CMU-Q expert expands horizons of information systems research in Asia

Doha, Qatar – Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), a Qatar Foundation partner university, is playing a key role in expanding the scholarly community in information systems within Asia. In December, the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) will be held in Thailand, the first time southeast Asia has hosted the conference. CMU-Q’s Nui Vatanasakdakul, associate teaching professor of information systems, has played an integral part in the preparation and organization of ICIS 2024. She has a leadership role as the local chair of the conference.

“This has been a five-year journey,” said Vatanasakdakul. “It benefits the entire information systems research community in Asia when we have strong local chapters, and we connect our talented researchers so they can collaborate and learn from one another.”

“In 2019, organizers of ICIS contacted us about helping expand the information systems community in southeast Asia,” she said. As a Thai citizen, she was a natural fit to help establish a new AIS chapter in Thailand. The chapter was launched in 2021, and just three years later will host ICIS 2024 in Bangkok. The conference promises to be a landmark event, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers and information systems experts from around the world.

CMU-Q faculty in information systems have a proven track record in establishing a strong scholarly and professional community in the field. CMU-Q faculty members were key to creating the Qatar chapter of the association for information systems (QRAIS) in 2013, and the chapter’s executive has included CMU-Q faculty members for more than a decade. Vatanasakdakul is the current president of QRAIS.

“ICIS is the most prestigious gathering of information systems scholars in the world,” said Chadi Aoun, area head of information systems at CMU-Q and the founder of SIGGreen, a special interest group in the AIS that promotes research in sustainability. “This is where experts discuss critical trends, share cutting edge research, and form new collaborations, and I am very pleased with the role CMU-Q has played in making this a reality.”

ICIS has been the flagship annual conference for information systems researchers globally since its inception in 1981. This marks the first time southeast Asia has hosted this prestigious event, which will host more than 1,000 scholars to present cutting-edge research, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration in the field.

For Vatanasakdakul and her colleagues at Carnegie Mellon, the conference is also an opportunity to strengthen the information systems community in Asia. CMU-Q is a co-organizer of a pre-conference workshop to bridge the gap between established and emerging researchers. The workshop will include more than 100 experts from academia, industry, and government in Thailand, with Carnegie Mellon shaping the content and facilitating discussions on emerging trends such as generative AI, digital transformation, and digital capability building.

“I always look forward to ICIS, and the opportunity for new collaborations and knowledge sharing,” said Vatanasakdakul. “Knowing how this Qatar campus has contributed to the scholarly community in Asia makes this year’s event even more meaningful.”