Category: information science

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Ina Fourie

Ina Fourie

In Conversation

Episode 15 Ina Fourie

Retired Professor, Head of Department, and Chair of the School

In conversation with Ina Fourie, who retired as a Full Professor from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She has been Head of Department of Information Science and Chair of the School of Information Technology. She talks about growing up in apartheid South Africa, her work in health information behavior including cancer, grief, and palliative care, how personal experiences shaped her scholarly direction, with meaning, compassion and human connection being central to it all.

Trailer (1:00)

Interview (1:50:56)

https://youtu.be/b_hqFI3Uei8

Timecodes

0:57 Introduction

3:49 Early Life

15:23 South Africa

27:06 Career

36:39 Turning Points

42:31 Autoethnography

48:17 Serendipity

55:18 Information Science

1:02:26 Influences

1:11:55 Husband

1:19:36 Influential Books

1:21:36 Key Skills

1:27:12 Biggest Successes

1:30:28 Hardest Periods

1:34:34 Personal Conflict

1:37:47 Uncertainty

1:46:33 Goals

1:48:02 Mentoring Advice

This interview was supported by the iSchools Research Grant 2023.

More about Ina Fourie University of Pretoria | Google Scholar | LinkedIn

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Yunjie (Calvin) Xu

Yunjie (Calvin) Xu at the Grand Canyon, 2009

In Conversation

Episode 14 Yunjie (Calvin) Xu
Professor, Fudan University

In conversation with Yunjie (Calvin) Xu, Professor at the Department of Information Management and Business Intelligence, School of Management, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. He talked about growing up poor in a farming family, his faith, the social problems of AI, and balancing work and family.

Trailer (1:00)

Interview (1:24:55)

Timecodes

0:00 Trailer
0:55 Intro
4:45 Growing up in poor farming village in China
9:24 What led to career in information management
14:18 Moving from China to the US
15:21 Why choose Calvin for an English name
16:59 Turning points in career
26:46 Serendipity and life priorities
34:05 Information science field
38:50 Influences
41:33 Publication and writing
58:18 Advice for new researchers
1:02:02 Biggest successes
1:03:09 Biggest challenges
1:12:21 Life principles
1:19:44 Meaning of happiness
1:21:18 Goals

This interview was supported by the iSchools Research Grant 2023.

More about Calvin Xu Fudan University | Personal website | Google Scholar

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Gobinda Chowdhury

Gobinda Chowdhury

In Conversation

Episode 13 Gobinda Chowdhury
Professor, University of Strathclyde

In conversation with Gobinda Chowdhury, Professor of Information Science at the University of Strathclyde. He talked about growing up during the Bangladesh Independence war, meeting and working for then President of India A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and his process for writing 17 books.

Trailer (0:58)

Interview (1:45:51)

Timecodes

0:00 Trailer
0:54 Intro
3:13 Childhood and access to computers
8:48 Bangladesh Independence War
10:55 Experience with change
15:40 Digital Work Environment
17:52 Family
22:38 Major turning point in life
27:33 Serendipity
31:12 Definition of Information Science
38:41 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
57:20 Chowdhury’s role in the field
1:00:17 Productive Lifestyle
1:06:52 Influences
1:12:05 Books that shaped thinking
1:14:37 Meeting and working for President of India APJ Abdul Kalam
1:19:51 Work with Organization of African Unity
1:24:12 Key skills
1:29:45 Resilience
1:37:46 Life principles
1:39:52 Goals
1:41:46 Mentoring advice

This interview was supported by the iSchools Research Grant 2023.

More about Gobinda Chowdhury University of Strathclyde | Google Scholar | LinkedIn