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International Strategic Advisory Board

IT:U’s International Strategic Advisory Board (ISAB) brings together leading experts from diverse fields such as molecular biology, political science, data science, innovative university didactics and Human-Computer Interaction. This board was formed to drive IT:U’s mission forward by leveraging their interdisciplinary expertise. Together, they will shape the university’s direction and contribute to addressing complex, global challenges.

“I am convinced that the international advisory board has an enormous significance for IT:U. All members are renowned experts in their distinctive disciplines and are experienced in the development process of interdisciplinary universities or cross-disciplinary research. I highly appreciate their work and see them as substantial support for shaping IT:U. I am truly excited that we were able to win them for this important board”

Stefanie Lindstaedt, Founding President of IT:U

Members of International Strategic Advisory Board (ISAB)

© Elin Vinger Elliot

Prof. Tuula Teeri

Chairperson of the ISAB. President of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) and professor at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) Stockholm.

© NFDI

Prof. York Sure-Vetter

Vice-Chairperson of the ISAB. General Director of NFDI & Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany.

Prof. Patrick Baudisch

Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam University, Germany.

Prof. Nirav Merchant

Director of the Data Science Institute, University of Arizona, USA.

© David Fisher

Prof. Victoria Nash

Director, Associate Professor and Senior Policy Fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, UK.

Prof. Samantha Smidt

Academic Director of the King’s Academy for education development, Kings College London, UK.

Prof. Moshe Y. Vardi

University Professor and Karen Ostrum George Distinguished Service Professor in Computational Engineering at Rice University, USA.

More Information about the International Strategic Advisory Board (ISAB)

  • Prof. Tuula Teeri is the chairperson of the advisory board. As founding president of Aalto University (Helsinki), she was responsible for merging three thematically distinct universities into one interdisciplinary university. Prof. Teeri offers invaluable experience for shaping an interdisciplinary university and as professor of molecular biology, she further adds to the variety of scientific perspectives within the board. Today, Prof. Teeri is President of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) and professor at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) Stockholm.
  • Prof. York Sure-Vetter, vice-chairperson of the board, is general director of NFDI – the German Research Data Infrastructure Initiative consisting of 26 research consortia – and brings substantial expertise in the field of research data management. He is also professor at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
  • Prof. Patrick Baudisch, Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam University, Germany,
    is a researcher in the field of Human Computer Interaction and provides IT:U with essential impulses for innovative teaching and research projects by merging the digital and haptic world.
  • Prof. Nirav Merchant, Director of the Data Science Institute, University of Arizona, USA,has more than 20 years of experience as Technology Strategist at the University of Arizona and brings the long-term vision for important trends in digitalization and technology.
  • Prof. Victoria Nash, Director, Associate Professor and Senior Policy Fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, UK. As a renowned Political Scientist, Prof. Nash provides valuable experience for bringing IT:U’s research results into the broader social discourse. The Oxford Internet Institute with its interdisciplinary research philosophy serves as a benchmark for IT:U.
  • Prof. Samantha Smidt, Academic Director of the King’s Academy for education development, Kings College London, UK, has broad expertise in innovative university didactics and experience in the design of interdisciplinary curricula, especially with digital learning environments and online courses.
  • Prof. Moshe Y. Vardi, University Professor and Karen Ostrum George Distinguished Service Professor in Computational Engineering at Rice University, USA, is a founder of the Digital Humanities research field. His position as chief and senior editor of the computing-research magazine “Communications of the ACM” highlights his profound experience at the intersection of informatics and social sciences – one of the main fields of IT:U.