BT YOUNG SCIENTIST EXHIBITION.
For the first time in the history of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE), online entry has opened before the school summer holidays, earlier than ever before.
This will allow more time for Northern Ireland students to bring their ideas to life ahead of the 2025 exhibition taking place in Dublin from January 8-11 2025.
Secondary school students aged 12-19 years old are encouraged to start brainstorming ideas now, for submission to the 2025 exhibition. By extending the submission period, students will have more time to research and develop their ideas over the summer months.
The 2025 exhibition will showcase project entries from students in five categories: technology, social and behavioural science; biological and ecological science; chemical; physical, mathematical science; and health and wellbeing.
Some 250 prizes, across a prize fund of over £45,000, will be awarded across all categories and all age groups, including the overall BT Young Scientist & Technologist of the Year Award of £6,750.
Paul Murnaghan, regional director for BT Business in Northern Ireland, said: “It has been a great privilege that BT has been custodians and organiser of the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition for the last 25 years. Over that time, we have seen so much STEM talent from Northern Ireland schools at the exhibition.
“While BTYSTE alumni have gone on to develop innovative companies and contribute significantly to academic research, more importantly, the exhibition has provided a platform for Northern Ireland students to develop a love of STEM and positively contribute to broader society. We are delighted to announce that entries have opened earlier this year and I’d encourage all Northern Ireland students to get involved.”
To submit a project schools should visit https://enter.btyoungscientist.ie
FRAUD AWARENESS SEMINAR
Bank of Ireland and Newry Chamber of Commerce are working together to bring a free fraud awareness session to help businesses stay scam aware and safeguard their financial wellbeing.
The event, which takes place on Thursday June 27 (9.30am-11am) at the Newry Conference & Banqueting Centre on The Mall, will focus on raising awareness of the various types of frauds and scams targeting businesses at this time, what businesses should do if they are ever a victim of fraud, and the investment Bank of Ireland are making in fraud detection and prevention to protect customers from financial criminals.
If you are interested in attending email paul.slevin@boi.com.
Following the session, Allison Ewing, fraud customer experience manager at Bank of Ireland UK, will be in the bank’s Newry branch from 11.30am to 2pm to speak with customers and consumers, giving tips on how to keep personal finances and information safe.
DIGITAL DNA BELFAST
The north’s largest tech and digital event, Digital DNA Belfast, takes place on Wednesday June 26 at the iconic St George’s Market.
The 2024 event involves two conference stages featuring industry experts, exhibition stands showcasing the latest technology and the very best networking opportunities for tech professionals from Northern Ireland and beyond.
The Horizon stage is compered by Charlie Taylor, where technology will focus on emerging trends, innovations, and opportunities within the technology sector in Northern Ireland, while the Inspire stage, supported by Inspiring Belfast, will explore the power of technology in modern campaigns and tech-driven marketing.
Topics to be discussed include sports technology, AI marketing, greentech, cyber security, propelling start-ups to success, VOD advertising, and email marketing.
One of the key features of Digital DNA Belfast is the exceptional networking opportunities it provides, and throughout the event attendees will be able to meet industry leaders, collaborate with peers and form partnerships.
Digital DNA Belfast 2024 will also shine a spotlight on innovation and investment within the tech sector, with Belfast having attracted more than £2 billion in investment over the past decade, making it one of the most attractive cities in the UK and Ireland for tech development.
For more information and to secure a ticket visit https://digitaldna.org.uk/digital-dna-belfast-2024/ .
AI SUMMIT
A major AI summit to explore the future of education returns to Derry on June 26-28 following successful events in September and January.
GenAIEdu 2024, the third national conference on generative artificial intelligence in education, will bring together world-leading researchers, educators, students and industry professionals, to understand how the technology will challenge the way people learn, teach and assess.
Confirmed to speak are some of the leading voices in generative AI and education including Dr Angélica Rísquez, University of Limerick; Professor Mark O’Hara, Advance HE; Sue Beckingham, Sheffield Hallam Universit; Professor Peter Hartley, Visiting Professor at Edge Hill University; Hugh Meenagh, Microsoft Education Ireland; and Andrew Caffrey, Canopy CEO.
Also speaking is Sue Attewell, co-lead at the National Centre for AI/JISC, the UK digital, data and technology agency focused on tertiary education, research and innovation, who will join researchers and students from Ulster University, University of Limerick, Queens University and Edinburgh Napier University.
The focus of the conference will be on universities and teachers working together to prepare the region for the transformational change that AI is going to drive rapidly over the next few years.
The three-day conference will take place on Ulster University’s Derry campus and will be hosted by the School of Computing, Engineering, and Intelligent Systems. More details on registration and the conference agenda are available at https://www.ulster.ac.uk/conference/genaiedu-2024-june
GO SUCCEED SERIES
Enterprise support service Go Succeed has launched a new series of free masterclasses designed to help retailers supercharge their businesses in the digital age.
The online events are open to business owners and managers across the retail industry with a focus on boosting their customer service and embracing new artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
Hosted by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and facilitated by WorldHost, the series will feature three masterclasses commencing on Tuesday June 25 with An Introduction to Customer Service Excellence. The interactive session, running from 9.30-11am, will feature inspirational insight and quick, actionable tricks and tips to deliver a first-class customer experience.
Delegates will learn about the changing needs and expectations of retail customers in the digital world, hear real life local examples of customer service excellence, and find out who to use AI and ChatGPT to elevate their business.
Future events in the series include: August 13: The art of resolving customer service issues successfully, and September 24: Utilising AI and the full toolkit to grow your sales.
For more information about the events, and how to register, visit www.go-succeed.com