Brown to head computing community

The Faculty of Commerce's deputy dean for research, Professor Irwin Brown, has been elected president of the South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists for the next two years.

Making the announcement, Dean of Commerce Professor Don Ross said that the election was a unique form of peer review, as it showed the high esteem in which Brown was held by academics in the institute, a well-established body in the South African computing community.

"Prof Brown's track record of research is exemplary and the position of the presidency brings honour not only to the Department of Information Systems, but to the faculty and to UCT. I would like to congratulate him on his nomination and election as this underscores the faculty's commitment to research leadership."

A highlight of the institute's calendar is their annual conference (to be hosted by IS at UCT next year), which is the premier South African forum for presenting research in computer science, information systems, information technology, and software engineering. Other activities of the conference include an annual postgraduate symposium to help shape young aspirant student researchers into confident, independent researchers.

During the last decade as a lecturer at UCT Brown he has produced 22 peer-reviewed journal articles, more than 40 peer-reviewed conference papers and five book chapters. His research interests embrace ICT innovations, ICTs and development, and IS education, management and research methodologies.

Director of the Centre for IT and National Development in Africa, he is keen to expand UCT's footprint across the continent. The Association for Information Systems (AIS) recently honoured him for his efforts to help the University of Addis Ababa develop research capacity, part of a bid to keep IS talent in Africa.