NEWS The KBC Focus Environment was officially inaugurated during the KBC Days 2017 on the 7th of November. It is one of three Focus Environments at Umeå University that is now available for students, teachers and researchers to interact and create new ideas. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Katrine Riklund joined Per Gardeström, scientific coordinator of KBC, to open the KBC Focus Environment.
Umeå University established the Focus Environments to create places where students, teachers and researchers can meet, share ideas, develop collaborations, and welcome external guests. All three environments offer flexible furnishing in combination with high-tech solutions for a diversity of events. The localities of the KBC Focus Environment have been in use since spring 2017 but they were not fully equipped and functional until November of this year. The official inauguration of the KBC Focus Environment was an important milestone to mark the readiness of these spaces.
This focus environment now joins MIT-Place in the MIT building and Common Ground in the Medical Library at the University Hospital. KBC was chosen as place for one of the three Focus Environments to increase the networking possibilities within this interdisciplinary research centre as well as with national and international collaborators. The Chemical Biological Centre (KBC) is an interdisciplinary centre for life/natural sciences and medicine including departments from Umeå University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. The centre is unique in its collaborative structure offering shared services and excellent scientific infrastructures to its researchers.
The inauguration of the KBC Focus Environment was combined with the KBC Days, a scientific conference that is organised every year in November. During two days, the KBC departments and infrastructures update the KBC staff about scientific services, awardees, new faculty members and research highlights. Moreover, mid-term PhD students present their thesis projects in short talks and poster sessions. This year, the KBC Days proved to be an excellent venue to showcase the new communications functionalities and services provided by the KBC Focus Environment.
The KBC Focus Environment is located in the centre of the KBC building close to the KBC Cafeteria. This central position makes it convenient for students and researchers to meet and interact. Officially, the University’s housing office is responsible for and financing the Focus Environments. For the KBC Focus Environment, they hired Hardy Hall as facilitator. He is assisting in organising events and gives technical support to KBC staff and everyone else who like to use the environment.
For questions regarding the KBC Focus environment, please contact:
Hardy HallFacilitator, The KBC Focus EnvironmentEmail: hardy.hall@umu.seRoom: KB.J3
Phone: +46(0)72 142 87 54