Press Releases

University recognises Informatics graduates and business partners

Release Date : 11 January 2010

The University of Reading's Informatics Research Centre (IRC) was delighted to welcome its businesses partners and overseas graduates to a formal reception in December, celebrating this year's successful cohort of students.

Informatics research at the IRC covers a wide range of research themes in information management and information systems. One of the key aims is to help organisations to enhance their business competitiveness through the effective management of information resources.

This year 22 students graduated from IRC. Six students who studied MSc Informatics, a programme delivered in Beijing in cooperation with the Beijing Institute of Technology, flew over to attend the ceremony with their friends and families

These highly skilled graduates, following the footsteps of the earlier cohorts, will find employment as business and technology analysts, IT consultants, and IT specialists, in major companies such as Citibank, Accenture, and Deloitte & Touche.

Professor Kecheng Liu, Director of Informatics Research Centre at the University of Reading, said: "I am very proud of the students who successfully completed the MSc programmes. The IRC has been very successful in research and postgraduate education, especially in working closely with industry, and they are important part of our success stories. I would like to thank our industrial collaborators for their continuing support."

IRC enjoys a hugely successful relationship with industry both through research and teaching by way of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. Many of the Informatics' MSc projects are carried out together with industry to address business and industrial issues in the real world. Attendees to the ceremony included representatives from business partners such as Capgemini UK, Microsoft UK and Dytecna Ltd, who awarded special prizes to this year's outstanding students.

Mr Karl Deacon, Vice-President Capgemini UK and a guest at the reception said:

"We need people who know how to use information and technology in order to transform businesses for success as we rise from recession. A sense of exploration and creativity coupled with a first class education of an MSc in Informatics will mean that graduates of this programme will become the future champions in transforming the world we live in today."

For more information about the IRC please visit http://www.henley.reading.ac.uk/irc/irc-home.aspx

Ends

For all University of Reading media enquiries please contact James Barr, Press Officer tel. 0118 378 7115 or email j.w.barr@reading.ac.uk

Notes for Editors:

IRC, based within the School of Management at the University's Henley Business School, has been actively engaged in interdisciplinary and collaborative research, and knowledge transfer in informatics.

The IRC works with industry through:

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) - A number of TSB-funded KTP projects are carried out between IRC and local SMEs in areas such as SCM, CRM, SOA, project management, Business Intelligence, Network Security and web services.

Joint research, notably CEAR - Capgemini Enterprise Architecture Research Group. The CEAR group is a partnership between clients of Capgemini, enterprise architects and delivery solutions specialists from within Capgemini, and researchers at the IRC.

The IRC also contributes to the Technology for Sustainable Built Environment (TSBE) Centre, through joint EngD projects with Capgemini, Microsoft, and Central Data Control Ltd.

Prizes awarded at the reception  were:

For MSc Applied Informatics programme:

IRC Capgemini Best Student (for the best overall performance in MSc Applied Informatics) awarded to Mr Isaac Wiafe, presented by Mr Karl Deacon (Capgemini)

Microsoft Best Project (for the best MSc project in MSc Applied Informatics) - awarded to Ms Gowri Paneerchelvan, presented by Mr Simon Robertson (Microsoft)

Dytecna Achievement Award (for an excellent performance in MSc Applied Informatics) awarded to Mrs Rupali Kamat, presented by Mr Keith Neale (Dytechna Ltd)

Capgemini Achievement Award (for an excellent performance in MSc Applied Informatics) awarded to Ms Sha Li, presented by Dr Sam Chong (Capgemini)

For MSc Informatics programme (delivered in Beijing):

IRC Capgemini Best Student (for the best overall performance in MSc Informatics) awarded to Ms Wei Xu, presented by Mr Karl Deacon (Capgemini)

Capgemini Achievement Award (for an excellent performance in MSc Informatics) awarded to Ms Bokun Ma, presented by Dr Sam Chong (Capgemini)