Colleges and universities are being challenged to transform the way they deliver their traditional roles of teaching and research. Today's education leaders are capitalizing on new technologies to enable innovative instructional and research models that are shaping the future of higher education. Please join us on March 19 (Americas and EMEA) and March 20 (Asia-Pacific), for the Cisco Virtual Forum for Education Leaders, to hear directly from innovative educators who are at the leading edge of reinventing higher education.

With escalating travel costs and limited budgets,  professors, IT staff and administrative leaders have limited opportunities to attend global conferences. That is why Cisco is pleased to present this free global conference that higher education leaders can attend from the convenience of their desktop or mobile device.

The agenda features a breakout track dedicated to higher education, with 4 dynamic sessions by 6 distinguished speakers, that will focus on innovative strategies and practical solutions for next generation teaching and research.

The Case for Innovation and Change in Higher Education

San Jose State University (SJSU) President, Dr.  Mohammad  Qayoumi, believes now is the time to reinvent public higher education. He advocates a model in which course content is open and standardized across institutions to increase student success and reduce the cost to students and the state. President Qayoumi will share his insights and recommendations for leading transformative change and applying next generation technologies to enable new instructional delivery and business models.

Reimagining Higher Education -The Convergence of Cloud, Mobility and Collaboration

New technology trends have placed IT at the center of education transformation. Mitch Davis, CIO of Bowdoin College, is leading the transformation of Bowdoin into the most technically advanced liberal arts college in the nation. Bowdoin College recently ranked#1 in U.S. News and World Report's "Most Connected Colleges" list. Maurice York, Head of IT, North Carolina State University Libraries, oversaw the technology planning for the new Hunt Library which has been conceived as nothing less than the best learning and collaborative space in the country. These innovative leaders will discuss how their institutions are breaking down the traditional walls that have defined where, when, and how students engage and learn.

Collaboration and the Next Wave of Teaching and Research Innovation

Today, a variety of new technologies are emerging that can free both research and instructional activities from traditional time and place constraints as well as enable more virtual, visual and social collaboration.  Dr. Don Hicks of the University of Texas, Dallas and Dr. Lilian Feitosa of James Madison University will discuss how collaboration technologies are enabling their institutions to reach new learners and create expanded collaborative research alliances, while preserving the face-to-face experience among faculty, students and researchers.

Balancing Quality, Quantity and Access to Education in Large Scale Programs

This session, conducted in Brazilian Portuguese, features Vera Cabral who leads Education Technology Programs for the S?o Paulo State Department of Education. She will discuss strategies to leverage ICT technologies to expand access to education and engage Schools of Education to deliver teacher professional development at massive scale.

Please register today for the Cisco Virtual Forum for Education Leaders to hear innovative strategies and practical solutions from these higher education leaders. The agenda also includes a track dedicated to K-12 Education. Please visit the event site for the full line-up of speakers.