Welcome
Scanning the horizons: Institutional Research
in a borderless world
The 4th UK and Ireland Institutional Research conference
Kingston University, London
16-17 June 2011
We invite you to join us for the 2011 HEIR Network conference from 16th to 17th June 2011. On this website, you will find information about the conference, including the theme and tracks, information about the keynote speakers, the conference and dinner venues, as well as travel and accommodation information. The organising committee has negotiated special rates for conference delegates at three local hotels. From October 2010, you will be able to submit proposals for presentations at the conference, and registration will open in March 2011.
The aim of the 2011 HEIR Conference is to explore the role of Institutional Research in a globalised education context where tertiary level institutions increasingly operate across conventional boundaries: geographical (e.g. transnational education); temporal and spatial (e.g. e-learning, virtual universities and blended learning); cross-sectoral (as in consortia of business and universities); and cross-functional (as in convergence between academic and vocational education). At the same time, institutions are being required to operate ever more efficiently and effectively in a climate of reduced financial and physical resources, accentuating the need for us to find new ways to approach our tasks. How can we, as Higher Education practitioners and specifically Institutional Researchers, harness the available knowledge and resources to support institutional decision making, engage with stakeholders, improve the student experience and student outcomes, and prepare our institutions for the future?
The conference will be of particular value to UK and overseas higher education practitioners and policy makers interested in the use of evidence from institutional research. The HEIR network believes that IR is likely to play an increasingly important role in enhancing learning and teaching practice, as well as providing timely and relevant evidence to aid management decision making at all levels within HEIS. Previous HEIR network conferences have been strengthened by the range of overseas participants and presentations. The 2011 conference aims to build on this through an emphasis on international perspectives and will include keynote speakers chosen for their expertise in institutional research beyond the UK and Ireland.
Kingston Upon Thames is a vibrant borough on the South West border of Greater London. It has the advantage of a riverside location and numerous green spaces, yet it also contains a bustling shopping district and is within easy reach of London central via frequent rail links. The University enrolled over 22,000 students in 2009, including more than 3,500 from 151 countries outside the UK. It has four campuses in and around Kingston, with the Penrhyn Road site playing host to the 2011 HEIR Network conference.
