LIV.INNO kick off meeting held for third cohort of students
A kick off meeting for the latest cohort of LIV.INNO students who started their PhDs at the beginning of October 2024 has taken place in Liverpool. It was the first chance for the eleven students who started this year and their supervisors as well the directors and managers of the Centre for Doctoral Training to meet each other in person. This new cohort of students added to the first two cohorts totalling 21 students makes this one of the largest training initiatives in data intensive science at the University of Liverpool.
The event started with a welcome address from LIV.INNO Director Prof Carsten Welsch and was followed by a talk on some of the more practical aspects of operating the centre from Centre Manager Naomi Smith.
Deputy Director Dr David Hutchcroft then gave a comprehensive overview of the training and events plan for the centre including the many lecture modules which will be available and some of the events which are planned. These include an outreach symposium for industry in 2026 and a researcher skills schools which will be held in January when the students will be joined by fellows from EuPRAXIA-DN.
The new students were then all asked to introduce themselves and they all spoke briefly about what they have done previously and the research they are about to start carrying out as part of LIV.INNO.
Director Prof Carsten Welsch then gave a talk on behalf of Data Science Fellow Dr Alex Hill (who is also a former student of the predecessor to LIV.INNO – LIV.DAT) who explained his varied role and talked about some the research he hopes to undertake and events he hopes to organise.
Deputy Director Dr Andreea Font contributed to the proceedings with a talk on Research and Innovation where she detailed some of the research which is being undertaken and explained to the students how they might achieve innovation.
The meeting also heard a talk from Business Development Manager Constantinos Astreos about the opportunities which are afforded from the centre’s links with industry, including the opportunity to undertake an industrial placement while enrolled on the LIV.INNO program.
Professor Welsch says: "I am very pleased to welcome this third cohort of students to Liverpool. The partnership between our two universities has worked extremely well so far, and it is great to see so many highly motivated students start their exciting projects."