April 2000

SOM Sponsors World Congress on Information Technology in Taiwan By Carrie Secondo George Mason University's School of Management is a sponsor of this year's World Congress on Information Technology held in Taipei, Taiwan. Students from the graduate program in Technology Management, along with several SOM faculty members, will attend the congress June 11-14 at the Taipei International Convention Center. Organizers expect 1,200 participants from 50 countries and regions. "I saw the World Congress as an opportunity to strengthen the School of Management's partnership within the information technology (IT) industry. Our school has a focus on teaching and learning in the information age. The World Congress is a perfect venue for George Mason University to showcase its IT focus," says Teresa Domzal, School of Management dean. "We are the only university at the platinum sponsorship level." Other organizations at the $100,000 platinum level include Andersen Consulting, EDS, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Systex, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, and the Commonwealth of Virginia, among many others. SOM professor Jim Poisant is the international executive director for the upcoming congress. He served as the president and CEO for the 1998 World Congress, held on George Mason's Fairfax Campus, and subsequently joined the SOM as a faculty member in 1999. The Technology Management students will attend sessions and promote George Mason by manning the university's information booth. They will also have an opportunity to visit the National University of Taiwan and mingle among international figures such as Microsoft's Bill Gates. Gates and Virginia's governor James S. Gilmore are both on the speakers list. Students enrolled in the Technology Management program participate in a one-week international residency to study the global impact of information technology. Previously, the students visited Cambridge University; however, this year's class unanimously decided their needs would be best met in Taiwan. "We are always looking for the best opportunities for our students to learn the global impact of IT," says Andres Fortino, director of the program. "Visiting Taiwan was a much better opportunity to meet the IT leaders. Meeting the major IT players in a global setting will give our students an edge that's needed in today's technology workplace."