Name: Prof. dr. Tom van Engers

Education:  PhD at VU university

Position at UvA: Professor in Legal Knowledge Management, programme manager Business Information Systems,lecturer artificial intelligence and forensic science

I’m the track coordinator of the BIS-master programme. Having a background in artificial intelligence and having a back ground in large scale IT-projects, I work on complex adaptive systems, particularly focussing on policy design and impact thereof in networked organizations.

The master programme offers possibilities to students to either prepare for a scientific position or a position as IT-professional. The latter is aimed at CIO positions, as our students will be capable of bridging between business and IT and have learned how to deal will complex IT-related questions in networked organizational settings.

The UvA, being in the hart of an international business environment, offers great research possibilities and results thereof are included in our educational programmes. The combination of so many talented students and researchers working together in an open atmosphere and internationally oriented university that has strong connections to other research institutes and (international) businesses, is quite unique.

Complexity of our modern society is confronting us with many challenges. ICT solutions are needed to allow us to live together in highly dense populated areas preserving our current prosperity level. As for our research and educational programmes we will see a shift towards more living lab oriented research as this is the way to move forward with solving our hard problems and provide solutions for our society.