UCL Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE) hosted its annual Festival of Research on 20 May 2025, transforming the UCL Institute of Education into a dynamic hub of ideas, insight and innovation. The event brought together staff, students, alumni and industry partners to explore the theme Quantum to AI: Engineering the Compute Power of Tomorrow.
The day began with 111 PhD poster presentations, showcasing the breadth and depth of research across the department. Topics ranged from advanced photonics to AI-driven optimisation, with students from Centres for Doctoral Training and departmental research groups presenting their work. Demonstrations from academics and MRes students complemented the exhibition, giving visitors a hands-on look at research in progress.
Attendees also heard from academic speakers across two themed sessions, covering advances in quantum technologies, AI, semiconductors, 6G infrastructure, engineering biology and photonics. Talks were delivered by UCL academics including Prof Neil Curson, Dr Laura Toni, Sir Michael Pepper, Dr Zhixin Liu, Dr Dai Jiang and Prof Cyril Renaud, each offering insight into how their work is contributing to the future of computing and communications.
The day concluded with the prestigious Barlow Memorial Lecture, delivered by Dr Michael Cuthbert, Director of the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre. His keynote, Roadmap and Impact of Quantum Computing, offered a national perspective on the UK’s role in quantum innovation and its transformative potential across sectors.
Before the lecture, awards were presented to recognise excellence among the department’s doctoral researchers:
- Lombardi Prize: Dr Zhijie Xu (Photonic Innovations Lab) for Bright Harvest: Concepts, Modelling, and Fabrication of Horticulture Luminescent Solar Concentrators
- Lombardi Prize Runner-Up: Dr Henrique Buglia (Optical Networks Group)
- Cullen Prize: Jeremy Morgan for A compact superconducting solenoid for spin qubit experiments
- Qualcomm Prize: Yangqian (Fiona) Wang for her poster on quantum dot lasers
- G-Research Prizes:
- Energy Efficiency in Data and Networks: Aferdita Xhameni
- Best Use of AI: Emrecan Tarakci
- Social Impact from Research: Reen Masoud
The event closed with a networking reception and an evening dinner at Senate House, giving attendees further opportunities to connect and reflect on the day.
The Festival once again served as a powerful platform for celebrating the department’s research culture, from early-stage ideas to world-leading innovation, and reaffirmed EEE’s role at the forefront of engineering progress.
