JISC

About the conference

The conference will be a vehicle for effecting change, building on the experience of universities which have moved Information Systems from a service provider role to that of a full partner in the development and delivery of university strategy. Over recent years there has been increasing recognition that IT is strategically essential and a catalyst for change. Cardiff University and the Leadership Foundation believe that now is a good moment to showcase that change and to begin to shape the next stage of embedding it, hence their joint sponsorship of the event.

The conference will also offer the opportunity to present and discuss the findings of the joint JISC/Leadership Foundation study to identify issues and development needs relating to awareness, current practice and potential of the integration of technology into institutional strategy.

Expectations from the students coming to our universities are changing rapidly and universities need to evolve quickly to exploit the potential of new ways of working using communications and collaboration tools which extend well beyond e-mail and other technology that we are already comfortable with. The leadership skills required to implement what is probably the most significant cultural change within HE for some time are varied and challenging. This major conference offers a high profile platform for a debate which is crucial to the sector.

The debate will range across the main areas of HE: the strategic role of technology in research, teaching and learning, student support, collaborative ventures. It will draw on experience from overseas and in a number of universities in the UK.

Audience

It is expected that delegates will be working at levels where they can effect strategic change: Vice-Chancellor’s, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, Registrars and equivalent and Directors of Information Services. It is particularly important that the audience is not simply the converted but those who can be inspired to engage in new developments across higher education in the UK.

Speakers

Dr David Grant, Vice Chancellor and Martyn Harrow, Director of Information Systems at Cardiff: a university where the strategic role of technology is well embedded

• Tedd Dodds who, as Associate Vice-President for IT at the University of British Caledonia, spearheads their e-strategy framework
• Dr Paul Rullmann from Delft University who will focus on technology in support of institutional merger and change
• Professor Tim O’Shea, Principal of Edinburgh University and Chair of JISC from 1 January 2009
• Professor Denise Kirkpatrick, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teaching & Learning at the Open University

There will also be a panel of speakers to respond to questions and a speaker from DIUS.

JISC is pleased to be sponsoring this event 

Timing and venue

The event will be held in Cardiff and will run from lunchtime on Monday 24 November to lunchtime on Tueday 25 November. There will be a formal dinner with guest speaker, sponsored by JISC.

Enquiries 

To reserve a place please contact Melissa Scuteri: 020 7841 2707 or melissa.scuteri@lfhe.ac.uk