UAlbany Center for Technology in Government iGov Research Institute Explores Impact of Information and Communication Technologies on the Public Sector

Twenty students from around the world head to Seattle for unique global program

 

ALBANY, N.Y. (June 24, 2009) -- The University at Albany-SUNY�s Center for Technology in Government (CTG) is holding its third annual iGov Research Institute (iGov 2009) in Seattle, Washington. The Institute provides twenty doctoral students from around the world an opportunity to assess the impact of information and communication technologies on the public sector and to understand the value of research in an international and multicultural context.

 ï¿½This year�s group was selected from a larger, more competitive pool of applicants than ever before,� said Sharon Dawes, iGov Institute director. �Our international research network will now have a total of 54 scholars at the start of their careers who are better prepared for the challenges and rewards of multidisciplinary international research.�

Each year the Institute engages a city that is making significant digital government investments.  Seattle and the Puget Sound Region of Washington are prosperous and technology-savvy, yet face the critical challenges of maintaining their natural environment and quality of life in the face of rapid economic growth. These issues will be explored in field visits to Seattle's Departments of Information Technology, Planning and Development, and Emergency Operations Center, as well as the Seattle Central Library, the eCityGov Alliance, and the Puget Sound Regional Council. 

Students will also visit Microsoft to research government engagement, corporate philosophies and methods for digital government research, and the design and implementation of international or cross-cultural investigations.

Students from Canada, China, Croatia, Denmark, France, India, Lithuania, Netherlands, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States will attend the program.  They represent multiple academic disciplines and are studying at 14 different universities in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

The Institute�s faculty members are internationally recognized for their work in digital government. They include:

� Sharon Dawes (Institute Director), senior fellow, Center for Technology in Government and professor emerita, public administration and policy, University at Albany
� Alan Borning, professor of computer science and engineering and an adjunct professor in the Information School at the University of Washington
� Steven Curwell, professor of sustainable urban development (SUD) in the School for the Built and Human Environment at the University of Salford, United Kingdom
� Jochen Scholl, associate professor of information science, University of Washington
� Lance Bennett, University of Washington professor of political science and communication and civic engagement scholar (keynote)

The Institute is designed and organized by CTG and supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of a four-year $1.4-million grant to build and sustain an international digital government research community. Other major activities included in the grant are a reconnaissance study describing the current status of international digital government research and a framework for supporting several international working groups.

The Center for Technology in Government is an applied research center devoted to improving government and public services through policy, management, and technology innovation. The Center, located at the University at Albany, works with government to develop well-informed information strategies that foster innovation and enhances the quality and coordination of public services.

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