DegreePlus

The School of EEECS at Queen’s University Belfast organise events aimed at bringing practical computing knowledge to students complementing the taught degree pathway, with a focus on software, business start-up, security and data centres. It is for students who enjoy the intellectual challenge of creatively investigating systems and engaging in hands-on activities (such as programming, media and events) in a spirit of innovation, playfulness and exploration.

Students should attend at least 12 hours of the 16 available from the events below and write a 1000 word reflective write-up on a Free/Open-Source Software (FOSS) topic of their own choosing, demonstrating an understanding of FOSS terminology and issues. Throughout the year the following events are planned:

BelFOSS – a full one-day conference, run in conjunction with Belfast Linux User Group and QUB, with talks on FOSS including Linux, Programming and DevOps.  Both international and local companies will be in attendance. (8 hours). Register for BelFOSS

BlenderBash – In 2016 this event (24th Feb 2016 ) comprised a movie showing and workshop based on the open-source Blender software. In the 2016/2017 academic year we hosted beginner training sessions for EEECS students on Blender. Blender is an open source project providing a professional free and open-source 3D computer graphics software product used for creating animated films, visual effects, art, 3D printed models, interactive 3D applications and video games. This event provides insight into the project and practical experience in using the resulting software. (4 hours).

Data Centre Tours – A guided tour of a real-world working data centre raising awareness of the key problems and solutions in delivering a professional hosted computer environment. Information systems are critical to organisations world-wide and it is necessary to provide a reliable infrastructure for IT operations to ensure business continuity. A data centre must deliver high standards in assuring the integrity and functionality of its hosted computer environment.  This tour will provide a guided overview for professional development covering security, networking, power management and environmental controls (e.g. air conditioning, cooling, fire suppression) in a practical setting. (1 hour) Register for the Data Centre Tour

CSIT Cyber Security Lab Tour – An introductory expo of the CSIT facility and demo in their live network lab devoted to cyber-security research and teaching. Cybersecurity technology is vital for developing secure, dependable and efficient software systems. The cyber-security lab is a part of the Centre for Secure Information technologies (CSIT) at QUB. CSIT is the UK’s Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) for secure information technologies: research projects focus on various aspects of network and computer security and a taught MSc course in Cyber Security aims to develop the next generation of industry leaders and address the shortage of cyber security professionals globally. (2 hours). Register for the Cyber Security Lab Tour

IT Start-Ups – Talks from experienced individuals on the topic of starting your own IT company and the pitfalls (1 hour).