Congratulations to Paul Balister, Martin Bridson, Ben Green and James Maynard who have won Frontiers of Science awards 2026. The awards will be presented at the International Congress of Basic Science in Beijing, China in August.
Friday 22nd May 2026
Good News
Frontiers of Science Awards
Events in the Department
Mathematical Foundations of AI: The Erlangen Hub Conference 2026
A three-day programme exploring how mathematics is shaping the foundations of AI and helping to unlock the next generation of AI systems.
Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, 1–3 September 2026.
Early bird tickets are now available and poster submissions are now open.
Teaching and Learning
Short stories 1 - The Tower of Babel - Episode 1
Mathematics is a universal language. Isn't it?
The Tower of Babel - Episode 1
Short stories 2 - The Generation Game
The Generation Game
'Mathematics is a subject that is transmitted from person to person'. And from generation to generation. Watch three generations of mathematicians in action.
News From Elsewhere in the University
Florence Nightingale Lecture 2026 TODAY
Please join colleagues in the Department of Statistics for their annual Florence Nightingale Lecture which will be held today, Friday 22nd May at 3.30 p.m. in the Large Lecture Theatre, Department of Statistics. Everyone is welcome.
Please register your place here to help with catering arrangements. A Drinks Reception will follow after the talk in the ground floor social area.
Professor Jonas Peters (ETH Zurich) - Learning under Change
Science Wonder Garden Party 2026 – call for public engagement activities
The Science Wonder Garden Party is returning to Begbroke Science Park on Saturday 4 July 2026, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., continuing its mission of bringing exciting science activities to a diverse range of local audiences.
Organisers Oxford University Development are keen to hear from researchers who'd like to run an activity related to their work at the event. Anyone interested should contact @email or fill in the webform – the deadline is the end of Friday 5 June.
Image: Henry Moore - Recumbent Figure
Schmidt Sciences Annual Lecture
Steering the Disruption: AI's Transformation of Science and the Role of Philanthropy - Dr Stuart Feldman (President and Chief Scientist of Schmidt Sciences)
Sheldonian Theatre, 17 June, 5.30 p.m.
For Early Career Researchers
Funding to travel to International Conference on Machine Learning
QRT is offering funding for DPhil students and postdoctoral researchers to attend ICML 2026 (International Conference on Machine Learning) in South Korea in July.
Image: AI generated Picasso (not by your Bulletin editor, I stress)
Other News
Song of the Week: The Zombies - She's Not There
So Rod is 18 and him and his mates have formed a band and just won a local competition and been given a recording contract. But they need songs. So Rod, still only 18, does something unusual. He writes one himself. In those days, writing songs was usually something someone else did. Bands just performed.
A minor key classic. By an 18-year-old.