[BOAI] JISC launches 2010-2012 strategy

[Peter Suber]

[Forwarding from Sophie Pettit and JISC.   --Peter Suber.]

*THE UK NEEDS SUSTAINED INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO
SUPPORT FUTURE RESEARCH, TEACHING AND LEARNING*

   - *JISC launches 2010-2012 strategy *
   - *See **www.jisc.ac.uk* <http://www.jisc.ac.uk/>* for further full
   Strategy documentation *

The UK is at risk of losing its world-leading reputation for education
unless it continues to invest in digital technologies to meet the
ever-changing needs of modern learners, researchers and the academic
community says JISC in its three-year strategy which launches today.

The strategy outlines a vision of the future whereby a robust technological
infrastructure is required to meet the shifting needs of the 21st century
education community. JISC believes it is crucial that the UK’s education
system continues to compete on the international stage by investing in
innovation, research and increasing the availability of online resources.

*JISC Chair Professor Sir Tim O’Shea commented:* "The UK's learner base is
changing at great speed. Students are increasingly demanding that
universities and colleges provide flexible and personalised learning which
makes full use of the internet and IT applications. Such demands and
expectations are set to increase as we move through this decade and into the
next.

"If we fail to sustain the required research and investment to assist
universities and colleges in their drive to improve their efficiency,
effectiveness and to manage their costs, the UK risks losing its reputation
for world-class education."

Recent JISC projects, such as the Google
Generation<http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/resourcediscovery/googlegen.aspx>and
Sustainable
ICT<http://www.susteit.org.uk/uploads/DOCS/55-SustainableICTreport_final.pdf>studies,
have defined a new world for teaching and learning and have
outlined the infrastructure needed to support it. With new technologies
constantly evolving, sustained investment is needed to pioneer their use.
Over the last decade JISC has invested its research and development funds in
around 200 universities and colleges to help uncover new products,
approaches and systems as well as increase skills and capacity.

JANET <http://www.ja.net/index.html> has developed a world-leading computer
network and technical backbone which has transformed the way that technology
is used and understood. Now, a network once used by a select few purely for
cutting-edge research allows millions in education and research to share,
manipulate, analyse and reuse digital content from around the world. It is
also the first national research and education network in the world to
complete a 100Gbit/s network trial that is nearly two hundred thousand times
faster than the average broadband connection.

As the web continues to transform life in the education sector, JISC,
through its services  will guide individuals and organisations to make
effective use of digital technology through training and staff development

JISC’s strategy outlines four key areas of investment*:
effective, creative approaches to teaching and an enhanced learning
experience; increased research quality and innovative approaches to support
the research process; efficient and effective institutions;
shared infrastructure and resources.

Within these four area focus will be given to online learning, management
information systems, cloud computing, innovation and impact.

A rich online learning culture in particular has a huge part to play to
ensure UK colleges and universities remain attractive in the domestic and
global markets. In addition, with the release of cloud computing now offers
a real and widespread new way of working enabling institutions, learners and
researchers to access information, resources and software online without the
need for local storage.

*JISC executive secretary Dr Malcolm Read OBE added:* “Realising cost
savings and improving value for money and efficiency through exploiting
technology needs, leadership and culture change. There are many
opportunities to consider; the technical risks are modest but the risks to
an organisation through adopting new business and teaching and learning
processes can be considerable. But funding and economic pressures require
such change and JISC’s role is to show how this transition can be managed
and the benefits gained.”

The launch of the JISC strategy 2010-2012 follows a period of consultation
in which UK higher and further education institutions, membership bodies,
mission groups, and key partners were invited to respond and help inform the
strategy’s final direction. The strategy has been written to ensure JISC’s
planned future investment priorities focus on the areas of greatest
importance to those in education and research.

*
*

*Notes to editors*

***Further detailed information on how the investment will be distributed
will be available within the full Strategy document which will be available
from 09.00am on Tuesday 1 December on the JISC website www.jisc.ac.uk or in
a PDF version available immediately on request from Bray Leino.

*About JISC*

JISC inspires UK colleges and universities in the innovative use of digital
technologies, helping to maintain the UK’s position as a global leader in
education.

JISC manages and funds more than 300 projects within 24 programmes and
supports 49 services that provide expertise, advice, guidance and resources
to address the needs of all users in higher and further education.

*For more information, please contact:*

Leander Clarke / Sophie Pettit

Bray Leino Public Relations

Tel: 0117 973 1173  Email: lclarke at brayleino.co.uk / spettit at brayleino.co.uk
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