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Albany, NY - The University at Albany-SUNY’s Center for Technology in Government (CTG) is holding its third annual iGov Research Institute (iGov 2009) in Seattle, WA. 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 doing research in an international and multi-cultural context. 

“The goal is to help young scholars develop an appreciation for the global impact of information and communication technologies on the public sector,” said Sharon Dawes, iGov 2009 director. “This year’s cohort is the strongest yet, selected from a larger, more competitive pool of applicants than ever before. 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 multi-disciplinary international research.” 

The 2009 Institute is located in the city of Seattle, WA, with academic activities conducted at the University of Washington during the week of June 22nd. Each year the Institute engages with a city that is making significant digital government investments. Seattle and the Puget Sound Region are prosperous and technology-savvy, but they also face critical challenges to maintain a priceless 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. 

Research discussions at Microsoft Corporation will complement classroom sessions with the Institute faculty on 1) ways to engage government organizations in mutually valuable research projects, 2) comparisons of the philosophies, questions, and methods used in the disciplines that make up DG research, and 3) ways to design and participate in an international or cross-cultural investigation. 

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

The faculty team comprises internationally known digital government researchers and senior government officials:

• Sharon Dawes (Institute Director), senior fellow, Center for Technology in Government (CTG) 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, UK
• Jochen Scholl, associate professor of information science, University of Washington
• Lance Bennett, University of Washington professor of political science and communication and internationally respected scholar of civic engagement, will provide the keynote lecture.

The Institute, a project of  is desgigned and organized by CTG and supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of a larger $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. For more information on iGov 2009 visit https://www.ctg.albany.edu/projects/dg_inst.

The mission of the Center for Technology in Government at the University at Albany is to foster public sector innovation, enhance capability, generate public value, and support good governance. We carry out this mission through applied research, knowledge sharing, and collaboration at the intersection of policy, management, and technology. 

The University at Albany-SUNY has a broad mission of excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, life-enhancing research and scholarship, and a commitment to public service. A University at Albany education brings the world within reach to students through nine schools and colleges, and an honors college. A student body of more than 17,000 students has a global connection to more than 140,000 alumni. For more information about this internationally ranked institution, visit www.albany.edu. For UAlbany's extensive roster of faculty experts, visit www.albany.edu/news/experts.php.