Do you feel disconnected from the broader research community at UTS? Have you ever wondered what your fellow UTS Team Research colleagues are working on? Do you wish you could learn from their experiences and insights?
Connect with colleagues using Icebreaker
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Icebreaker is the UTS happenstance app, helping Team Research foster a culture of collaboration and sharing as you connect with colleagues. A Microsoft Teams app customised for UTS, Icebreaker matches you with another Team Research colleague each month for a coffee or chat.
You can use Icebreaker to meet new people, exchange ideas, share challenges and discover opportunities for collaboration. Icebreaker is designed to create serendipitous encounters that can spark innovation and creativity.
Serendipity, the fact of finding interesting or valuable things by chance, and happenstance, those unexpected, chance situations that produce a good result, have been shown to enhance career development, personal growth and professional networks.
By using Icebreaker, you can increase your chances of both!
Icebreaker is designed to create serendipitous encounters that can spark innovation and creativity.
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How to use Icebreaker
- Go to the ‘Team Research’ Teams Group in Teams and click on the ‘Icebreaker – helping happenstance app’ channel.
- On the post, press ‘Opt In’ and in ‘Settings’.
- Choose your areas of interest (such as Professional Support, External Engagement, Social Justice, Transdisciplinary Research etc.)
On the first Wednesday of each month, the app will randomly match you with another Team Research member who has similar interests to you. You will receive a notification in Teams with their name to prompt you.
That’s when you break the ice by reaching out to your match to arrange a meeting – whether that is in person or via an initial meeting via Teams.
Why use Icebreaker?
Icebreaker is a fun and easy way to connect with your colleagues and expand your network. You can meet people from different disciplines, backgrounds and roles within the Team Research. You can also learn about the diverse and exciting research projects and initiatives happening at UTS.
In terms of fostering connections across the UTS research community, Icebreaker provides a great opportunity to share your knowledge and skills with others as you learn from their expertise and perspectives.
You can exchange best practices, tips, and resources that can help you in your work. You can also seek advice, support and feedback on your own research challenges and opportunities.
By using Icebreaker, you’ll help promote knowledge sharing behaviour and a collaborative mindset that can benefit your personal and professional development.
You’ll also help Team Research colleagues make valuable connections and find the resources they need to advance their research goals and career aspirations.
So what are you waiting for? Opt in to Icebreaker today and start breaking the ice with your colleagues.
Opt in at Team Research | Icebreaker - helping happenstance app | Microsoft Teams
Icebreaker is made possible with support from DVC-R Prof Kate McGrath and UTS ITU Jorge Gaspar Esteves Ferrao de Carvalho, Ali Abbas and Taylor Johnston.