MDX students' unique research showcased at prestigious Posters in Parliament event

More than 30 universities took part in the Posters in Parliament event which allows students to showcase their research

Two Middlesex University students displayed their research on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and gaming add-ons at a prestigious annual exhibition held near the Houses of Parliament in Westminster with politicians and policy makers.

More than 30 universities took part in the Posters in Parliament (PiP) event which is organised by the British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR) and gives students the chance to show case their research projects to a wider public audience. It is inspired by Posters on the Hill in the US, where students present their research to members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Those selected to take part had the opportunity to enjoy a tour of the House of Lords and a parliamentary outreach workshop.

MDX students chosen an internal competition were Hein Khant Zaw, a final year BSc IT student, and Dionis Bacari, now in his third year of a BSc Computer Science degree.

Dionis has developed a unique recording rig which captures the emotional responses of people and could in turn be used to generate more human-like reactions which could be copied by actors and used in AI products or films. Speaking about the Posters in Parliament event, Dionis said: “This experience was truly enlightening as I engaged with a multitude of other project presentations and had stimulating discussions with various guests. This project has been a culmination of immense dedication, effort, and collaboration, and it was an absolute delight to share its insights and potential with the community.”

Dionis’ work is a collaboration between Middlesex University and Evolwe.world.

Hein’s project involves a tool called WebAgon which adds game elements such as levels, badges and points to software, websites and applications and he hopes could be deployed to help students who are suffering from post-pandemic stress. He said: “Being part of this event gave me the chance to meet policymakers and researchers from various universities so I delighted for this opportunity and am happy to know that the attendees showed interest to my project. Participating in Posters in Parliament was a very valuable experience that let me present my work and also expand my views and knowledge."

Dr Homeira Shayesteh¸ a Senior Lecturer in Construction Architecture and BIM who has coordinated Middlesex participation since 2018, said: “‘It was my great pleasure to once again take two of our students from Faculty of Science and Technology to the Posters in Parliament annual exhibition. Coordinating this event is one of the highlights of my work which I initiated in 2018 when for the first time Middlesex University took part in PiP. This is an event giving visibility to undergraduate research and how it can impact policy and fit with our University’s strategic theme of ‘putting knowledge into action’. Our students’ work received significant attention and ignited much discussion."

Find out more about the research by Hein and Dionis.