Teesside University will be offering 20 scholarships to support students from underrepresented backgrounds, so they can take postgraduate degrees in AI and data science.
It is receiving a share of £8.1m Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Office for Artificial Intelligence (OAI) funding to increase diversity in the sectors.
North-East engineering charity Enginuity has also partnered with the University to fund two of the scholarships.
“Embracing diversity and removing the barriers to learning is at the heart of our mission at Teesside University,” said Professor Mark Simpson, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching).
“Therefore, we are delighted to have received this funding which will help a new generation of learners realise their ambition and fulfil their potential.”
The chosen students will also get support from regional tech businesses including EnAppySys, Seer BI, and Unity.
Underrepresented groups include women, black students, disabled students and students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
“AI and data science are cutting-edge disciplines which are becoming increasing sought after by employers,” added Professor Chrisina Jayne, Dean of the School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies.
“It is fantastic that these scholarships have been supported by industry partners, helping to ensure that we are developing the skillsbase needed to support business in the 21st century.”
