Centre for Social Informatics at the ‘Ways of being in a digital age’ review conference

Posted on October 10, 2017 by Hazel Hall

The Ways of being in a digital age review conference is currently underway at the University of Liverpool. The conference closes the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) project Ways of being in a digital age. The project was commissioned by the ESRC in 2016 to help identify and prioritise future areas and methods for research on the social, economic, political, psychological and cultural impacts of digital media and technologies.

Amongst the delegates at the conference is Centre for Social Informatics PhD student Alicja Pawluczuk. At the conference Alicja is presenting a paper that she has co-authored with the members of her supervision team: Dr Gemma Webster, Dr Colin Smith and myself. The paper is entitled ‘Digital culture co-creation: capturing the social impact of small-scale community projects’. The slides are available on SlideShare and below.

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Organisational learning and innovation in Scotland: research student Lyndsey Jenkins begins her study

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Hazel Hall

Lyndsey Jenkins

Welcome to Lyndsey Jenkins who has just joined us as a new research student within the Centre for Social Informatics at Edinburgh Napier University. I am Lyndsey’s Director of Studies, with Professor Robert Raeside, Director of the Employment Research Institute at Edinburgh Napier University, as second supervisor. Lyndsey’s study is entitled Enhancing the capacity for workplace learning and innovation in Scotland.

This ESRC-funded research will investigate innovation and best practice in skills development in the workplace in Scotland, drawing comparisons with the rest of the UK and other countries. Lyndsey will explore how employee-led workforce learning can be encouraged to deliver innovation that leads to competitive advantage, employment growth, and increased productivity. The aims of the work are to: Continue reading →

Appointment as Chair of the Research Councils UK Digital Economy Theme Programme Advisory Board

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Hazel Hall

I have recently been appointed Chair of the Research Councils UK Digital Economy (DE) Theme Programme Advisory Board (PAB). I take over the role from Brian Collins, Professor of Engineering Policy and Director of the International Centre for Infrastructure Futures at University College London.

My appointment builds on previous work that I have conducted for the DE Theme. This includes: serving on the 12-person panel that conducted the 2012 impact review of the DE Theme investment; involvement in an additional stream of DE research undertaken under the banner of “digital personhood” (I helped identify the scope of the investment and served as a mentor at the sandpit meeting where project ideas were germinated); and reviewing grant proposals and other panel work. I was first appointed a member of the PAB in 2014.

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Appointment to the RCUK Digital Economy theme Programme Advisory Board

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Hazel Hall

The Research Councils UK Digital Economy (DE) theme supports research to realise the transformational impact of digital technologies on aspects of community life, cultural experiences, future society, and the economy.

Over the past couple of years I have enjoyed spending time with staff from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) on work associated with the DE theme. This all started two years ago when I was invited to join the 12-person panel that conducted the 2012 impact review of the DE Theme investment. Soon afterwards I became involved in an additional stream of DE research undertaken under the banner of “digital personhood”: I helped identify the scope of the investment; served as a mentor at the sandpit meeting where project ideas were germinated; and recently participated at the first digital personhood network meeting. I have also been involved in reviewing grant proposals and panel work for the DE theme.

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