Projects Manager

Jaideep’s areas of expertise are in finance and project management, and in developing research projects and funding opportunities with a range of public and private sector funders: including JISC, HE Academy, ESRC and the European Commission.

Starting in 2006, research and development projects that Jai has been involved in have attracted over £1.5 million in external funding.

Jai has independently led benchmarking projects and institutional audits focussing on e-learning at the University of Leicester, including the project that led to the University of Leicester being awarded the UNIQUe certification for Quality in E-Learning.

In a consultative capacity, he has also supported other higher educational institutions in benchmarking of e-Learning and Distance Learning nationally and internationally.

Jai’s broad research interest is in the area of adapting existing and emergent technologies for application in higher educational contexts, especially those that can be deployed on a low-cost, high-impact basis.

He also co-ordinates all of Beyond Distance’s media-related activity.

Contact details

Direct line: + 44 (0)116 252 5713
Email: jaideep.mukherjee@le.ac.uk

Qualifications

• MA in Mass Communications, University of Leicester, UK - 2001
• MA in International Relations, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India - 1994
• BA in Politics and Economics, Jadavpur University, India - 1992

Projects

Since 2006 Jai has project managed or supported the entire portfolio of Beyond Distance’s research and outreach projects, viz. IMPALA, ADELIE, ADDER, WoLF, CHEETAH, ELKS, GECKO, SEAL, CALF, DUCKLING, OTTER, SWIFT, OSTRICH and TIGER, besides working closely with colleagues at Beyond Distance in developing the department’s postgraduate teaching programmes for delivery.

Experience

Between 2001 and 2005 Jai worked as a Research Associate and lectured at the Department of Media and Communications at Leicester. He was a researcher on the DfES-funded 'Teachers Status Project', conducted in collaboration with the Faculty of Education - University of Cambridge, and taught on the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at Leicester.

Between completing his Master’s degree in 1994 and returning to academics in 2000, Jai was a researcher and content creator on a range of factual television programmes and online content for international media organisations in India and in the UK: viz. BBC Worldwide, STAR Television Asia and Pearson Television.

Prizes and awards

During Jai’s tenure at the department, the Beyond Distance team has won several accolades, including:

• Times Higher Education Awards 2010: Media Zoo shortlisted as the Outstanding ICT Initiative of the Year.
• Association for Learning Technology 2009: Learning Technologist of the Year. Beyond Distance was Joint Winner of Team Award.
• European Foundation for Quality in E-learning 2009: UNIQUe Award for the University of Leicester.
• Times Higher Education Awards 2007: Media Zoo shortlisted as the Outstanding ICT Initiative of the Year.