School of Informatics, The University of Edinburgh

04/02/2026

Starting University is a great time to let loose and get involved with student life – but staying safe is paramount to enjoying your time here ⚠️ New students are at risk of being targeted by scammers and fraudsters. You're away from home, family and friends, in an unfamiliar environment, and vulnerable. Remember to:
- Question any unexpected calls, letters, emails or people knocking on your door
- Don’t rush into any decisions. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is!
- If in doubt, speak to someone you trust - including our support services at the University

Head to the link in comments to find out about the common scams and frauds you may come across as a student and how to get help 👇

If you know someone who this could help, share this to help others stay informed and safe 💙

30/01/2026

Applications are now open for Spärck AI Scholarships

The University of Edinburgh is participating in the Spärck AI Scholarships, a government‑funded programme supporting talented students to pursue fully funded master’s study in AI‑related fields. The scheme is named in honour of pioneering British computer scientist Karen Spärck Jones.

The scholarships provide full funding, including tuition fees and a stipend, and form part of a UK‑wide initiative to develop future AI talent. Scholars will join a national cohort and gain access to industry partnerships, work placements, mentorship opportunities, and structured development activities.

Eligible University of Edinburgh MSc Programmes:

School of Informatics
• MSc Artificial Intelligence
• MSc Data Science
• MSc Cognitive Science

School of Engineering
• MSc Signal Processing and Communications

University of Edinburgh Business School
• AI for Business MSc

📅 Applications are open until 2 March 2026.
The first cohort of scholars will begin their studies in October 2026.

🔗 Read the full University announcement and apply: https://edin.ac/49ZEWTi

05/01/2026

Welcome back, everyone!

The School of Informatics is open again after the festive break, and we’re excited to see our students, staff and visitors returning to campus this morning.

A quick reminder: teaching resumes the week beginning Monday 12 January, so you’ve got a little time to settle back in before Semester 2 gets underway.

🔗 Full Semester dates are available here: https://semester-dates.ed.ac.uk/202526

Wishing everyone a brilliant start to 2026 — we’re looking forward to the semester ahead!

We would like to wish a warm welcome back to all our students, staff and visitors this morning, with our buildings open from 9am 👋 Remember, teaching won't start until the week beginning Monday 12 January!

Check out the new semester dates at the link in our comments below ⬇️

01/01/2026

✨ Happy New Year!
Here’s to a bright and inspiring 2026. We look forward to welcoming you back soon!

23/12/2025

❄️ Wishing you a restful winter break!
The University closes at 5pm on Tuesday 23 December 2025 and reopens at 9am on Monday 5 January 2026.
Enjoy the festive period and see you in January!

22/12/2025

Support is available to all our students during the winter break, if you need it.

22/12/2025

New research from the School of Informatics, in collaboration with NVIDIA, shows that shrinking AI memory can actually boost accuracy.

The team, led by Dr Edoardo Ponti from the School of Informatics, developed Dynamic Memory Sparsification (DMS), a method that compresses the KV cache of large language models.

Even with memory reduced to one‑eighth of its original size, models achieved higher scores in maths, science, and coding benchmarks - all while using the same reasoning time.

Read the full story: https://edin.ac/4pPG9mX

Researchers have developed a new way to compress the memory used by AI models to increase their accuracy in complex tasks or help save significant amounts of energy.

20/11/2025

🎓 Congratulations to our Winter Graduates!
We’re so proud of your achievements and excited to see what you do next.

It’s been a fantastic day celebrating at McEwan Hall for the graduation ceremony, followed by a reception in the Forum with friends, family, and staff.

🔗 Stay connected with the Informatics alumni community:
https://informatics.ed.ac.uk/alumni/connections
Join alumni networks, attend events worldwide, and keep your details up to date via the Alumni Portal to receive updates on reunions and activities near you.

18/11/2025

The 2025 Winter Graduation Ceremony for Informatics will take place 11am on Thursday at McEwan Hall. 🎓

Can't make it in person? Watch along at home, streaming live from 10 minutes before the ceremony ▶️ https://edin.ac/46mdkEb

23/10/2025

Futures Conversations Podcast – Episode 5: John Vines on Design Informatics

How can we design technology that truly works for people?

In this episode, Professor John Vines, Chair of Design Informatics at the University of Edinburgh, shares insights from his career at the intersection of design, computing, and social science. He explores how human-computer interaction (HCI) helps us understand the everyday experiences people have with digital and data-driven technologies - and why participatory design is key to creating systems that serve society.
From financial inclusion to healthy ageing, civic tech to AI governance, John’s work shows how thoughtful design can shape a better future.

Listen here: https://efi.ed.ac.uk/futures-conversations-podcast/

📣 The latest episode of our Futures Conversations podcast is out now!

🎧 Episode 5 – John Vines: Design Informatics

Designing technology that humans can easily use — this is Professor John Vines’ mission. He takes us through a varied career in design and explains how the field of human-computer interaction explores the ways in which people experience technology in their everyday lives. Along the way we learn about the value John places on the participation of users in design.

Listen and subscribe now! Available on all major podcast streaming platforms and on our website 👉 https://efi.ed.ac.uk/futures-conversations-podcast/

School of Informatics, The University of Edinburgh | Design Informatics

29/09/2025

Thinking about studying at the School of Informatics?

Our Undergraduate Open Days on Saturday 4 or 25 October 2025 are your chance to experience what makes The University of Edinburgh truly extraordinary.

Walking through our campuses, hearing from current staff and students, and exploring one of the world’s most beautiful cities! From vibrant student life to world-class teaching, it’s your opportunity to see what studying here is really like.

Visiting us in person could be the first step in your journey!

🔗 Don’t miss out - Book your place now: https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/open-days-events-visits/open-day

Considering Edinburgh? 🌟 Our Undergraduate Open Days on Saturday 4 or 25 October 2025 are a great chance to experience what makes our university truly extraordinary 🏰

Walking through our historic campuses, hearing from current staff and students, and exploring one of the world’s most beautiful cities!

From vibrant student life to world-class teaching, whether you are considering Edinburgh for yourself, or supporting someone about to start their university journey, come see what studying here is really like 🎓

Visiting us in person could be the first step in your journey! Don’t miss out - Book your place now ➡️ https://edin.ac/46cOAzU

What’s the first thing you want to see on campus? Let us know in the comments! 💬

08/09/2025

🎉 A warm welcome to our new Informatics students and a big welcome back to those returning!

Don't be shy – go say hi! 👋 We know that starting university is a whirlwind of emotions so if you have any questions, need directions or just looking for some friendly advice, don't hesitate to ask our extraordinary student ambassadors ❤️💙 Keep an eye out for their colourful t-shirts with our Welcome logo 👀