Yorkshire and Humberside Universities Association
University of Bradford
University of Huddersfield
University of Hull
University of Leeds
Leeds Metropolitan University
The Open
University
University of Sheffield
Sheffield Hallam University
University of York
Secretariat: The Director: Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Research
Observatory
School of Geography,
University of Leeds
Leeds
LS2
9JT
Telephone 0113 233 3336
Fax 0113 233 3308
NEWS RELEASE
Tuesday 17 February 1998
Eight Yorkshire Universities are making a £2.5 million investment in a new computer network that will give the region a decisive technological lead and help the universities enhance their contribution to regional economic development.
Universities in Bradford, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and York are participating in the project through the Yorkshire and Humberside Universities Association (YHUA). The contract for the Yorkshire and Humberside Metropolitan Area Network (YHMAN) network will be signed on February 23.
The YHMAN network linking the campus networks of the eight universities will be one of the fastest and most advanced in the world, supporting collaboration in learning, teaching and research. The universities will be able to share access to expensive equipment, use hi-tech methods to teach students, and exchange knowledge more easily.
In particular, the network will help the universities expand their open and distance learning, important when the numbers of part-time students is increasing and there is growing emphasis on lifelong learning and combining employment with study. High-quality videoconferencing, of great value in collaborative research, is another use expected of the network.
This groundbreaking initiative is in line with the Government's recently published Dearing Report on higher education which stresses the importance of regional collaboration as a means of making universities more efficient and more responsive to regional needs.
The universities also believe they can provide the backbone of a regional information and knowledge network to underpin increased collaboration between education, business, government and the wider community.
As the Dearing Report emphasises, universities make a vital contribution to regional development and innovation. They provide research and consultancy, help to attract investment and employment opportunities, support lifelong learning, and contribute to the quality of life as centres of culture. Technology is an essential step in their strategy for putting regional communications on a new level.
Dr Jon Duke, Director of the Computing Service at the University of Leeds, which is leading the project, looks forward to the benefits the network will bring the universities and the region. "YHMAN will be up to ten times faster than our current network.
"It will provide a firm foundation for growth and outreach at every university. Over time, it will be used for a wider range of collaboration which is expected to encompass the universities, their research partners, other education providers and individual students."
Dr Richard Heseltine, Director of Academic Services at the University of Hull and a YHUA executive committee member said he was delighted to announce the new service. "Educational and economic success are clearly connected - and this major new initiative by the region's universities will make a huge contribution to meeting the recommendations of the Dearing Report.
"The Yorkshire and Humberside region has a tremendous opportunity to take initiative in the creation of a learning society, using information and communications technologies to make a real difference. We can do things better with IT, and this network will prove how that can be achieved."
The network is being supplied by a consortium of three leading cable companies - General Telecom, Cable and Wireless Communications, and Cabletel Kirklees - and will use the latest ATM technology. It is being built using funds from each University, plus an award from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and will be phased in from this Easter.
The network will be managed by the University of Leeds with financial support shared between partner universities and the Joint Information Services Committee of the Funding Councils. It will be connected to the national academic network, SuperJANET.
For more information contact Dr Jon Duke, Director of the University of Leeds Computing Service, telephone 0113 233 5401; Kevin Truby (General Telecom) 01274 789000; Charles Fountain (Chernikeef Networks) 01932 814800 and the following contacts at the participating universities:
Eddie Reynolds, Sheffield Hallam University, telephone 0114 253 3818
Chris Cartledge, University of Sheffield, telephone 0114 222 2000
Stanley Houghton, University of Bradford, telephone 01274 383304
Andy Jordan, University of Huddersfield, telephone 01484 472014
Richard Heseltine, University of Hull, telephone 01482 465531
Dr Mike Jinks, University of York, telephone 01904 433740
Josie Driver, Leeds Metropolitan University, telephone 0113 283 2600