Kent hosted a collaborative network event in their Sibson building for the Kent Technician Network (Universities of Kent, Greenwich and Christ Church) and the Eastern ARC Technicians’ Network (Universities of Kent, Essex, East Anglia and Sussex) on Friday 27th June.
It was a packed day that was specifically curated to offer insight, support and opportunities for IT, technical services and library staff from all levels, disciplines and areas. It was a day to raise the visibility and truly recognise the work that they do and how they are not just supporting but are in fact leaders in research, innovation and education. The positive impact on students, staff and the Higher Education sector is clear to see.
The conference was opened by Kent’s Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura, who gave the welcome. Her speech recognised the pivotal role that technical staff play in research, innovation and education.
The keynote speaker was Dr Clare Stevenson (Technician Commitment, Associate Lead, John Innes Centre) who shared her career journey, her values, the impact of the Technician Commitment (from when it was created to where it is now) and all of the opportunities offered by the UK Institute for Technical Skills and Strategy (ITSS). This insightful keynote speech sparked many a conversation at the conference.
We heard from our guest speakers Dr Sara Bacon and Dr Ian Tidmarsh (National Technician Development Centre Leads) about the crucial work they have done on the Education Technical Professional (ETP) Career Pathway, the work of the National Technician Development Centre (NTDC) and opportunities available to technical staff through the NTDC and HEaTED (Higher Education and Technician Educational Development).
The T-PIKE (Technical Platform for Innovation and Knowledge Exchange) Operational Team delivered an informative and insightful talk on the EPSRC funded T-PIKE Programme.
There were inspiring stories of success, collaboration and innovation from technical staff from across the networks. Presenters were:
- Diana Suciu (Technical Manager, Chemistry and Forensic Science) and Andrew Langley (Senior Lecturer, Chemistry and Forensic Science) from the University of Kent
- Breeshea Robinson (Senior Specialist Technician, Workshop) from Canterbury Christ Church University
- Joe Munro (Specialist Technician, Psychology) from the University of Essex
- Omar Dawaba (Technician, Mechanical Engineering) from the University of Kent
There was a special talk given by Alp Arslan (current PhD student) from the University of Kent. The talk highlighted the incredible impact technical staff have played in Alp’s journey from undergraduate to technician to postgraduate student. It was a wonderful reminder that ‘Technician’s Make a Difference’.
There were some amazing workshop sessions delivered, tours of Kent facilities and incredible posters submitted from across the networks. There were even some technical portraits done by Jo Scamp. The career journey panel members consisting of Clare Stevenson, Paul Sinnock (Director of Information Technology Services, University of Kent), Beth Astridge (University Archivist, Special Collections and Archives, University of Kent) and Andrew Wickens (Technical Manager, Sport, University of Kent). They shared their career journeys with delegates and answered questions from the audience.
There were exhibitors on the day which included:
- RS Group
- AdvancedHE
- NTDC
- HEaTED
- Daphne Jackson Trust
- The Institute of Science and Technology (IST)
- The Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET)
- Science Council
- Templeman Library (University of Kent)
We look forward to the next network event. Special thanks to RS Group for being the Key Sponsor for the event and to our hosts.
