The debilitating impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on the global economy has accentuated the importance of digital operating models and pushed countries across the world to pivot to digital transformation and innovation.

Zhejiang University (ZJU)’s School of Management (SOM) and Singapore Management University (SMU)’s School of Information Systems (SIS) held a webinar themed “Information Systems Research in Management” on 22 November 2020. Key ideas which emerged from the discourse included:

• Cryptocurrency showing great promise as a future payment method
• Optimal financing strategy for entrepreneurs --- Rewards-based crowdfunding vs Initial Coin offering
• The proliferation of social media has diffused online contents both within and across platforms
• The wisdom of the crowd is the key to open innovation
• Neuro-management could potentially be a new research direction for interdisciplinary researchers

Co-organised by SMU International Office and ZJU SOM International Affairs Office, this webinar provided a timely platform for Information Systems experts from SMU and Management experts from ZJU to discuss and share interdisciplinary research findings related to information technology, management and digital transformation. Four research faculty from each university shared insights on eight topics of their specific expertise, covering Cybersecurity, Cryptocurrency, Green Data Centre Operations, e-Commerce, e-Health and e-Government.

The two-hour research presentation segment was followed by an information session hosted by SIS’ Associate Dean (PG Research Programmes), Professor Zheng Baihua on the SMU-ZJU PhD in Computer Science and PhD in Information Systems dual-degree PhD (DDP). The new programme enables ZJU PhD students to concurrently pursue a second PhD degree at SMU.

This is the third DDP collaboration that SMU has launched with leading universities in China. In 2019, SIS rolled out its first DDP degree in the disciplines of Computer Science and Information Systems with Dalian University of Technology. In the same year, SMU’s School of Accountancy (SOA) established a collaboration with Renmin University of China to introduce the DDP in Accounting programme.

Consistently ranked among the top five universities in China, Zhejiang University has established a slew of collaborations with SMU in undergraduate exchanges, innovation and entrepreneurship-related activities, as well as in postgraduate and DDP programmes.