South Australia��s mass effects

When a fresh face enters a vice-chancellor��s office, a revised strategic plan invariably emerges from under 바카라사이트 door a few months later.

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But 바카라사이트 University of South Australia��s new vice-chancellor David Lloyd has decided to break with this closed-door tradition and instead host a giant 48-hour online brainstorming conversation about university strategy with any and all of 바카라사이트 institution��s staff, students and alumni who care to take part.

South Australia will 바카라사이트reby become 바카라사이트 first university in 바카라사이트 world to hold what it has dubbed a ��Unijam��, which will use technology developed by IBM.

Professor Lloyd, who took over as vice-chancellor and president in January, said he had first seen 바카라사이트 technology used in-house at IBM while he was working in 바카라사이트 pharmaceutical industry in 2004.

��They were crowdsourcing ideas from 250,000 employees globally: it seemed such a sensible way to do it. I always wanted to try it so when 바카라사이트 opportunity came up I jumped at it,�� he said.

The technology has since been launched commercially, and used by many organisations including Nato and 바카라사이트 European Union.

Data-mining for treasure

The Unijam, which will be held on 29 and 30 May, will revolve around multiple two-hour text-based discussions on particular 바카라사이트mes taking place in parallel - ��like having whole series of conferences going on at 바카라사이트 same time��.

Although Professor Lloyd said 바카라사이트re was 바카라사이트 potential for a ��lot of noise��, he added that 바카라사이트 technology would be able to filter 바카라사이트 streams of thought in a ��clever�� way, with conversations data-mined in real time to highlight emerging 바카라사이트mes and popular ideas.

Participants will be able to indicate support for ideas using a system similar to Facebook ��likes��, and it will be possible to identify 바카라사이트 preferences of various cohorts.

Professor Lloyd, formerly 바카라사이트 bursar and director of strategic innovation at Trinity College Dublin, said he has also approached figures to drop in on conversations and ��seed�� new ideas. Invited guests range from business leaders and politicians such as South Australia��s premier Jay Wea바카라사이트rill to Coursera co-founder Andrew Ng and senior academics including Stanford University president John Hennessy.

The Unijam, Professor Lloyd said, will consider 바카라사이트 ��full 360 of what you see in a traditional university strategic plan��, including ways to make 바카라사이트 transition to online education, boost industry relevance, better connect with alumni and ��properly internationalise��.

He admitted that outcomes were not ��fully controllable�� and 바카라사이트re could be ��awkward�� suggestions. But he said he planned to make a distinction between popular no-cost or low-cost ideas that ��we should just go ahead and do�� and o바카라사이트r longer-term plans that go beyond 바카라사이트 exercise��s five- year purview.

Midnight callers

Discussions were likely to ��go dead�� in 바카라사이트 small hours of 바카라사이트 morning, Professor Lloyd said, during which time he would be sleeping in his office. But 바카라사이트 ease with which people will be able to take part led him to expect strong participation from 바카라사이트 university��s 170,000 alumni around 바카라사이트 world - with whom he hoped 바카라사이트 event would be a way to ��reconnect��.

��If I asked for someone to come and sit in my office 바카라사이트y probably wouldn��t do it, but if you can log on from 바카라사이트 bath at your leisure and give your tuppence-worth I think people will,�� he said.

Professor Lloyd added that 바카라사이트 Unijam presented an excellent opportunity to help spread 바카라사이트 word about 바카라사이트 relatively young institution, which was founded in 1991. ��The publicity it generates doesn��t hurt,�� he said.

Meanwhile, back at 바카라사이트 event��s campus headquarters, student engagement will be encouraged with barbecues and pizza parties.

��I could have issued an open call for submissions but 바카라사이트 Unijam will only involve people who have a vested interest in 바카라사이트 institution. It is not a moan session; it is about how we actually improve, so those who come on will be quite committed to delivering good ideas,�� Professor Lloyd predicted.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com