Attendance at this event is free, by invitation only. If you would like to attend, please email colin.kirkpatrick(AT)nmk.co.uk for your free place.

In this year's Christmas lecture, professor Jonathan Briggs will explore the role of digital media and communications technologies in rebuilding war-torn societies and economies. The talk will be introduced and chaired by Dr Richard Barbrook, of the University of Westminster's Hypermedia Research Centre. Presented in association with BOP.

Jonathan will describe his work in helping to establish a pioneering programme for teaching digital media, creative, technical and management skills in Kosova, with the IPKO Institute. He will describe the aims and objectives behind the project, the achievements and challenges of this work, and the reasons why such schemes can play a valuable role in helping war-torn regions to overcome conflict and establish modern, knowledge-rich economies.

In a year marked by international discord and armed conflict, Jonathan's talk will also look at how the lessons learned from his experiences in Kosova could be applied elsewhere in the world.

The talk will be followed by a discussion, with questions from the audience, and festive socialising!

This event is produced in association with Cybersalon, www.cybersalon.org.

Profiles

Professor Jonathan Briggs, Director, the Other Media
Jonathan Briggs is Professor of New Media Design at Kingston University, and Director of the Other media. His principle work is in applications of technology to social and environmental issues. The Other Media is a technology company that helps other companies get the best out of the internet, mobile and broadband systems. Clients include the World Wildlife Fund, the Cricket Ground at Lords and Delia Online, in addition to research projects and joint ventures such as WorldBookDealers.com and Hyper Island University College, in Sweden. www.othermedia.com

Dr Richard Barbrook, Hypermedia Research Centre
Dr. Richard Barbrook was educated at Cambridge, Essex and Kent universities. During the early-1980s, helped to set up Spectrum Radio, a multi-lingual station operating in London, and published extensively on radio issues. In the late-1980s and early-1990s, Richard worked for a research institute at the University of Westminster on media regulation within the EU. Some of this research was later published in 'Media Freedom: the contradictions of communications in the age of modernity' (Pluto Press, London 1995). For the last few years, Richard has been coordinator of the Hypermedia Research Centre at the University of Westminster, and was the first course leader of its MA in Hypermedia Studies. www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk

Presented in association with:

Burns Owens Partnership is a consultancy working with policy and decision makers to research and develop the links between the creative economy and social and economic development.

Report on the event.