Virtual World Conference

The program of The Virtual World Conference is online now, at http://thevirtualworldconference.org

The Virtual World Conference is a unique event exploring the use of online virtual worlds for learning, collaborative work and business ventures, which will be hosted over a 24-hour period entirely in Second Life on 15 September 2010.

The one-day conference, following the sun around the globe, will bring together 21 international speakers to share ideas, showcase innovations and applications, and hold debates with a world-wide audience. This is an excellent opportunity to get a snapshot of leading research and expertise in the field, as well as network with like-minded peers.

Anna Peachey (The Open University/Eygus Ltd) and Professor Sara de Freitas (SGI/Lab Group) will chair in the European zone, with Andreas Schmeil (PARC/University of Lugano) in the American Pacific Coast time zone and Claus Nehmzow (Alcus International Ltd/Hong Kong) in the East Asian time zone.

The conference will consider how virtual worlds can change the way we learn, work and socialise, focusing on three core themes:

* Social interaction, societies and communities in virtual worlds.
* Business applications and strategies for using virtual worlds.
* Formal and informal teaching and learning in virtual worlds.

The Virtual World Conference will host trainers, experts, teachers, policy-makers, managers, consultants, tutors and researchers from industry, academia, schools and policy development, with representation from a wide range of different sectors including:

* Education: schools, colleges and universities.
* Research: universities, institutes, industrial labs.
* Training: training organisations, private foundations.
* Industry: international companies, SMEs.
* Health: hospitals and training institutions, care trusts.
* Environment: planning agencies, environmental agencies, emergency response organisations.
* Government: central government departments, agencies and local government authorities.

For more information, and to register, please see the website at www.thevirtualworldconference.org