UAlbany’s Center for Technology in Government to Host Chinese Official from the State Information Center in Beijing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 13, 2007
Contact: Ben Meyers
(518) 442-3892
     

Yu Shiyang to give presentation on e-government in China 

Albany, NY - The University at Albany’s Center for Technology in Government (CTG) is pleased to announce the visit of Yu Shiyang, division chief of the Informatization Institute, State Information Center in Beijing, China. The purpose of his visit is to learn more about CTG’s research and programs, explore collaborative research opportunities, and to share his perspectives on digital government in China. Yu Shiyang will give a presentation, “Development of e-government in China” on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 at 2 P.M., which the public is welcome to attend.

CTG director, Sharon Dawes, was introduced to Yu Shiyang at the first US-China International Workshop on Digital Government Research and Practice (IntDG 2006), held in Beijing, China this past October. Dawes served as one of the honorary co-chairs of the workshop and chaired the government practitioner panel. The objective of IntDG 2006, sponsored jointly by the Chinese Academy of Science, the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation, and the US National Science Foundation, was to create an intellectual forum to bring together key digital government researchers in the U.S. and China to exchange research ideas, foster research collaboration, and explore collaborative opportunities. 

“There is a critical need for digital government researchers and practitioners from different countries to share their approaches, findings and lessons learned. Ultimately we hope to form a global professional community to promote further understanding and advances in both research and practice.” said Dawes. “Yu Shiyang’s visit will help to establish opportunities for future research collaboration.”

The main focus of the State Information Center (SIC), an agency of the Chinese national government, is on e-government projects for ministries and commissions, the development of government information resources, and decision-making consulting for the National Development & Reform Commission and the State Council on ICT application strategy and economic forecasting.

The Informatization Institute is a policy-support organization of SIC that conducts research on e-government. As division chief, Yu Shiyang has participated in the drafting of China’s 11th five-year plan of informatization, e-commerce, and e-government; organized China’s annual e-government report; and participated in or led both research and development projects associated with e-government. 

This visit complements CTG’s current project, Building and Sustaining an International Digital Government Research (DG) Community of Practice, which is a four-year program operating under a grant from the National Science Foundation to encourage advances in DG research topics that cross national boundaries. Major activities include a reconnaissance study describing the current status of international DG research, an annual research institute for doctoral students, and a framework for supporting the formation of several international working groups. More information on this project can be found at www.ctg.albany.edu/projects/dgi.

The mission of the Center for Technology in Government at the University at Albany is to foster public sector innovation, enhance capability, generate public value, and support good governance. We carry out this mission through applied research, knowledge sharing, and collaboration at the intersection of policy, management, and technology. 

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