The government has invested money to help drive UK expertise in artificial intelligence
A scholarship named after British computer scientists Karen Sparck Jones who developed a method for indexing documents quickly is being funded by the government.
Labour announced that it would provide full funding for master’s degrees at nine UK Universities specialising in AI, science, technology engineering and mathematics. The government will offer 100 scholarships to talented undergraduate students from the UK, and abroad. They will also provide access to industry partnerships and work placements, as well mentorship opportunities. The Sparck AI scholarship program includes Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London. UCL, Southampton and Edinburgh will also be participating.
Labour places the scholarship as part of its plan for change. It offers a direct path for young people to highly skilled jobs in UK’s tech industry. The scholarship, which covers both tuition and living costs, could help students from low-income families who would otherwise not be able to afford university.
Peter Kyle said, “We offer unique opportunities to talented young people who want to pursue master’s degrees with AI. We will cover their tuition and provide them with unparalleled access to the industry.” Applications will open in the spring of 2026. The first cohort will begin their studies in October of 2026.
Kyle said that the government would expand its fellowship programme in addition to the Sparck AI Scholarship to attract talent to the UK’s AI industry and to drive forward transformational benefits for the public.
Turing AI Fellowships provide established professionals in academia, humanities and research, as well as industry, with resources to improve their AI skills.
Industrial Strategy
As part of Labour’s Industrial Strategy, the government said that the Sparck AI fellowships and expanded Turing Fellowships are in line with the recommendations of the AI Opportunities Action Plan to help grow UK AI.
Keir starmer, the prime minister, announced at the start of London Tech Week a partnership with eleven major companies to train 7 million workers in AI by the year 2030. He also announced PS185m in AI investment for the UK education system, beginning in secondary schools, in order to boost support for subjects like computer science. In addition to its focus on building the UK’s AI expertise, Labour plans to roll-out practical AI training for civil servants through an initiative called One Big Thing in the coming months. The practical training will be rolled out in the autumn and will provide all civil servants with a basic understanding of AI. It will also raise awareness about how the government uses AI to transform its public services.
According to the government, officials will also be asked to assess how they can use technology in order streamline their own work.
Starmer opens London Tech Week
By Cliff Saran.
by: Cliff Saran.
DSIT aims at boosting expertise with year-long secondaryments
