Local school pupils join interactive computer science event as part of Ada Scotland Festival

Abertay University welcomed over 70 pupils from eight local schools to campus for a full-day of hands-on digital learning, delivered as part of the Ada Scotland Festival – a nationwide celebration of inclusion in computing and technology. 

The event, held on Wednesday 1 October 2025, was designed to ignite curiosity and excitement around digital skills, with pupils taking part in a packed programme of workshops and talks focused on tech and digital innovation. 

Highlights included a series of speed talks from women working in the tech sector, offering insights and inspiration for the next generation, as well as practical workshops where pupils had the chance to try out video games and other media. 

Leading games companies Ninja Kiwi and YoYo Games, along with banking technology leader NCR Aleos, were on hand to showcase their work and speak with pupils about careers in the games industry. The event offered attendees a unique opportunity to engage directly with professionals behind some of the sector’s most exciting projects. 

A careers fair was also part of the event, featuring a range of employers and organisations including Abertay’s Women in Games Society, DJCAD, Dundee & Angus College, the Abertay Games Development Society, and HackSoc, the University’s Ethical Hacking Society. 

The participating schools included Morgan Academy, Dollar Academy, Westhill Academy, Strathallan School, Invergowrie Primary, Maisondieu Primary, South Esk Primary, Fetterangus and Kininmonth. 

Dr Lynn Love, Academic Lead for the event, said: 

It was a real pleasure to welcome so many enthusiastic young people to campus. Events like this are vital for encouraging greater gender diversity in tech and helping pupils see themselves in these spaces. Representation matters, and we hope the experience has sparked some new ideas and ambitions for the future.

A separate event led by Martin Lynagh, Lecturer in Abertay’s Game Production in the Department of Games and Arts, was hosted in Edinburgh as part of the festival. The event featured User Research and Play Sessions, where pupils took part in one-on-one feedback sessions with developers from the DARE Academy and Professional Project 24/25 cohorts.

Participating teams included Bonny Bandits, Cosmic Coda, and Riverboat Games, represented by Francis Acton, Mia Philp, Adelle Bauer, Cassie Parsons, and Lucinda Shale. 

The Ada Scotland Festival is named after the 19th-century English mathematician Ada Lovelace, who is recognised as a key pioneer of computer science. This year's festival runs from 29 September to 10 October and is supported by Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, and the People’s Postcode Lottery. 

The 2025 edition has expanded further across Scotland than ever before, with events for high schoolers set to be held at universities in Dundee, Edinburgh, Inverness, and Aberdeen. 

Dr Matthew Barr of the University of Glasgow’s School of Computing Science is one of the founders of the festival and serves as its director.  

He said: 

Scotland has bold ambitions to be a digital leader in the years ahead. Working today to build the more gender-balanced workforce of tomorrow will give us a selling point on the world stage. That’s what we’re aiming to achieve with the Ada Scotland Festival, and we’re delighted to be bringing events to more places across the country than ever before.