Post by UCL Computer Science

Professor James Hetherington, Professor of Computational Science, has been appointed to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) College of Experts. James joins 71 leading specialists from across the UK who will provide DSIT with rapid, independent scientific and technical expertise to help inform science and technology policy. The College was formally launched at The Royal Society in London on 18 June 2026. Members were selected through a highly competitive process, with almost 1,200 applications from experts across academia, industry and research organisations. James brings expertise in computational science, research software engineering and digital research infrastructure, supporting evidence-informed policymaking on some of the UK's most important science and technology challenges. Professor Chris Johnson, DSIT Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the College of Experts, said: "The launch of the College of Experts at the Royal Society brought together an extraordinary group of independent specialists from across the UK, spanning AI, quantum, life sciences, cyber security, and far beyond. The experts volunteer their time to support us, reflecting a real commitment from the UK's research and innovation community to contribute to government policymaking. Seeing DSIT colleagues and world-leading academics and practitioners in the same room was a powerful reminder of what this department can achieve when it draws on the best available expertise." The DSIT College of Experts provides rapid, flexible advice to support science and technology policy across the department. UCL Engineering | UCL Grand Challenges #SciencePolicy #Innovation #ComputationalScience #ResearchSoftware