The architect of software used by over 260 travel industry tour operators in 40 countries is providing input to a new Lincoln University paper designed to give students the skills and knowledge needed to build software that communicates across the internet.
Dr Paul Ashton from Christchurch-based company Tourplan Pacific Ltd is spending time at Lincoln assisting with course development and giving guest lectures. Tourplan software is used to manage packages, ad-hoc itineraries, sporting tours, and series tours. Dr Ashton looks after the parts of the system that communicate over the internet.
This experience is invaluable for Lincoln University which is offering a new 300-level paper in Web Development this semester as part of its Bachelor of Software & Information Technology degree.
Dr Ashton became involved with Lincoln University through its Applied Computing Group’s industry liaison group, which helps to keep the University abreast of the sorts of skills the market is wanting from the IT industry.
Dr Ashton worked as an academic for 13 years before joining Tourplan seven years ago. Having worked on both sides of the fence, he is well aware of the need for industry input into tertiary education.
“From experience I know in many areas you can only go so far teaching out of a textbook so it is good to have someone who knows how to make the theory work in practice,” he says.
Dr Ashton’s work with Lincoln is funded through Futureintech – an initiative designed to promote careers and lift tertiary enrolments in technology, engineering and science.
Applications for enrolment in the paper for 2008 are open now. For further details on this paper and other Lincoln University’s courses go to www.lincoln.ac.nz
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Ian Collins, Journalist
Lincoln University, Canterbury
Tel: 64 3 325 2811 ext 8549
Email:Ian Collins