Computer Science (Informatics) & Biological Sciences

University of Edinburgh

Our world is a treasure trove of natural and digital information ranging from the position of the sun informing bees about navigational paths back to their hives to us skimming through our friends’ posts on social media. Specific information is often hidden amongst the vast amount of ‘stuff’ or data in the world and making sense of this is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Agents, whether they are natural organisms or computers, rely on some form of cognitive intelligence to be able to identify and interpret information. Natural and machine learning systems strive to identify patterns and make deductions from large amounts of data.  Once information is gleaned from the data, it may be communicated between various agents which, again, could be natural organisms or machines. Informatics is the study of all of these different processes that pertain to information in our world. At the School of Informatics, in addition to learning how computers work, we focus on understanding how information is transformed. This includes computation, cognition (learning) and communication. The lectures in this programme will introduce you to different forms of information and the relevance of computational tools across different topics. In addition to lectures, you will also have an opportunity to engage practically via a group project where you might be able to develop an application for a mobile phone or programme miniature robots.  

Biology is the study of life and spans from understanding how the machinery inside cells works, through to how cells function together to form complex living organisms which interact with, and impact on, the world. The programme for Biological Sciences will give a flavour of this diversity by exploring three topics: the genetics revolution and its central importance in biology; how evolution has been a major contributor to species development; and how biology underpins cutting edge biomedical advances. Each session will focus on one of these topics, giving you the chance to explore them in more detail with support from expert staff members. You will also be involved in small group laboratory projects where you can work with recently trained young scientists and learn how to communicate the results of your project as a scientific poster or video.

22 June 2020 - 27 June 2020

114 across all programmes PROGRAMME PLACES

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: