The UK's Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) opened the JISC11 conference in Liverpool recently, attended by nearly 700 delegates from the higher education sectors in the UK, China, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, South Korea, Spain and Sweden. Giving the keynote address, Prof. Eric Thomas, vice chancellor of Bristol University, highlighted the importance of colleges' and universities' use of technology in encouraging student applications.
The conference introduced a day of advice, guidance and future-gazing on the theme of 'financial challenges, digital opportunities' to help colleges and opportunities reduce costs and improve their efficiency.
According to Prof. Thomas, an integrated, sophisticated use of new technology is going to mean that the university is seen as cutting edge and more attractive. Against the backdrop of an increasingly demanding student body, he predicted that within 10 years there would be more students studying in their hometowns to save costs. They would also have the choice of non-degree entry to traditional careers like accounting.
Prof. Thomas also highlighted recent scrutiny of universities' connections with Libya as an example of how the public see education as operating within a different value system.
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