Great news! Those of you who have been following the World University Project will be delighted to hear that Automattic, the creators of WordPress and the team behind Wordpress.com, will be providing hosting and technology for the University Lives Collection!
The University Lives Collection is taking a video snapshot of student life in our time. During the 2009-10 academic year, students will be invited to submit short films about student experience, the role of education in their society, and other key education issues in their region. In the summer of 2010, prizes will be awarded to the best submissions, and the films will be published together as an interactive documentary on global student experience.
This is the beginning of a new road for us as a charity. Ever since filming in Libya, we have been establishing the organisation and building support. Now it's time for action.
We have a lot to do. There are plans, policies, and designs to be made and finalized. Publicity is going to be a huge task. Happily, technology *won't* be a headache, due to the generosity of the people at Automattic.
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We owe a lot of thanks to those who have been involved.
- The Trustees: Joao Pereira, Braphus Kaalund, and William Redfern, have provided helpful perspective and carried out the key decisions throughout this past year.
- Tom Isherwood has provided critical assistance, leadership, and support
- Gloria Dawson managed the project initially, in-between a triple life as a poet, an intern/consultant on humanitarian policy & advocacy at Oxfam International, and a research assistant in the House of Lords.
- Joshua Blanchard Lewis is the current project manager for the University Lives Collection. His hard work, sound advice, and keen ethical sensibility have been fabulous.
- Karen Collis has been a great encourager and supporter of the project, and has been a star of the cold calling and email campaigns.