Ellucian® Live Middle East 2013 highlights role of higher and vocational education in regional economic development

Annual event brings together over 500 education policy influencers in one of the largest learning networks of its kind in the Arab region

Dubai, UAE. – 8 Dec 2013 – Ellucian®, a global and regional leader in providing innovative technology solutions and strategic guidance for higher education institutions, inaugurated the annual Ellucian Live Middle East conference in Dubai today. The high-profile conference is being held from December 8-10 at Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai, UAE.

Ellucian Live Middle East 2013 connects more than 500 decision makers and policy influencers from across the region in one of the largest learning networks of its kind in the Arab world.  It represents a community dedicated to helping create new possibilities for institutions and the students they serve. It is the premier higher education conference in the region, bringing together thought leaders, ministries, policy makers, and practitioners for discussion, knowledge, exchange, and debate. The conference also attracts participants from Asia, Europe, and the USA due to the unique opportunity to gain cross-regional insight into education.

Innovation in education
Increasingly, institutions are recognizing that the strategic and innovative use of technology can help them address the unique challenges of the region and contribute more to the region's workforce and economic development.

Expo 2020 is another development that brings with it increased opportunities. The K12 students of today could be working at Expo 2020. To realize this vision, there will be a need for the development of pathways between schools, universities and exhibitors that will challenge today's technical possibilities. At a time like this, the adoption of technology is helping to make the University an even more fertile environment for new ideas and new talent.
 
“Because of our deep experience, we understand and are equipped to leverage technology innovation to benefit educational institutions. We bring the strengths and dynamism of one industry, and use it to empower another,” said Mathew Boice, Vice President, Middle East, Ellucian.

John F. Speer III, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ellucian, will speak at the conference about important trends in technology that can be leveraged for regional higher education, including leveraging the mobile frameworks and cloud infrastructures to improve student experiences and deliver high quality services to faculty and students.

“Smart devices are a way of life in the region. Connecting with the student community within their preferred mobile channels of communication is an absolute necessity in order to engage with them,” said Mathew Boice. “Pushing out information through one-way traditional web services does not meet the expectations of today's students.”

He added, “Cloud is another important capability. It can support collaboration for major research projects, and enable neighbouring Arab universities to share high quality resources to benefit students.”

Advances in cloud capabilities and software make it possible for institutions to choose which solutions they wish to run from campus, and when to use private or public cloud services to complement their campus strategies. Ellucian solutions that can be deployed in the cloud include core administrative systems and analytics, student engagement and retention, business intelligence, portal, and partner and SaaS solutions.

Discussion and knowledge sharing
The three-day conference will provide a rich agenda of sessions and keynote addresses. A dynamic young female student speaker from Afghanistan - Metra Mehran, who is studying political science and public administration at the American University of Afghanistan – will talk about education and technology from a student's perspective.

Other notable speakers include Elliott Masie, Technology and Learning Futurist; Anantha Prakash Dhinakar & Aysha Hazna, Higher Colleges of Technology; Iman Megahed & Nermine Hashem, The American University of Cairo; Esam Agamy & Muna Hussein, University of Sharjah; Sean Dollman and Mai Mohamed Alaa Sleem, Qatar University; Robert Whelan, United Arab Emirates University; and many more influencers.

The conference's event sponsors, including industry experts and Ellucian partners, will also be on hand to provide their unique perspectives on higher and vocational education. Sponsors include IBM, ITS, Naseej, eXplorance, Evisions, Blackboard, SciQuest, Scientia, Touchnet, Adirondack Solutions, ConnectEDU, Advanced Secure Technologies and IMS.

“Education is vital for balanced development of nations. It provides opportunities, removes prejudices, supports sustainable progress and growth, and helps create a thriving society. We are honoured to host some of the most influential education decision makers at Ellucian Live 2013,” concluded Mathew Boice.

About EllucianEllucian helps education institutions thrive in an open and dynamic world. We deliver a broad portfolio of technology solutions, developed in collaboration with a global education community, and provide strategic guidance to help education institutions of all kinds navigate change, achieve greater transparency, and drive efficiencies. More than 2,400 institutions in 40 countries around the world look to Ellucian for the ideas and insights that will move education forward, helping people everywhere discover their futures through learning. Visit Ellucian at www.ellucian.ae, follow Ellucian on Twitter (@ellucianmideast), and like Ellucian on Facebook (/ellucianmideast).