Distinguished Speaker Series

The Global Textbook Project

Rick Watson
University of Georgia

Time and Location

Tuesday, April 4, 2006
11:30 - 12:30, Speakman Hall 394

For additional details regarding this presentation, please visit http://mis.temple.edu/seminars or contact David Schuff.

Abstract

The goal of the global textbook project is to create a free library of 1,000 open content, electronic textbooks for students in the developing world. The library will cover the range of topics typically encountered in the first two years of a university's undergraduate programs. The global academic community and global corporations will be engaged in creating and sponsoring this library. The presentation will discuss the proposed project infrastructure, quality control mechanisms, incentives, funding, and the proof-of-concept phase that the project is now entering.

About the Presenter

Dr. Watson is the J. Rex Fuqua Distinguished Chair for Internet Strategy and Director of the Center for Information Systems Leadership in the Terry College at the University of Georgia. Professor Watson has published more than 100 journal articles and written books on electronic commerce and data management. His work has been accepted by leading academic and practitioner journals and has been translated into several languages. Dr. Watson is the immediate Past President of the Association for Information Systems, the major academic society for MIS faculty, and was co-conference chair for the 2004 meeting of the International Conference on Information Systems, the pre-eminent MIS conference. He has served as a senior editor for MIS Quarterly, the leading MIS journal. Professor Watson received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, where he studied on a Fulbright award, and his MBA from Monash University in Australia. In addition he holds a Diploma in Computation and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of Western Australia.