DkIT Postgraduate Summer School 2026 Day 3 - Theme: Breaking Frontiers

Get ready for Day 3 of the DkIT Postgraduate Summer School! This time, we're diving into the exciting theme: Breaking Frontiers. Join us in person for a day packed with inspiring talks, hands-on workshops, and networking opportunities. Whether you're looking to push boundaries in research or expand your skills, this day is all about exploring new horizons. Don't miss out on the chance to connect and innovate!

Info: Using a 3-Minute-Thesis (3MT) format, this lively session will provide an update and overview of PhD projects currently in progress at DkIT

Info: This practical session, in the DkIT DigiHub, focuses on AI apps you can use right now on your phone, tablet or laptop. Using institute devices (iPads and laptops) and participants’ own devices where appropriate, we’ll explore how AI can support brainstorming, drafting, image creation, summarising, and
everyday productivity. The emphasis is on building AI literacy, understanding strengths and limitations, and trying out workflows you can take back to your own study, teaching, or projects.
You’ll learn how to:
• Use AI chat tools for drafting, feedback and idea generation
• Experiment with image and media generation apps
• Apply simple AI “prompting” techniques to get better results
• Reflect on ethical and responsible use of AI tools in education and work.

Info: Can AI be trusted as a research partner — or does handing over the wheel put scientific integrity at risk?
As AI tools become embedded in every stage of the research pipeline, postgraduate researchers can no longer afford to be passive users of technology they haven't critically examined. In this session we will explore where the boundaries of AI's role in research should lie. You may start out for or against AI use in research, but understanding the other side is where rigorous thinking begins. Whether you leave convinced that AI is a transformative force for good in science, or newly alert to the risks it poses for researcher autonomy and epistemic integrity, you will leave with a more confident critical perspective on one of the defining questions facing research today.

Info: Join us in the DigiHub and step into the near future with Meta Quest 3 VR headsets and Meta AI Glasses. Participants will explore immersive virtual environments, visualise complex ideas in 3D, and see how AI‑powered wearables can provide real‑time information, translation, and guidance. The session combines short demos with guided activities to help attendees imagine new
possibilities for education, work, and creative storytelling.
You’ll experience:
• Guided VR experiences using Meta Quest 3
• Live demos with Meta AI Glasses
• Short reflection prompts on how these tools could be used in classrooms, workplaces
and communities.

Info: An interactive showcase exploring how AI is reshaping the prototyping and design process across industries. Industry leaders and innovators will demonstrate real-world applications of AI in accelerating product development. Attendees will learn how organisations are integrating AI into their innovation pipelines, and discover practical approaches to balancing human creativity with machine capabilities. The session includes case studies spanning product design, service innovation, and systems development, with networking opportunities for researchers and industry professionals to explore collaboration possibilities in this rapidly evolving space.

Info: This practical session, in the DkIT DigiHub, focuses on AI apps you can use right now on your phone, tablet or laptop. Using institute devices (iPads and laptops) and participants’ own devices where appropriate, we’ll explore how AI can support brainstorming, drafting, image creation, summarising, and everyday productivity. The emphasis is on building AI literacy, understanding strengths and limitations, and trying out workflows you can take back to your own study, teaching, or projects.
You’ll learn how to:
• Use AI chat tools for drafting, feedback and idea generation
• Experiment with image and media generation apps
• Apply simple AI “prompting” techniques to get better results
• Reflect on ethical and responsible use of AI tools in education and work.

Info: Securing independant research funding is a challenging, competitive and complex process. It requires the perfect convergence of opportunity, idea, collaboration and track record. Research Ireland point towards an exponentially growing number of applicaitions for limited funding pots. Oversubscription to funding programmes is driving competitiveness, allowing little to no room for error or ambiguity in applications. This session will delve into the fundamentals of proposal writing for early-stage researchers with little to no experience in grant writing and examine how and where AI tools can be used to responsibly assist in this laborious process.

Info: Join us in the DigiHub and step into the near future with Meta Quest 3 VR headsets and Meta AI Glasses. Participants will explore immersive virtual environments, visualise complex ideas in 3D, and see how AI‑powered wearables can provide real‑time information, translation, and guidance. The session combines short demos with guided activities to help attendees imagine new
possibilities for education, work, and creative storytelling.
You’ll experience:
• Guided VR experiences using Meta Quest 3
• Live demos with Meta AI Glasses
• Short reflection prompts on how these tools could be used in classrooms, workplaces
and communities.

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Host or Publisher DkIT Research and Graduate Studies Offices