Dr Khuong An Nguyen from the Department of Computer Science, has been selected by the Royal Society as one of 30 scientists who will take part in a pairing scheme with members of parliament and civil servants

The pairing scheme at Westminster allows for parliamentarians to work with academics to learn more about how their research can be used to shape government policies, and for policy makers to better understand the research that informs their decisions.

Taking place over a week, the scheme is also designed to give civil servants the opportunity to learn more about the work of the academic’s own institution, providing the opportunity to establish a productive dialogue between policy makers and researchers. Throughout the week academics are invited to attend several exhibitions, talks, and events taking place across Westminster, including a visit to 10 Downing Street. They will have the opportunity to interact with senior members of parliament, including the Chair of Science, Innovation and Technology committee and the President of the Royal Society.

Dr Nguyen has been paired with the Cabinet Office to discover the best approach to fully utilise public funding for emerging technologies. Dr Nguyen will also provide strategic guidance on optimising the government’s experimental chatbot system, to significantly boost minister’s productivity and streamline operational efficiency across ministerial departments. Dr Khuong’s own research focuses on how emerging technologies can be leveraged to improve the rail industry, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in crowded environments. His aspiration is to significantly enhance the rail operators’ operational efficiency to benefit the passengers’ experience across the UK’s rail network. This research will be shared with the Cabinet Office’s AI and Data Science team, with Dr Nguyen also having the opportunity to find out about current projects the team are already working on.