What we’re about
Welcome to the Manchester Statistical Society! This group is the epicentre for individuals interested in the intersection of politics, economic development, AI and society, sociology and anthropology, and data analytics. Join fellow enthusiasts to dive into thought-provoking discussions, exchange insights, and explore the latest advancements in these diverse fields.
The Society was founded in 1833 by a group of Mancunians concerned about the state of society as urbanization and industrialization developed, and they carried out research with a view to influencing government policy. It is one of the oldest statistical societies in the world. Our meetings today continue the theme of discussing social and economic issues.
Whether you're a seasoned professional, retired, or just starting your journey, this meetup is the ideal platform to expand your knowledge and network with like-minded individuals.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Using NLP for Public Digital Reviews of Social Housing in ManchesterGreater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Manchester
In 2024, the introduction of Tenant Satisfaction Measures has put feedback from tenants at the forefront of data collection for Registered Housing Providers in Greater Manchester. Concurrently, the discourse surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) remains charged with both enthusiasm and uncertainty. This project seeks to harness the capabilities of AI-driven Natural Language Processing (NLP) to analyse community sentiment about social housing in Manchester. By systematically examining publicly available data, specifically social media reviews, we aim to uncover concerns, emerging trends, and potential areas for enhancement within social housing services. This initiative not only highlights the transformative potential of AI in understanding tenant perspectives but also underlines its role in bringing about meaningful improvements in social housing provision.
The Speakers:
Dr. Guy Marshall is Visiting Researcher at the University of Manchester’s Department of Computer Science. Formerly Simon Industrial Fellow, he completed his PhD in AI (on NLP system representation) in 2022, and continues to publish research and speak regularly on the topics of organisational transformation, AI, and technical drawings. He coaches and trains leadership of Housing Associations about IT and AI strategy. His research uses mixed methods, and can be viewed here: https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=Gx8xcGcAAAAJ . He has done several post-docs, including with LSHTM to support SPI-M during covid, and with the Turing Institute on Digital Twins for the urban environment.
In addition to his recent research, he holds a MSc in Theoretical Physics from Kings College London, an MA in Mathematics from University of Cambridge, and is a Chartered Mathematician. He is currently Director of PorthouseDean Structural Engineers, consults through Fuza Ltd, and sits on the board of One Manchester.Dr. Krystyna Ambroch completed her PhD in Economic Sciences at Wrocław University of Technology, Faculty of Computer Science and Management. She has also an MSc in Mathematics.
Krystyna also completed Postgraduate Studies in Management of Research Projects and Commercialization of Results, at Gdansk University of Technology, Faculty of Management and Economics.
She worked for 13 years as adiunkt (lecturer/researcher) for Gdańsk University of Technology, Faculty of Applied Physics and Mathematics, and Faculty of Management and Economics, specialising in Mathematical Statistics and applications of Statistics in Economic Sciences.
She possesses 8 years of participation in seminars: "Mathematical Statistics and other Probabilistic Applications" at the Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Mathematics in Warsaw.
She has also 7 years’ experience in the commercial sector, e.g. as Database Administrator, Decision Science Modeller, Advanced Analytics Modeller, and Data Scientist.
She is professionally experienced in modelling, from complex statistical models, data mining, to Machine Learning, Deep Learning, NLP, Generative AI with Large Language Models. Currently, she is leading the AI Study Group at Manchester Statistical Society.Cover image generated by Midjourney, with the prompt: "happy residents of social housing in manchester, uk., 2024. colour photograph"
- Sorcha Gilroy: AI adoption across the public and private sectorsGreater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Manchester
Data science is a popular but still emerging field in many sectors. This talk will cover some of the ways in which data science has been adopted in the retail industry and how it's being used in central government departments. The talk will also cover the challenges for both private and public sector and where the two sectors have different incentives and how that impacts adoption of new technologies like data science.
Sorcha Gilroy is the Deputy Director for Analytical Data Science at the Department for Business and Trade. Prior to this, she was head of Professional Services EMEA at Peak AI where she led a large team of data scientists and AI adoption managers. Sorcha's academic background is in Maths and Natural Language Processing, she completed her undergraduate degree at University College Cork, and PhD at the University of Edinburgh.
The event is followed by a meal at Gusto. This must be pre-booked by 30th November using the following link: https://bookings.designmynight.com/place-your-order?booking_id=66aa1ad5dc19bc436f72d109
Unfortunately we will be unable to accept any late bookings. Payment for the meal will need to be made to the usual account.
