Some Remarks Regarding the Contributions of Michel Bauwens to the Activities of the University of Amsterdam

Seminar evaluation by Prof. Rik Maes:

"Michel Bauwens’ contributions in 2006 to the activities of the UoA were manifold and generally speaking very well appreciated. In short:

1. He gave a presentation on the research opportunities of P2P at a PrimaVera seminar, PrimaVera being the research program of the UoA in information management. During the subsequent discussion, it became very clear that the whole concept of P2P is a valuable one in the context of informational relationships between organizations and their environment (customers in particular) and as the underlying notion of phenomena such as communities of practice, as studied in the PrimaVera program.

2. He gave a well-appreciated introduction to the philosophy behind P2P in the UoA Master program in Information Science. Michel was able to effusively catch the (critical!) students’ attention. This is, in my opinion, a full proof of the attractiveness of the P2P concept for the next generation of managers and information professionals.

3. Michel’s main contributions were in the Executive Master in Information Management program (EMIM) and the continuing education program “I+M Fellows” following this executive masters. This program is followed by executives, i.e. senior managers of large organizations (both profit and non-profit), and deals with the management of information and IT in organizations. Typical career paths of the participants are CIO or senior advisor/consultant. Michel’s contributions opened the eyes for upcoming phenomena such as social software, Web 2.0, new organizational forms etc., but above all for the new socio-political order that is emerging and that will govern the strategy and actual operations of large organizations. Not being sensitive to these phenomena, it became clear to the participants, will mean that these organizations will become more and more marginal and even superfluous. Anticipating the evolution as designated by P2P should be integral part of the quest for a new identity most organizations are faced with.

From Prof. dr ir Rik Maes, Head of Dept. of Information Management, Dean of the EMIM program

Contact: maestro at uva dot nl

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