Futures Cafe

What is Futures Café?

A series of events to share ideas and provoke debate on how current and emergent technologies may enable IT Services and other areas of the University to address future challenges or opportunities. Information Technology is often about looking forward, and we want to track state of the art developments and see how they apply to us. What good is an idea if only you know it?

2013 Programme

For the 2013 programme, we are aligning topics for Futures Cafes with recent benefits mapping work in the University. The benefits maps for education and research are still very much works in progress: a great opportunity for us to consider what new  technologies, applications or systems (or existing ones deployed in new ways) might be mapped to key strategic objectives or the intermediate benefits or changes in practice that contribute to them.

10 January 2013: Continuing connections

How do we foster lifelong loyalty and connection to Bristol? From first contact, through a student's time here and to way beyond graduation?

This first Futures Cafe in the 2013 programme will address related questions such as: What kinds of information and services for support and engagement are needed throughout this lifecycle? What kinds of systems, applications or technologies could enable them? Is this about improving what we know and do now, or taking a completely radical new look? How are others addressing similar questions? What's on the technology horizons that could help make a step-change towards this?

Programme (subject to change)

13.00  Arrivals, networking - sandwich lunch available

14.00  Welcome and opening remarks

           Dr Lesly Huxley, Director IT Services R&D/ILRT

           Dr John Manley, Director, Automated Infrastructure Lab, HP Labs (Chair)

14.15  Why is this important? What do we know and do now?

           Professor Nick Lieven, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education)

           Tania-Jane Rawlinson,  Director of Campaigns and Alumni Relations      

15.00  What kinds of information are needed for support and engagement? How are others addressing similar questions?

           Jean Mutton, Student Experience Project Manager, University of Derby

           Tea/coffee available

16.00  Discussion: What kinds of systems, applications or technologies - current or on the horizon - could help make a step-change

            in continuing connections?

17.00  Close                   

Book your place:  Futures Cafe booking form

 

Contributors:

Professor Nick Lieven, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Education

Dr John Manley, Director, Automated Infrastructure Lab, HP Labs Bristol and lay member of Council

Jean Mutton, Student Experience Project Manager, University of Derby

Tania-Jane Rawlinson, Director of Campaigns and Alumni Relations

 

Details of past events can be found at Futures Cafe: Past events