Tag: university

Dell Technologies supports Ulster University in developing a digital experience for students and staff

Dell Technologies has today announced that it is supporting Ulster University on its digital transformation journey by enabling the third-level institute to develop a consistent digital experience for its 34,000 students, research, teaching and professional services staff. The collaboration has supported the modernisation of Ulster University’s compute and storage infrastructure helping to remove data silos in its Northern Ireland campuses.

As a university stretching across four campuses in Belfast, Coleraine, Jordanstown and Magee, Ulster University needed to provide students with the digital infrastructure required by a modern learning environment while also continuing to deliver world-recognised research irrespective of location. However, with legacy data silos across campuses adding to the complexity and cost of its IT systems, the University faced many obstacles in providing one consistent experience for students and teaching staff across its sites.

Ulster University turned to Dell Technologies to overcome these challenges. Dell’s Hyper-Converged VxRail infrastructure, powered by Intel, enabled the university to consolidate its IT needs under one platform. This seamless, integrated and automated IT solution helped to break down data silos and provide a consistent experience for staff and students at the university. Additional benefits include zero downtime, reduced complexity, expanded scalability, and enhanced resilience within Ulster University’s IT systems.  

With the shift to hybrid learning and the rise in cyber threats, Ulster University also tapped into Dell’s expert team of experts to enhance its cyber resilience strategy. Through the guidance of Dell Technologies, Ulster University’s IT team can address any potential cyber threats and ensure robust recovery capability to restore operations in the case of an attack.  

George Maybury, Public Sector Director, Dell Technologies Ireland and Northern Ireland, said: “As a trusted partner of Ulster University for over 20 years, we have developed a strong relationship with this historic institution in Northern Ireland. From supporting the IT team as they modernise the University’s infrastructure to empowering researchers to use AI and Edge Computing as part of the Belfast Region City Deal, we’re making transformation real. Through our collaboration, Ulster University has also started its Cloud journey. Cloud is about transforming operations, and we are excited to have worked with the University to fuel that transformation well into the future.”  

Terence Nicholl, Head of Infrastructure and Operations, Ulster University, said: “As a single university with four unique sites, at Ulster University, we faced the challenge of ensuring a consistent teaching and learning experience for all of our staff and students. With the help of Dell Technologies, we were able to build a roadmap to rationalise and transform our existing infrastructure so that we could provide a seamless, single and consistent service provision while enhancing our cyber resilience.Thanks to strategic relationship we have with Dell, we are now confident that we can build on the achievements to date and strengthen the experience of Ulster University’s staff, students and visitors for many years to come.”

University College Cork recognises Dell Technologies’ support to accelerate research in Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things

University College Cork (UCC) has recognised Dell Technologies for its contribution to the education, research, and development of electronic engineers. The donation of high-end computing and data storage equipment enables UCC’s Embedded Systems research group in the School of Engineering and Architecture to rapidly accelerate research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Dell’s support for UCC has contributed to ground-breaking research activity in AI, specifically its application in medicine and cyber security. The digital equipment has also been an accelerant for financial mathematics, circuit design and IoT for environmental monitoring. Part of this research is conducted in collaboration with UCC’s world-leading research centres, including the Insight SFI Centre for Data Analytics, CRT-AI (SFI Centre for Research Training in Artificial Intelligence), and MaREI (SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine).

UCC President, Professor John O’Halloran, welcomed Dell’s Aongus Hegarty, President of International Markets, and Des O’Sullivan, Vice President, Customer Solution Centers, to the university in recognition of the company’s contribution to the university.

Professor John O’Halloran, President University College Cork commented: “I am delighted to welcome Aongus and Des and thank Dell for their continued support for our education and research activities at UCC.  Dell’s commitment to the advancement of technological innovation has enabled us to provide the cutting-edge facilities necessary to pursue game-changing research in areas such as These are strategically important disciplines for UCC that will build a foundation for economic, societal, and cultural resilience and prosperity”.

Dr Emanuel Popovici, Chair of the Industry Relations Committee at the School of Engineering and Architecture and Director of Embedded Systems@UCC group, said:

“We are delighted with the help and support provided by Dell. It will enable us to bring AI and IoT research, teaching, and learning to new heights. By using state-of-the-art computing from Dell, we are already reaping the rewards with some tremendous success in the multi-award-winning Embedded Systems research group through prizes, medals, and awards for our students and staff.”

Aongus Hegarty, President of International Markets, Dell Technologies said: “We’re proud to build on our strong partnership with UCC’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering by providing high-end computing power and data storage equipment to help their researchers unlock opportunities. Our support will assist cutting-edge research at every level – from undergraduate to ground-breaking post-doctoral research. By combining our technology with the innovations the UCC students are developing, we can collectively put AI to advance the development of connected healthcare, smart manufacturing and sustainable energy systems. ”

University College Cork has a longstanding relationship with Dell spanning many years. The company has facilitated employability initiatives such as student internships, and many of UCC’s engineering graduates have pursued highly successful and fulfilling careers with Dell.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dell’s support was crucial in maintaining an excellent standard of learning, teaching, and research for students by providing continuity of access to state-of-the-art computing – a key component of many of UCC’s engineering courses.

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Professor Jorge Oliveira, Head, School of Engineering and Architecture said:

“The School of Engineering and Architecture has traditionally relied significantly on the support of industrial companies to deliver a top-quality experience to our students. We are most grateful to Dell for once again strengthening this interaction to the benefit of our knowledge base and student experience”.

Professor Sarah Culloty, Head, College of Science, Engineering and Food Science commented:

“We are extremely grateful to Dell for their leadership in supporting the next generation of STEM pioneers through a transformative programme of investment that will advance engineering education and research at UCC”.

TCS Launches Sustainathon Competition for University Students in Ireland to Tackle Environmental Issues with Digital Innovation

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced the launch of the 2022 UK and Ireland Sustainathon, a problem-solving competition that challenges university students to address corporate sustainability problems through innovative digital technology, creativity, and teamwork.

Registrations are now open for the 2022 Sustainathon, which invites university students to work alongside TCS and its partner network (via a virtual online portal) during a two-week sprint to devise digital solutions that can help businesses overcome their most urgent sustainability challenges.

“TCS is fully committed to addressing environmental challenges in the countries and communities we operate in, and to building a sustainable future through innovation and adoption of digital technologies,” said Andrea McBride, Head of TCS Global Delivery Centre, Letterkenny.

She added, “This is the first year that the TCS Sustainathon is available to students in Ireland. The competition has had great success in the UK and other regions over the last number of years and we are delighted to be able to offer Irish students the opportunity to be involved this year.”

TCS is engaging with universities across the UK and Ireland, including Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and North West Regional College (NWRC), Derry, to launch the competition, as part of its ongoing commitment to promote STEM skills, nurture young talent and support sustainable enterprise. TCS will work closely with its clients and supporting organisations as the challenge partners for 2022, including Phoenix Group, Lloyds Banking Group and Marks & Spencer.

Participating teams will be given a unique opportunity to join a series of interactive masterclasses, virtual mentoring sessions and online webinars with business and community leaders who will guide them through each stage of the ideation process and help to turn their concepts into a reality.

Irish academics partnering with TCS on this year’s competition, include Dr. Mark Kelly, Head of ATU Galway and Mayo Centre for Sustainability who will deliver an online ‘Sustainability Masterclass’ to all participating students from Ireland and UK and Francine Moran, Lecturer in Science and Sustainable Technologies at NWRC, participating as a guest panellist for a discussion session on ‘Sustainability and Career Paths’.

After presenting their solutions to the judges, the winning teams will be rewarded with sustainable prizes and an opportunity to showcase their ideas at the grand finale event on Tuesday 6th December. The judging panel will be comprised of representatives from UnifAI Technology, the Rail Delivery Group, a selection of not-for-profit organisations, and sustainability experts who are independent from the competition process. The members of the Grand Finale winning team will be offered one month paid internships with TCS.

Last year, the winning team ‘Biophilic’ from University College London was challenged to increase community engagement around sustainability by enhancing the digital functionality of Scotland’s National Entitlement Card (NEC) app. Biophilic was invited to present their winning concept to an audience of business leaders at TCS’ Innovation Forum in London, which resulted in the companies working with the students to develop their ideas into a real solution.

For more information and how to register, please visit:

https://www.sustainathon.tcsapps.com/events/ongoing/UKI2022

Gadgets and Apps for Back to School / Uni 2022

Whether starting secondary school, going to college or leaving for university in September, no doubt pupils and students already have a long list of everything they need. Ten Four Communications has put together a few additional suggestions – from an alarm clock to get them to lectures on time and multifunctional colour changing lamp for their desk to a reusable notebook/planner to keep them organised – that they may want to consider. 

Groov-e Soundbar 20 

Price: £29.99 

Available from: www.groov-e.co.uk from September 2022.  

 

 

This new wireless soundbar from Groov-e is a must have for any student heading to university this year. Providing impressive sound quality, simply connect via Bluetooth to a compatible device to listen to music, watch movies or make hands free calls. Colour changing LED lights make it the perfect addition to any party plus it is lightweight and portable so can be taken anywhere – another room, garden party or even home for the weekend. An integrated stand pops out to hold your smartphone or tablet making it perfect for those who want to binge Netflix series when not studying. Featuring a rechargeable battery it offers 10+ hours of playback on a single charge.  

Price: £34.99 

Available from: www.groov-e.co.uk and Smyths Toys  

 

 

 

The Groov-e Astra is a multi-functional, colour changing lamp which features a wireless charging pad and Bluetooth speaker. It is perfect for a student’s desk, getting rid of messy cables and allowing them to charge a mobile phone while working, studying, reading or sleeping.  

Whether users need extra light at their desk to revise for exams, or on their nightstand so they can read before bed, the Astra features 9 LED light modes to ensure they have the right level of brightness. Also, perfect for mood lighting, users can change the colour of the light it emits at the touch of a button. 

Astra’s flexible arm means users can adjust the light to their preferred angle, ensuring they don’t strain their eyes and can work or read more comfortably. Additionally, Astra has an integrated 3W wireless speaker.  Users simply connect a device via Bluetooth from up to 10m away to listen to their favourite tunes.   

  

Price: £49.99 

Available from: TwelveSouth.com or Amazon.com 

   

The Twelve South ParcSlope is a one-piece metal stand that raises a laptop screen to an optimum viewing position while keeping the keyboard angled and low to the desk for comfortable typing. Whilst the ParcSlope is a great addition to any desk setup, it is also small and light enough that it can be moved around the home in the event students want to study from their kitchen island or dining room table. With ParcSlope, users will enjoy better ergonomics that help to relieve shoulder and wrist pain, a video call friendly viewing angle and an open wedge design that allows for increased airflow and a cooler, quieter laptop.

For iPad users, ParcSlope angles the device to a wrist-friendly 18-degree angle that’s perfect for sketching, creative work, note taking or performing music. The matte black easel stand is sturdy and holds every iPad (except iPad mini) in a landscape or portrait mode. ParcSlope even allows users to turn their iPad into a mini desktop by pairing it with a wireless keyboard providing an even smarter way to work. 

  

Price: £299 

Available from Amazon UK 

 

 

Small but agile, Bittle is a powerful robot that can be programmed to walk, do tricks and roll around just like a real dog. Designed for coding and fun, Bittle operates on OpenCat, an open-source quadrupled robot platform that offers endless programming and customisation possibilities. Bittle is an ideal tool for teaching, researching and learning about STEM and robotics. 

   

Price: £39.99 

Available from: www.groov-e.co.uk 

 

  

Waking up for school or uni can be hard but with the Light Curve wake-up light, alarm and radio, users can start their day a little easier. The light, which mimics natural daylight, will come on at the selected time, starting off gently and gradually getting brighter until it’s at the optimum level to help rouse sleepy-heads up. When it’s actually time to get out of bed, a chosen alarm sound or radio station will also be activated to help users wake fully.

For those who like to read or need the light on darker mornings to get ready, the Light Curve has 10 levels of brightness using its LED lamp. And for those who want to create more of an atmosphere, one of the seven coloured mood lighting options can be selected.  

   

Price: £39.99 

Available from: Amazon.co.uk   

 

 

Rocketbook notebooks and planners provide a classic pen and paper experience, yet are built for the digital age. Not only can handwritten notes be digitised and sent to the cloud using a smartphone and accompanying Rocketbook app, the ink (when you write using any pen from the Pilot FriXion Line) can then be quickly erased from the pages with a damp cloth, enabling the books to be used over and over again and saving paper in the process. The Academic Planner has been designed for students and approved by teachers. It is equipped with 13 different page types to help you manage class schedules, weekly goals and daily workloads. 

  

Price: £38.99 

Available from: Amazon.co.uk 

 

 

 

Rocketbook has partnered with Panda Planner to combine inspiration with innovation. The Panda Planner features undated monthly, weekly and daily templates to organise your life as well as goals and motivation templates. The innovative synthetic paper allows you to write smoothly with a Pilot FriXion pen then magically wipe your planner clean with a damp cloth to use year after year. The Rocketbook app scans and connects your notes to the cloud to digitally save and share your notes.  

Price: Basic (free), Personal (£5.99 per month), Professional (£7.49 per month) 

Available from: Apple App Store or Google Play 

  

 

Evernote automatically saves notes online and makes them available on all devices so you can access them anywhere, anytime. Ideal for students who do a mix of online and in-person studying or like a change of scenery. The document scanning function is also useful for copying from text books and the Search Handwriting feature identifies words in handwritten pieces.