In
Beirut, Faculty Member Presents Paper on e-Business Models
By Justin Knabb
Dr. Mohammad Najdawi, senior associate dean and director
of the Office of Graduate Business Programs in the College of Commerce
and Finance, was among a select group of information technology professionals
who were invited by the United Nations to the Western Asia Preparatory
Conference for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) at the
UN House in Beirut, Lebanon last February.
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for
Western Asia (ESCWA), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), with the close cooperation
of the Ministry of Telecommunications for the Government of Lebanon, hosted
this prestigious international event.
Najdawi, who also serves on the College’s faculty
as a professor of decision and information technologies, said that the
conference was attended by the ministers and high-level decision-makers
from ESCWA member states, as well as representatives from civil society
and private sector institutions, governmental and non-governmental organizations,
regional and international organizations, and local and international
experts on the main themes and issues to be discussed.
“The UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/56/183,
adopted in 2001, endorsed the ITU’s proposal to hold a world-wide
summit at the highest possible level and under the auspices of the United
Nations Secretary-General,” Dr. Najdawi explained. “The WSIS’s
main objective is to develop a common vision and understanding of information
society and the adoption of a declaration of principles and a plan of
action for implementation by governments, international institutions and
all sectors of civil society.”
At the Beirut conference, Najdawi presented a paper titled “Application
and Measures of Success of Brick & Click e-Business Models in a Developing
Country.” The conference addressed various issues related to the
information society in western Asia. The attendees agreed on a declaration
of principles that expressed a common vision for the region and compiled
initiatives for building the information society in member states.
The outcome was submitted to the WSIS Preparatory Committee’s
second meeting, which was held later in February in Geneva. Dr. Najdawi
expects this to be reflected in the declaration and plan of action of
the Summit in December 2003.
For more information on the Western Asia preparatory activities
for WSIS, visit this Web site: www.escwa.org.lb/wsis/.
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