Leadership

This section highlights the leadership initiatives UCISA is involved with. One suggestion arising from the Directors' Forum on Leadership was that UCISA provides links to blogs authored by IT Directors and senior service management in the sector. Links to those authors that have agreed to for the UCISA site to link to their blogs to date are available from the menu on the right.

The Leadership Foundation and the JISC have recently announced a collaboration to stimulate awareness of the strategic technology agenda amongst senior leaders and managers in higher education. The announcement notes the increasing dependency of higher education institutions on technology to support and deliver their core business. Further OECD scenarios for the future development of higher education nationally and internationally emphasise the growing strategic importance of technology. This collaboration will be an important initiative in encouraging and promoting a greater understanding and awareness of the opportunities and challenges and in maximising the strategic benefit for UK higher education.

Consultants Duke & Jordan have been commissioned on behalf of the two organisations to gather evidence of current levels of awareness and practice with a view to promoting engagement with the strategic technology agenda. They will undertake a study involving interviews in a range of higher education institutions and desktop research.

Duke & Jordan are working to a tight timescale and have already invited a sample of institutions to participate in the study. However, if you have not been contacted and have a particular interest in participation, then please contact Andy Jordan direct (andrew.jordan@dukeandjordan.co.uk).

The findings of the evidence based study were presented at a UK-wide conference in Cardiff, 24 - 25 November 2008. Building the University of the Future: People and IT in Partnership is a joint venture between Cardiff University and the Leadership Foundation. Both the study and conference highlighted the leadership skills needed for succesful strategic engagement with technology. Details of the event and the presentations are available on the event website.

A further UCISA leadership event is scheduled for 27-28 January 2009 at the Radisson SAS Hotel, Manchester Airport.

23 December 2008