HighWire is a world class, cross-disciplinary and user-centric Doctoral Training Centre at Lancaster University which brings together our world-class expertise in computing, design and management. Our Doctoral Training Programme spans four years and consists of an initial year of both formal and practical training, culminating in the award of a Masters of Research (MRes), followed by a three-year period of study leading to a PhD (i.e. successful students completing the programme will achieve two degrees).
In the programme, we go beyond traditional multi-disciplinary approaches by seeking a creative fusion between three key disciplines, namely computer science, management and design. The emphasis is on producing a new breed of innovative people who understand and are able to advance the state of the art in technical, design and business innovation: innovative people prepared to work in challenging roles in organisations and ready to drive radical change in the digital economy. We closely align with the needs and goals of business and industry to ensure the relevance of our programme and to encourage technology exchange and early adoption of emerging technologies, processes and ideas. This builds on the strengths of Lancaster University's InfoLab21 initiative, a recognised leader in technology exchange, to seek a more value-added and marketable pathway from the digital laboratory to the marketplace.
The Doctoral Training Centre is one of only a handful of UK Doctoral Training Centres to be funded by the EPSRC Digital Economy programme and is supported by a range of companies including: AT&T, BBC, BT, Clifford Chance, CSMTC, HP Labs, Knowledge Partners, Microsoft, Mott MacDonald, O2 and Sony in addition to 20 micro-businesses and SMEs in the Northwest.