On Sunday evening, 27 May 2012, Aberystwyth University welcomed the Olympic Torch to the town, before a crowd of some 8000 people at the University’s Vicarage Fields as it completed its journey from Swansea to Aberystwyth.

Among those carrying the torch through Aberystwyth were two staff members and two students from the University.

Professor Qiang Shen, Head of the Department of Computer Science at the University, carried the Olympic Torch through the outskirts of the town on Sunday 27th May, cheered on by colleagues, students and members of the public.

Professor Shen dedicated his leg of the Olympic Torch relay to the memory of the father of modern computing, Alan Turing.

Speaking after his run, he said: “2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth on Alan Turing, the founder of computer science and artificial intelligence and a figurehead for the code breaking efforts of WWII. It was a great honour to be selected to carry the Olympic Torch and to dedicate my participation in his memory.”

“Turing created one of the first designs for a stored-program computer and laid the foundations for the field of Artificial Intelligence. These achievements led to the computerised era we live in today, and prepared the way for the research we are working on here at Aberystwyth University. Above all, his work is an inspiration to future generations of scientists and engineers.

“It was also a pleasure to have this opportunity to celebrate the achievements of colleagues and students at the Department and the University and with the local community," he added.

University Sports Centre staff member Bridget James was presented with the torch at the National Library of Wales as it departed Aberystwyth on Monday 28th May.

Speaking after her leg, Bridget said: “Receiving the Olympic flame on the steps of the National Library in the company of so many people made me feel immensely proud.”

Students Susanna Ditton from the Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences and Shon Rowcliffe from the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies also took part in the relay on Sunday.

Image courtesy of Aberystwyth University: The four Olympic Torchbearers from the University (left to right) Bridget James, Professor Qiang Shen, Susanna Ditton and Shon Rowcliffe at the University’s Vicarage Fields. By Tara Saghafi.

Notes

Researcher James Law made the successful bid for the department to be a 2012 Olympic torchbearer in the UK Torch Relay as celebration of Alan Turing's centennial. The torch was carried in place of the iCub robot, as it did not meet the eligibility criteria for a torch bearer. This generated much media attention and appeared on a large number of news and technology related websites worldwide, including IEEE Spectrum and New Scientist.

A video of iCub robot linked to the Olympic torch event also went viral on the internet.