Tech festival prepares education and research sector for digital future

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Jisc, the UK’s digital champion for education and research, has announced the full programme for its Digital Festival 2015 – taking place on March 9 and 10 at the ICC in Birmingham.

Organisers say the two-day event will present the best digital talent the UK has to offer under the umbrella theme of ‘connect more’. It will feature a diverse line-up of digital innovators and leading technology organisations, including internet giant Google, appealing to stakeholders across further and higher education, skills and research.

By bringing together people working across digital technology in UK education, research, skills and enterprise, alongside leading experts and suppliers, the Jisc Digital Festival aims to offer a platform to share best practice and knowledge, in order to help the UK retain its position as the world’s most digitally advanced education and research nation.

Phil Richards, chief innovation officer at Jisc, said: 'With digital technology changing faster than ever, education providers need to be sure they are skilled in the use of digital technology to be able to take full advantage of these opportunities. This type of expertise will not only help improve the student experience, but can provide business intelligence, cost savings through digital resources and administration, and even help attract more students.

'Our festival will offer support and advice on all these areas, alongside sector experts to ensure the UK really leads the way in digital technology. The real question you need to ask is: are you ready for the future of education?'

Programme sessions will include the latest technologies and how they can support teaching and research practices, such as 3D technologies, augmented reality and geospatial services, to ensure institutions are able to make informed decisions about the tools that are available to them.

Events throughout the two-day festival will be of particular resonance for research and librarian delegates include how to improve the discoverability of digital collections, changes in the global research market and the potential opportunities in sharing research data.

Keynote speakers include Simon Nelson, chief executive of FutureLearn – the social learning platform of The Open University – and Carole Goble CBE, professor in the School of Computer Science at the University of Manchester.

Tickets and a full programme of the event can be found at the link below.