01.10.2026
Welcoming Cohort 3
We recently welcomed Cohort 3 to SAINTS for their induction week, and having already met several of them at the CfAA/SAINTS Conference and the Introduction to Maths and Computing event, we knew early on that this was going to be a lively and engaging group to work with.
We kicked off the week with an inspiring welcome from SAINTS Director, Professor Ibrahim Habli, who discussed what to expect from the programme and highlighted our deep commitment to multidisciplinarity. Key staff members introduced themselves before leading informative talks on research, supervision, and the training journey ahead. At lunchtime, staff from across the Institute for Safe Autonomy (ISA) alongside current SAINTS postgraduate researchers joined the group for a chat to help everyone settle in and feel welcome in the building. The afternoon wrapped up with the cohort picking up their new University laptops and checking out their desks for the coming year.
Tuesday started with essential health and safety briefings for the ISA—a key step given all of our advanced lab spaces—followed by a guided tour of the facilities. By lunchtime, the group was joined by new postgraduate researchers from Mathematics and Computer Science for food and talks on useful university systems.
Midweek brought a quick change of pace as Jacque Durrant from Skillfluence hosted an interactive Interdisciplinary Collaboration workshop, where the new cohort began working together and picking up fresh skills. On Thursday, we hosted Partners Day to highlight the role of our external collaborators and explore how researchers can work alongside them. We were privileged to welcome Euan Fraser, Head of Innovative Product Regulation, Wendy Middleton, Deputy Director of Science & Engineering, and Graham Russell, Chief Executive, all from the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards. They shared insights into their roles and discussed why safety in AI is so critical to their work, prompting great engagement and thoughtful questions from our new group.
After absorbing so much information throughout the week, Friday was dedicated to a well-earned wind-down. The cohort had professional photos taken and enjoyed a relaxed pizza lunch, before heading off to the pub with other SAINTS postgraduate researchers for a rest before the real work begins.
A huge thank you goes out to everyone who spoke over the course of the week, to CDT Manager Helen Poyer and CDT Administrator Links Pollen for organising everything, to Jacque Durrant for hosting a fantastic workshop, and to Tom O’Neill, SAINTS Postgraduate Researcher and Student Rep, who showed up all week to make the new cohort feel right at home. Welcome to SAINTS, Cohort 3!
