News

IBM Smarter Planet tour visits DCU

16 March 2011

On 15 March, the DCU School of Computing welcomed IBM’s Smarter Planet Tour to DCU. The 32 tonne skills truck showcased the very latest in computer technology to a steady stream of students throughout the day, with a mixture of demos, talks and hands-on opportunities in the gamezone, jobzone and many others.  IBM experts also held a number of talks on how to become part of a Smarter Planet and as a result be more competitive in tomorrow’s work environment.

DCU students took the opportunity to talk directly to IBM representatives about IBM technologies, and also had the chance to create their own digital signature.  

The Smarter Planet tour has so far visited 21 universities in 12 European countries, with DCU the only university in Ireland to receive a visit by the tour. 

“With only two universities left to visit, the attendance by DCU students has been the second highest so far with an impressive number of 534 students calling in”, said DCU lecturer Brian Stone. 

He was particularly delighted that IBM had chosen to visit DCU. “IBM picked us as one of the best schools of computing in Europe. Not only did IBM have the opportunity to learn more about what we do here in DCU, but our students and our community as a whole were given the opportunity to see the very latest in technology that IBM has to offer in terms of business and world problem solving.

 “The school offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and its graduates are highly sought-after by employers, who recognise that students are equipped with the necessary skill sets.  They also participate in a work placement programme, INTRA, and are, as a result, market-ready when they graduate”, he said.