This conference has been developed in partnership by the Leadership Foundation and Cardiff University and with the active support and sponsorship of JISC. It came out of an earlier conference organised by UCISA - again in Cardiff - which set an agenda for CIOs and IT Directors in Higher Education to engage more actively in institutional strategy.
Out of this also came a study commissioned by the JISC to investigate the state of “Current engagement of institutional strategies with the information technology agenda” and we are pleased for this conference to hear early findings and be able to contribute to the final report on this very important subject.
There are echoes of the timeliness of the conference also in the recent publication of Richard Katz’s series of essays “The Tower and The Crowd” as well as the publication of the papers submitted to John Denham’s Debate into the Future of HE. We are at a cusp of change in HE and IT and truly a successful future will be achieved if institutions consider the strategic role IT can play as they move forward in partnership.
Heather Graham
On behalf of the Leadership Foundation I would like to welcome you to this conference on such an important and ever expanding topic.
We are particularly pleased to be hosting the conference in partnership with the University here in Cardiff.
We are also working closely with JISC who are hosting the dinner tonight.
Tomorrow you will have the opportunity to hear and comment on the latest findings of the Leadership / JISC study of strategic technology in HE, and thoughts on future policy.
I have no doubt the discussions then and today will be lively; not least because delegates are from a wide range of universities across the UK and from a wide diversity of roles and responsibilities.
Perhaps that demonstrates one of the major advantages of technology: the breaking down of barriers, whether they be geographical, communication issues or discipline silos. The opportunities technology offers can be mind blowing.
Today and tomorrow you will hear about some significant and innovative developments. You will, I am sure, go away inspired and buzzing with ideas.
So enjoy the conference.
I would now like to invite Professor Peter Blood, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Cardiff, to welcome you on behalf of the University.
A really timely conference with the Debate on the Future of Higher Education having been published just last week.
http://www.dius.gov.uk/policy/HE-debate.html
Looking forward to hearing discussion on the submission that the JISC Chair made - On-line Innovation in Higher Education - and how this translates into strong strategic alignment between the institution and its IT function.