Representatives from 22 Countries Share Experiences and Present Insights on Higher Education in a Web 2.0 World
SunGard Higher Education, a global provider of software solutions and strategic consulting for colleges and universities, is hosting an annual gathering of higher education leaders and technology experts in Dubai. The 8th annual Middle East User Group Conference is taking place at the Westin, Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort, from 8th to10th November 2009.
The conference themed “Higher Education in a Web 2.0 World: Convenience, Collaboration, Convergence” features keynote presentations by the chancellors of both American University of Cairo and American University of Sharjah, as well as education practitioners from across the Middle East and guests from Asia, Europe and United States. Participants from all over the region will share their experiences and best practices as well as gain critical insights on using Web 2.0 technologies to help transform their institutions.
Mathew Boice, general manager EMEA, SunGard Higher Education, said: “This year’s user group conference showcases our new Open Digital Campus vision, and focuses on possibilities for teaching and learning transformation enabled by Web 2.0 technologies. Web 2.0 technologies offer unprecedented opportunities for people to integrate their activities online as they collaborate and share resources online.â€
The conference provides a variety of networking opportunities for interaction with consultants, technical experts and product specialists from SunGard Higher Education and its partners. In addition to keynotes, there will be demonstrations, case studies and discussions from technical experts representing ten key event sponsors – Blackboard, Dell, International Turnkey Systems, IMS, Nuventive, Oracle, Residential Management Systems, SciQuest, TouchNet, and UC4.
One of the high points of the conference is the announcement of the Open Digital Campus, a recently announced vision and technology strategy that aims to give colleges and universities more flexibility to shape how technology meets their evolving needs.
“The Open Digital Campus is a technology evolution and the realization of the future of computing. We promote an open, collaborative user community. Meetings like this are vital ways to share expertise and keep up with ongoing developments of new solutions. Participants will gain insightful perspectives on helping their institutions achieve strategic goals,†said Mr. Boice.
