UCSC Futures

From UCSC Wiki

Ideas for a vision statement

Here are some ideas for the UCSC I'd like to see in 2012. Please edit this and add things to it to make it a faculty owned 'wish-list'

Recognized Centre of Excellence for CS/IT Research

Several research laboratories thrive at the UCSC bringing together academics and researchers from within and outside, including several visiting scholars from overseas. International interns spend 3 to 6 month placements in these labs. These research groups carry out nationally and regionally relevant research which carves out niches in the global research enterprise. Attracting international funding, these academics and researchers are well known and respected in their own disciplines around the world. Several of the most prominent academics are invited speakers and conferences and find sabbatical fellowships with ease in the best research institutions around the world. Each of the research groups have members who advice the state and sit on regional and international bodies in their relevant disciplines.

Spawning Small and Medium Technology Enterprises

The research carried out in the laboratories feed to a set of incubating companies for which space and facilities are provided within the UCSC. After a suitable gestation period, these companies are successfully launched into thriving commercial entities taking the technology developed at the UCSC to the utmost parts of the country, across the region and to the ends of the globe. Graduates of the UCSC become the entrepreneurs who run these companies.

Qualitatively Superior Graduates

Students are motivated to learn new things and innovate. The knowledge gained in courses directly feed to ideas for improving the lot of the common man through ICT's. Positive attitudes set apart UCSC students and graduates from others in the job force. Thinking out of the box, exploring new possibilities, networking with relevant individuals and parties, asking timely and pertinent questions, are all hallmarks of UCSC students and graduates. Several graduates setup their own companies, generating jobs and income for the country.

Content and Competent Faculty

Faculty and other staff are routinely engaged in continuing professional development through appropriate training programmes and mentorships. Space and facilities enjoyed by staff surpass that of other universities and match those found in the industry. Initiative and innovation of the staff gives rise to many new areas being explored resulting in an ever widening influence of UCSC in the national, regional and international scene.

Strong Industry Liaison

All aspects of the UCSC, from undergraduate curricula to research agenda's have healthy interaction with top industry partners. Guest lectures, site visits and industry placements are routinely carried out via an industry liaison network. Students of the UCSC are highly sought after by the industry for placement. Several key industry figures sit on the UCSC's various boards of study, its Academic Syndicate and Board of Management.

Learning Technology and eLearning

Pedagogy and technology are harmoniously interwoven in the latest learning technology tools and content emanating from the UCSC through all its degree programmes. A network of eLearning professionals centered at the UCSC supports technology enhanced learning programmes in universities, schools, public sector agencies and community organizations.

Thriving Consulting Arm

The company is widely recognized as a niche consulting service for ICT related projects and programmes. Profits of the company are ploughed back to the UCSC and facilitate the continuous modernization of equipment and services available at the UCSC.

Benevolent Donor

Funds generated are invested in the neediest areas of the University of Colombo and other agencies of strategic importance. Goodwill gained thereby is instrumental in bridging the gap between UCSC students and those in the rest of the university.

Do we need an Alumni?

Some of my ideas for the why and how of having a Computing Alumni...

If you agree with the main rationale for setting this up (even if not the details in the document), please volunteer to be the person who'll make it happen!

We now have a social network on Crowdvine to bring together alumni.

Possible Strategic Areas for Involvement

The following are some key areas where opportunities exist and are begging to be taken... (However, good opportunities are unlikely to remain open for long... before someone else grabs them)

Certification Authority (highly marketable service for whole country)
Computer Forensics (highly marketable service for country)
e-Government (Funded by ICTA)
ICT for Development (with Funding from GKP, IDRC, ICTA...)
...

Note that in many of these, funding sources or markets are readily available and we at the UCSC have the expertise. It is only a matter of identifying the champions who can push forward. The SDU is willing to give back-up support for implementation.

Ideas for mobilizing students!

25th Anniversary Public Lecture Series

04 Jan 2010: Future of Pen Computing by Dr. Ananda Gunawardena, Department of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, USA.

13 Jan 2010: Web 2.0, Cloud Computing and the Impact by Prof. Athula Ginige, Professor of Information Technology at the University of Western Sydney, Australia.

25 Feb 2010: Building Intelligent Machines by Prof. Rao Vemuri, Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Davis, USA.

5th Apr 2010: Evidence based Software Engineering by Dr. Stephen Linkman, Senior Lecturer, School of Computing and Mathematics, Keele University, UK.

8th Jul 2010: Playing textual analysis as music by Dr. George Weir, University of Strathclyde, UK.

UoC Institutional Review 2010

The IR Document submitted to UGC QA Council (314Kb)

The UCSC Source Documents for above UoC IR Document (1.2Mb)