Jim MCGOWAN is the Head of Academic Students and Postgraduate Programme Leader. He is also an educator and practitioner in the fields of sound design, interactive media, and software development with over 20 years of professional experience.

In recognition of his achievements in teaching and learning in the arts, Jim was awarded a Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy in 2008. He was a founder of Profile Group, a UK-wide group of arts educators promoting best practices in tertiary theatrical education; a founding member of the JISC VLE group, a higher education organisation that promotes the use of technology-enhanced and blended learning across universities in Scotland; and the founder and software developer of Malkinware, an academic software company.

Jim holds an MA in Music and Theatre Studies from the University of Glasgow, a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Arts Education from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and an MSc in Sound and Music for Interactive Games from Leeds Metropolitan University.

He is exploring the use of interactive game technologies in enhancing the flexibility and artistic opportunities in live performances and in developing performance development tools that make use of augmented and virtual realities.

Jim has contributed to arts accessibility projects around the world. He hopes to continue to use technology to enhance the artistic experiences of creators, performers, and audiences.