A Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) student, Harshita Thakur, has won a much coveted nationwide competition held by the Bank of England. 

The competition offered a paid internship to a small group of students aged 16+ within the Bank of England's data and innovation team this summer. 

To enter, students needed to create either a five minute video or a five-slide presentation, answering the question, 'How can artificial intelligence (AI) shape the mission of the Bank of England?'

Harshita, who studies A Level Maths, Graphic Design and Physics, created a brilliant five minute video which can be viewed here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ8E7cCE_Xk&ab_channel=hersheys

Tutor, Kasim Agpak, said: "What a fantastic achievement for Harshita. Though, I am not surprised she has won, Harshita really is a perfect student. 

"She attends all her lessons and her presence in the classroom makes a massive difference.

"Harshita absolutely deserves this experience and I am proud to be her tutor. I am certain this will be the start of an illustrious career for her." 

Harshita's internship will last up to 8 weeks and will be the perfect opportunity to prepare her for the world of work.

The overjoyed student said: "I am extremely excited and grateful to have won the Bank of England's innovation competition.

"I plan to have a career in IT/AI and what better way to start off than by being a part of the Bank of England's data and technology team?

"I am looking forward to this internship and I hope that it will be fruitful."

Tirthankar Bandyopadhyay, Work experience co-ordinator at RuTC, arranged the college's involvement in the competition and was a key factor in Harshita's participation.

He said: "Harshita is very focussed on what she wants to achieve both during her stint in the college, and in the future. 

"She proactively worked on the Bank of England's Innovation Competition 2023, carrying out extensive research and attending the session with a bank data scientist in November.

"The content and the production of her presentation for the competition are testimonies of clear understanding and of the subject and digital skills. The role will also add to her confidence and boost her aspiration. 

"Coming from India, Harshita has done well to adjust with the new realities of life and education. She has already completed a successful work placement with the global networking major Cisco in February.

"Harshita is a self-starter and quick learner with excellent communication, teamwork and inter-personal, and problem-solving skills. She will go far in the future."