Surrey, working with its partners in industry, Further Education and in schools, is helping to boost key skills that are highly sought after at the regional and national level.

The tour that followed included visits to Surrey Space Centre, the Centre for Anatomical and Surgical Education (CASE), and the Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI.

At the Surrey Space Centre Professor Keith Ryden and Dr Susan Jason, skills lead for the University’s SpaceCraft programme, discussed how this project is helping to address skills shortages in the UK’s space industry at a regional and national level.

SpaceCraft is upskilling people across a range of industries in the fundamentals of space engineering and mission design. During the visit a seminar was underway which included participation from colleagues in the RAF and UK Space Command. SpaceCraft is also engaging with local Further Education partners to provide learning opportunities for college students considering careers in the space sector.

The DfE were also briefed on how, through SpaceCraft, the University is making its laboratory facilities available to businesses in the region who need access to specialist expertise and equipment in order to develop products and services that are required by the space industry.

Pictured, from left to right: Professor Keith Ryden; Dr Susan Jason; Paul Mittendorfer, Service Delivery Manager, EFA Young Peoples Directorate; Lynne Tabone, Head of HE Casework Support and Intervention; Julia Kinniburgh, Director General of the Skills Group

At CASE the group was met by Professor Juliet Wright, Founding Dean of the Surrey School of Medicine, Dr Aiden Jayanth, Head of Anatomy, and Dr Jia Doulton, Programme Director for PGDip Physician Associate Studies. The group was given a tour of facilities at CASE, including the anatomy suite, as well as an update on how the medical school is working with its local NHS partners to train the doctors of the future, providing them with the skills needed to harness the latest technology and thrive in the world of modern medicine.

Pictured, from left to right: Paul Mittendorfer, Service Delivery Manager, EFA Young Peoples Directorate; Lynne Tabone, Head of HE Casework Support and Intervention; Julia Kinniburgh, Director General of the Skills Group; Professor Julia Wright; Dr Jia Doulton, Associate Professor

At the Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI, our guests were hosted by the Institute’s Director, Professor Adrian Hilton, and Co-Director and Programme Lead of Surrey’s MSc in Artificial Intelligence, Professor Yi-ZheSong. Professor Hilton provided an overview of how Surrey is leveraging its 40-year heritage in machine learning and developing AI applications for the benefit of society.

Examples of how Surrey is delivering the AI skills needed to embrace the ambitions set out in the AI Opportunities Action Plan include our UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in AI for Digital Media Inclusion, in partnership with StoryFutures at Royal Holloway University of London and our new MSc in AI.

We were delighted to welcome Julia Kinniburgh and her colleagues on a visit to our campus and provide an insight into the many ways in which colleagues across the University are delivering the skills that will drive the future. From our own teaching excellence and work with our students on graduate employability, to our collaborations with industry and partnerships with Further Education, we were pleased to be able to showcase the role that universities play in delivering the skills that will drive growth and opportunity, and to discuss with Julia and her team how our work aligns with the current government’s core missions. Professor Lu Max, President and Vice-Chancellor

My visit to the University of Surrey was incredibly insightful and inspiring. I was particularly impressed by the cutting-edge research at Surrey Space Centre and the enthusiasm of the faculty staff, especially in the new School of Medicine medical school. Engaging with the leadership team provided valuable perspectives on the University’s strategic growth and future directions. I look forward to my next visit. Julia Kinniburgh, Director General of the Skills Group at the Department for Education

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Attendees pictured above: