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Albany - NY | The University at Albany-SUNY’s Center for Technology in Government (CTG) is holding its fourth annual iGov Research Institute (iGov 2010) in Delft and The Hague in The Netherlands. iGov 2010 is providing twenty doctoral students from fourteen countries 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, CTG Senior Fellow and iGov Institute Director. “This unique program is a crossroads of cultures, political systems, and scientific disciplines, where students interact with public sector leaders and their real-life goals and problems.” 

According to CTG Director Theresa Pardo, “iGov provides a unique opportunity for students from across the world to create an international perspective on technology in the public sector. The work they do together here at the Institute provides a foundation for a career of collaborative, multi-disciplinary international research.” 

Each year the Institute engages with a city or region that is making significant digital government investments. The 2010 Institute is based at the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands during the week of July 19th. The Netherlands is home to a variety of interconnected local, national, and international organizations such as the International Criminal Court, all of which are engaging in information-based innovation. As an international hub, The Hague provides a unique backdrop for field visits to the Dutch Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations, The Hague municipal government, the International Criminal Court, and the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service. The Port of Rotterdam, one of the largest shipping centers in the world, will offer a look at an international commercial operation with worldwide importance.

Discussions with leaders at these organizations will complement faculty-led seminars on engaging government organizations in mutually valuable research projects, comparisons of the philosophies, questions, and methods used in the disciplines that make up digital government research, and ways to design and participate in international or cross-cultural investigations. 

Students from a variety of academic programs and 19 different universities in Bulgaria, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States will attend the week-long residential program. 

The Institute faculty and guest speakers include internationally known digital government scholars 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
• Marijn Janssen, Associate Professor, Section of Information and Communication Technology, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management at Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
• Steven Curwell, Professor of Sustainable Urban Development, School for the Built and Human Environment, University of Salford, UK
• Jochen Scholl, Associate Professor of Information Science, University of Washington
• Shawn Gray, Acting Counselor for Political and Economic Affairs, U.S. Embassy, The Hague
• Ibo van de Poel, Associate Professor in Ethics and Technology at Delft University of Technology (keynote lecture)
• Alexander Verbraeck, Professor of Systems and Simulation, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
• Bas Kotterink, Senior Consultant on Policy and Strategy, TNO-ICT

The Institute, a project of CTG, is 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. For more information on iGov 2010 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.