We were honored to welcome Professor Fred Niederman (Saint Louis University) to the Schöller Chair of Information Systems. As part of his stay, Prof. Niederman delivered two thought-provoking seminars for faculty and students, contributing to our ongoing dialogue on the future of work and digital transformation.
In his first seminar, titled “Futures Studies in IS Research,” Prof. Niederman introduced the principles and practices of futures thinking in the context of information systems. By exploring scenario building, Delphi methods, and speculative approaches, he encouraged participants to imagine and assess multiple possible futures in light of technological change.
The second session, “Philosophies of Science and Technology Applied to IS,” offered a deep dive into the epistemological foundations that shape how we conduct and interpret research in the IS field. By embedding discussion of causality and scientific assumptions, the seminar fostered reflective engagement with the nature and trajectory of scholarly knowledge.
Prof. Niederman is the Shaughnessy Endowed Professor at the Chaifetz Business School and a widely recognized scholar in the IS community. He is a Fellow of the Association for Information Systems (AIS), former Editor-in-Chief of Communications of the AIS, and a past ICIS Conference Chair.
His visit was an inspiring highlight for the Chair, offering valuable insights and conversations that will continue to shape our work. We thank him warmly for his time, energy, and generous exchange.
