Research in AI is an increasingly exciting and fast-paced environment, with many new interesting features and applications available at a wider scale. However, it is also the topic of heavy criticism for often failing to represent and serve minority groups, which have historically been underrepresented in conversations about technology. Being PhD students in the CDT […]
Our School works best when everybody is heard, and nobody is left behind. We are always eager to find out how to improve our community, with regular official feedback opportunities. In the last two years the School Culture survey, Athena Swan focus groups, and the University’s Staff Engagement survey have been implemented. These have revealed some […]
My imposter system is triggered by being praised. Or NOT being praised. Or being asked to do a thing. Or deciding on a new project. Or someone mentioning something I’ve achieved. Or being thanked, or shouted at, or ignored. Or (and this is my favourite) someone else sharing their experience of imposter syndrome. Because if […]
Many of us will have heard that nagging impostor voice: “Am I really cut out for this?” In science and academia we set out to explore the unknown and push the boundaries of what’s possible. And to be up for this task, we are supposed to gather the best and brightest minds. But this expectation […]
I went to the WomEncourage conference in Trondheim, Norway in September 2023, and here are some lessons that I learnt. It’s amazing to be in a female-dominated computing environment. We are all used to spaces where people are talking about computing being very male dominated. Mostly that is ok, and mostly we can feel welcome […]
The following is posted on behalf of an anonymous member of the School community. Considering it affects all our colleagues with ovaries (and their families too), I wanted to share a few pointers about peri-menopause. I was ignorant. Very ignorant. I thought menopause happens around age 60. In fact, the average is 51. But most […]
Ah! The thrill of embarking on a new adventure! Whether it’s hopping on a plane to a foreign land, or starting out as a new student or staff member at the University of Edinburgh – the excitement and nervousness are almost indistinguishable. During a recent two-week holiday to Croatia, I came to realise that there […]
Why do some people care about pronouns? What’s the fuss? Over nothing? All good questions. You can refer to me as Jonathan, him, him over there, that guy in IGS, the tall one, him and that makes sense because I look like what people think a guy should look like. I like to wear […]
Many Informatics folks, including me, enjoy occasional meals provided by the school, some in a meeting or social event, but perhaps more often as leftovers announced in the inf-people mailing list. Many of us are aware of some patterns, including catering suppliers, dietary options and serving time. Some, including me, might have been wondering why […]
Three months ago we opened for discussion a draft of our School Values, a proposed list developed by a group of about 25 people. There have been many contributions and views, often very thoughtful. It’s great to see that a large part of our School community is involved and actively helps to ground our shared […]
