Prof. Suprateek Sarker reflected on digitization at the 6^th Royal Palm Lecture

On April 15, 2024, the NTU Royal Palm Lecture Series had the privilege of having world-renowned Information Systems scholar and AIS Fellow—Prof. Suprateek Sarker to give a speech titled “Digitalization for a Better Tomorrow: How Can Information Systems (IS) Scholars Contribute?” Prof. Sarker touched on the impact of digitization on society, how to balance its benefits and risks, and how to ensure the future is in alignment with our social and educational goals.

Prof. Sarker explained how digital technology can intricately affect various aspects of society—from healthcare and education to business and personal relationships. He used the example of the digital classroom to discuss digitalization and its impacts, elaborating on two views of digitalization: Utopian narratives and dystopian narratives. Utopian narratives predict that digital technology will promote unprecedented progress and efficiency, while Dystopian Narratives focus on risks and adverse effects, such as privacy violations and excessive control through digital systems.

Prof. Sarker further explains that as a scholar, one should not simply take sides on utopia or dystopian views; instead, we should work to identify the part that has become imbalanced to investigate, write articles, and share the findings with the public. He believes that Information System scholars are in a unique position to provide a rather neutral and balanced perspective, helping to make digitization positive driver for organizations and society. To support his assessment, Prof. Sarker further provides findings in Information Systems and their practical implications.

Finally, Prof. Sarker concludes with a profound remark: “Digitalization or artificial intelligence are gifts and blessings, and in this era of rapid development, we still hold the key to letting our souls dance. Embrace the joy, confront fear, and overcome it. Boldly embracing change and finding a new place through a multi-facet approach is how we go about our life.” In the Q&A session, students and faculty enthusiastically raised questions to discuss the impact of digitization from philosophical, academic, and societal points of view and how we may address these challenges.

The moderator of the lecture, NTU President Wen-Chang Chen, indicates that Prof. Sarker holds the distinguished position of Rolls-Royce Commonwealth Eminent Professor of Commerce at the McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia (UVA). He also serves on UVA’s University-level Provost's Promotion & Tenure Committee. His research is funded by the US National Science Foundation and widely regarded internationally. Prof. Sarker also holds honorary doctorates from two esteemed universities while serving on the editorial boards of leading academic journals, including the Editor in Chief of Information Systems Research.

Prior to the speech, Prof. James Jiang of NTU’s Department of Business Administration introduced Prof. Sarker's research background to the audience. He mentions that Prof. Sarker has recently been focusing on IT-enabled organizational change and digital transformation. IT-enabled organizational change and digital transformation should be viewed as clusters of change programs. By coordinating and managing interdependent change projects, the integrated benefits of the project cluster can be better realized, helping enterprises achieve their change strategy goals.

Established in 2023, NTU Royal Palm Lecture Series invites a diversity of distinguished speakers, including academic scholars, technical experts, NTU distinguished professors, highly-accomplished alumni, recipients of honorary doctorates, and influential entrepreneurs. These eminent speakers address pressing global issues and emerging technological frontiers, providing our students and faculty with precious, timely knowledge and insights. The plan is to host six lecturers each year, with the expectation that the distinguished guests' rich experiences and wisdom will provide inspiration and insights to every attendee.