DCU’s IIDB academic network expands Stateside with dotLab MidWest at the University of Tulsa

DCU’s IIDB academic network expands Stateside with dotLab MidWest at the University of Tulsa

Dublin City University’s Irish Institute of Digital Business and the University of Tulsa’s Collins College of Business and have signed an agreement to promote research-focused cooperation and exchanges between faculty, administrative staff, departments and research institutions.

Collins College of Business at The University of Tulsa (TU) and the Irish Institute of Digital Business (IIDB) at Dublin City University have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote research-focused cooperation and exchanges between their faculty, administrative staff, departments and research institutions.

This agreement, which covers an initial five years, sets the groundwork for a collaborative relationship between the Collins College of Business and the IIDB via the creation of dotLAB Midwest at TU. This will be the first dotLAB network member in North America, while other members are in Brazil, France, Italy and Slovenia.

The IIDB and dotLAB Midwest

The IIDB is a centre of excellence for theoretical and applied research that investigates and accelerates the adoption of digital technologies and the transformation of business using these technologies. Its research incorporates key enabling technologies that are catalyzing digital transformation, including cloud computing, mobile, social media, analytics and blockchain.

“We are delighted to announce this new partnership with TU’s Collins College of Business,” said Mark Cummins, the IIDB’s director. “The addition of dotLAB Midwest to our global network of dotLAB partners now means we have research collaborations extending across North America, South America and Europe. TU’s business college brings a wealth of knowledge that opens up a unique opportunity to work together on digital business problems of relevance on both sides of the Atlantic. We look forward to the future as we embark on this exciting new phase.”

On the TU side, the principal architects of this alliance were Adrien Bouchet, Collins College of Business’ senior associate dean for academics, and Charles Wood, chair of the Department of Management, Marketing and International Business. “We are delighted in this research partnership with the IIDB and Dublin City University,” Bouchet commented. “This relationship will help both institutions strengthen their research capabilities by utilizing excellent data and faculty resources.”

“Sharing data, expertise and the coordination of projects will represent the substance and main body of work for dotLAB Midwest and will include research publications crediting the partnership,” explained Wood. “We are also planning for TU faculty and student travel to the IIDB and to the other international universities in the dotLAB network to solidify and expand these collaborations.”

Activities, cooperation and next steps

The creation of dotLAB Midwest at TU will support various activities:

• Collaboration on domestic and international research projects and proposals on the management and use of key enabling technologies to optimize and transform processes and organizations of all sizes and sectors
• Knowledge transfer on specific themes and projects
• Student and faculty exchanges
• Development of faculty and researchers

The IIDB and Collins College of Business also envision several areas of cooperation:

• Visits by graduate students for research
• Visits by and interchange of faculty and staff for research and collaboration
• Exchange of information, including, but not limited to, exchange of data and research publications
• Joint research activities
• Joint educational activities, including, but not limited to, workshops and short courses

dotLAB Midwest’s first steps include a return visit to TU by two IIDB faculty in fall 2021. On this trip, Professor of Digital Business Theo Lynn and Assistant Professor in Business Analytics Pierangelo Rosati – who visited TU in 2019 – plan to explore and expand further research collaborations with TU faculty. A reception and formal announcement are planned.

For more information and to get involved in dotLAB Midwest, contact Adrien Bouchet at adrien-bouchet@utulsa.edu or Charles Wood at charles-wood@utulsa.edu.

For more information about IIDB please contact Professor Mark Cummins at mark.cummins@dcu.ie