Message from the AIS SIGED President Vasso Stylianou

Connect More, Achieve More!

Warm greetings to all current and prospective SIGED members!

June has been another busy month here at SIGED. After receiving the recognition of an Outstanding SIG for 2022, we got more motivated to continue with enthusiasm our efforts to connect in more ways with our members and offer good quality services. 

We have successfully completed the pre-ECIS 2023 SIGED workshop, “The Me-We-All Approach: Cooperative Learning for a Sustainable Future''. Recognizing that we live in a dynamic world that is continuously changing, the workshop focused on exploring an approach that considers the information management of organizations (We), its members (Me), and the environment in which they operate (All). Working together for our shared future should be our priority! The workshop, which was mostly attended online, marked our introductory entry as SIGED in ECIS. We have big plans for ECIS 2024, which will take place on June 13-19, at Paphos, Cyprus!

Our first exclusive virtual SIGED Community|Workshop, ‘Unlock the Secrets to Success in CAIS-IS/IT Education’ was also completed with great success! We officially thank the panel members, the renowned CAIS Editor in Chief, Fred Niederman and the Associate Editors: Blooma John, Craig Van Slyke, Mary Granger, and Toon Abcouwer, for sharing their knowledge and experiences and delivering a most interesting and informative workshop. The participants had the chance to receive valuable information and excellent advice on research and publications. The workshop had very good participation from our members. Thank you! Be sure, that more workshops are on their way!   

The preparations for the SIGED AMCIS 2023 Track: IS in Education, IS Curriculum, Education and Teaching Cases, have come a long way and with the conference scheduled to take place on August 10-12 in Panama City, Panama, everything has to be ready soon. A big thank you to the SIGED track chairs: Asli Akbulut, Geoffrey Dick, and John Muraski, and also all of the mini-track chairs and all of you presenters and participants.

In the current issue of our AIS SIGED Community|Newsletter, the AIS SIGED Community|Connect: Meet our Board section, hosts an interview with the President of SIGED.  

We are very excited to see our community becoming more active and connected! Thank you for supporting the events which we organize. Keep sending your feedback and suggestions on how to achieve our motto “Connect More, Achieve More!” to our email, info@ais-siged.org.

Make sure that you do not miss our monthly newsletter or may miss something important!

Be healthy! Be Happy!

On behalf of the SIGED Board

Vasso Stylianou (President SIGED)

Meet Our Board: Vasso Stylianou

President 

Vasso Stylianou is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Management Information Systems, and the Program Coordinator for the undergraduate program of Computer Science, at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus.  Her main driver in research and education remains, for more than thirty years now, a personal urge for knowledge, creativity, and evolution, and a need for self-actualization through any possible useful contribution to society.

What do you think should be characterizing the future of IS/IT education?

We witness many changes taking place in a most dynamic world we live in. Modernization and technological innovations initiate many of these changes and eventually influence our lives.  To mention some I could refer to Web 5.0 with blockchain technologies, emotional intelligence, machine learning and more deep learning, generative AI and other advance AI technologies; Industry 4.0 and smart factories, even Industry 5.0; etc.

As IS and IT educators who are more broadly interested about the impact of IT in society, we should reconsider our role as educators and researchers. We should aim for an education that will offer the future workforce of managers, IS/IT professionals and IT users the knowledge and skills to enable them towards effectiveness and efficiency.  At the same time, we must address our society’s divides and promote inclusivity, diversity, and critical thinking.  We should emphasize ethics and moral values that endorse a focus on societal and not just individualistic well-being.

What is your involvement in SIGED?

I have been a member of AIS for several years but I only got involved with SIGED in 2019.  During that year I presented a paper in the ICISER conference.  The interaction with other SIGED members and the Board was more important than my presentation. I felt right at home! Even though that conference actually took place right before the pandemic and the lockdown, my involvement with SIGED flourished in the coming years and several collaborations have evolved with time!  As for ICISER, I have been going back every year thereafter.

What are your goals as SIGED President?

I believe in collaboration, and I would like to work towards establishing more and better avenues of communication in our community.  We recently embraced the motto “Connect More, Achieve More!” and we introduced: AIS SIGED Community|Newsletter, AIS SIGED Community|Connect, and AIS SIGED Community|Workshops.  We already implemented some actions and we plan more for the future. We believe that a lot more can be achieved if we work together.

How can someone get involved with SIGED operations?

We are all volunteers in the community and for many of the activities we organize, any assistance we can get is valuable.  Additionally, you may publish your research in one of the conferences or tracks/workshops we organize, you can sign up as a reviewer and in general, you could support and participate in the different activities of the SIG.  Your feedback is also very helpful and always welcome.  If you have more time and are interested in participating more, you may approach any SIGED Board member and volunteer to assist. 

https://ais-siged.org/officers/ 

Log of Board Members' Activities 

SIGED Board members, Vasso Stylianou and Tania Prinsloo, attended the AIS Community Leaders Mid-Year Meeting on June 6.  During that they had the chance to interact with Michelle Carter, AIS VP of SIGs and Colleges, and Isabel Ramos, AIS VP of Membership as well as representatives of other Chapters and Special Interest Groups (SIGs). 

• Isabel reintroduced the AIS Grand Challenge initiative as a call to action for AIS Communities to explore ways to promote discussion within and across communities to promote pedagogy and research that utilizes IS to tackle a major societal issue and work on projects that align with United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
• Student Ambassador Programs and future conferences were also discussed.

On June 29, Board members attneded an AIS event on Financial Operations for AIS SIG and College Leaders.