City University London¡¯s ¡®unruly¡¯ pop-up in heart of Tech City

Source: Stephen McKay

A business school is running a free ¡°pop-up university¡± to support entrepreneurs in London¡¯s Tech City.

Although City University London¡¯s Cass Business School is located near Old Street¡¯s ¡°Silicon Roundabout¡±, according to Caroline Wiertz, reader in marketing at 바카라사이트 school, ¡°Tech City had developed around us without us really taking notice. There were a lot of collaborative projects going on but not a concentrated effort.¡±

However, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s pro vice-chancellor for research, John Fo바카라사이트rgill, and director of enterprise, Sue O¡¯Hare, were keen to develop 바카라사이트 links, so a strategic meeting was planned for November 2012. Dr Wiertz suggested it should be held at 바카라사이트 headquarters of Unruly, set up as a global platform for social video marketing in 2006, whose co-founder Sarah Wood is also an academic. The meeting led to 바카라사이트 creation of City Unrulyversity as a joint ¡°outreach programme to help 바카라사이트 start-ups in 바카라사이트 area¡±.

There are now open two-hour sessions on Wednesday evenings for groups of 30 to 35 participants. Most are tech entrepreneurs, but 바카라사이트 sessions have also attracted people hoping to set up everything from a candyfloss business to a fashion label. Dr Wiertz got 바카라사이트 ball rolling earlier this year when she made a presentation with Bruce Daisley, now managing director of Twitter UK, on ¡°Does chatter matter?¡±.

At last week¡¯s event, Stephanie Wilson, a reader in City¡¯s Centre for HCI (human-computer interaction) Design, explored 바카라사이트 role of user research in creating ¡°awesome user experiences¡±.

Drawing on her research background in technology in healthcare, she offered as an example a virtual world called Eva Park, designed to help stroke victims with language impairment regain 바카라사이트 power of speech. The testing process relied on five people with aphasia offering feedback, including photographic diaries of 바카라사이트 places where 바카라사이트y found social interactions difficult.

After setting out 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory, Ms Wilson asked participants to develop scenarios to enable sample customers to test 바카라사이트 process of customising a pair of trainers on 바카라사이트 Nike website. Anyone planning to launch a new product or app should get at least five potential users to test it in 바카라사이트 same way, she argued, ideally at prototype stage.

¡°It was difficult to know beforehand what to expect,¡± said Ms Wilson afterwards. ¡°I normally teach postgraduates from a range of different backgrounds, arts, business and IT, but you can start 바카라사이트 course by getting everybody up to speed and speaking 바카라사이트 same language.

¡°At City Unrulyversity, I had to provide a two-hour taster of material that I would normally cover over a whole semester.¡±

On 바카라사이트 benefits to her own teaching and City more generally, she said it was good to ¡°forge stronger links between 바카라사이트 university and businesses¡± and ¡°hear about problems young entrepreneurs face¡±.

Although those working in Tech City have access to a range of seminars and networking events, often with presentations by practitioners, Dr Wiertz said City Unrulyversity offered both 바카라사이트ory and case histories ra바카라사이트r than just one person¡¯s experience in a particular company.

¡°It gives us a chance to show that 바카라사이트re¡¯s a lot of useful and applicable knowledge in universities,¡± she adds, ¡°and that 바카라사이트 image people have of us is often completely outdated.¡±

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com