The Turing Conference 2026
We are excited to launch the inaugural Turing STEM conference, between 13-16 October. With a series of superb speakers throughout, including Professor Simsek, Suki Fuller, Sir Dermot Turing and Benedict Allen, along with interactive sessions on tech, coding and robotics companies, culminating in a comprehensive tech fest, with GCHQ, Cambridge University, Microsoft, BAE systems, Magnopus and Bletchley Park attending among others, this provides another rich environment to showcase STEM to our pupils in Sherborne.
With the Turing exhibition at The Sherborne running throughout Autumn, complete with talks, previously unseen letters between Alan and Christopher Morcom, an Enigma machine and related art and heritage, and a town concert in Sherborne Abbey on Thursday evening, the schools and town are combining to cement Sherborne's progressive reputation as a town strong in science, entrepreneurship and digital learning.
Day 1: Tuesday 13 October - Prep/Primary Schools Day
VENUE: Sherborne Prep
- An exciting session of Problem Solving, Enterprise and Adventure, hosted by Sherborne Prep.
Day 2: Thursday 15 October
TIME: 11.00-13.00
VENUE: Gryphon School (Innovation Hub)
Welcome: Joe Miles and Alastair Poulain
A DEMONSTRATION OF AI-DRIVEN ROBOTICS by Thales UK.
TIME: 14.00-15.30
VENUE: Gryphon School
Welcome: Joe Miles
Reinforcement learning: Artificial agents that learn from their own experience. An interactive lecture by Professor Özgür Şimşek, Director of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence, University of Bath.
TIME: 17.45-19.00
VENUE: The Sherborne – Main Hall
DRINKS RECEPTION: Sponsored by Mogers Drewett. Welcome by Mr Les Redwood, Mogers Drewett, and The Lord Mark Sedwill of Sherborne.
EVENING EVENT
Alan Turing - A Celebration of the Life of Alan Turing
A Concert of Varied Music, Poetry and Readings
TIME: 19.30-21.00
VENUE: Sherborne Abbey
TICKETS: eventbrite.com
Day 3: Friday 16 October
TIME: 09.30-15.30
VENUE: Merritt Centre, Sherborne Girls
09.30-09.40: Welcome & opening remarks: Dr Ruth Sullivan, CEO, Sherborne Schools Group.
09.45-11.00: Expert panel-led discussion and debate: The Future of AI:
What Will Your Generation Decide; What Controls Should Apply to its Application; What Impact will it have on the Job Market?
Introductory remarks - Professor Sir Christopher Coville.
- Facilitator – Ben Keene, Director of Entrepreneurship, Sherborne Boys’ School
Panel members:
- James Cary - BBC comedy writer and a member of the House of Laity of the General Synod for the Church of England.
- Professor Özgür Şimşek, Director of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence, University of Bath.
- Sol Rogers, Global Director of Innovation, Magnopus, and Chairman of BAFTA’s Immersive Entertainment Advisory Group.
- Suki Fuller, international award-winning geopolitical strategic intelligence advisor and technology advisor to BBC Panorama, BBC News, and BBC World News Service.
- Alison Honour – VC Bournemouth University
11.00-11.30 BREAK
11.30-12.15: Demonstration of the latest cutting edge 'Digital Twin' technology from UK global leader, Magnopus. Sol Rogers, Global Director of Innovation, Magnopus.
Presentation to include its problem-solving capability and application in education, the construction industry, smart cities and infrastructure development, advances in medical research, drug design, vaccine discovery, and the entertainment industry. A central feature will be the use of AI-driven digital twin technology in space exploration.
12.15: Closing Remarks – Professor Sir Christopher Coville
12.30: Tech Fest
Showcasing the many ways that AI is being and could be used to make real changes to processes and working practices – from drones to medical research across a spectrum of private sector companies, universities, GCHQ and HMGCC.
15.00: Tech Fest open to parents and other pupils
For more information please contact Helen Brown
info@futuresherborne.org
0751 555 4549
