Introduction to Addressing Grand Challenges with Information Technology Minitrack

The Addressing Grand Challenges with Information Technology minitrack provides a forum for the discussion of the world’s most important or challenging problems, and the roles that information systems and information technologies can play in resolving those problems. The minitrack debuted just one year ago at HICSS-49, and was founded in response to common perceptions that a great deal of contemporary IS/IT research focuses on relatively esoteric or obscure topics that are of little practical value to society. In contrast to papers that focus on a narrow problem domain, this minitrack is designed to encourage researchers to think about big, important issues, the resolution of which would be widely beneficial to mankind. Innovative, ambitious, or unusual solutions to humanity’s greatest problems are particularly welcome in the Addressing Grand Challenges with Information Technology minitrack. For HICSS-50, the Grand Challenges minitrack is pleased to host the presentation of two papers that conform to the minitrack’s foundational principles. First among these is a paper entitled “Forming a Dimension of Digital Human Rights: Research Agenda for the Right to be Forgotten”, which addresses many interesting facets relating to the right to be forgotten, including discussions of this right from the perspectives of information privacy, technology, society/culture, and law/policy. The second paper in the minitrack for HICSS-50 is entitled “Financial Decision Support System for Wind Energy – Analysis of Mexican Projects and a Support Scheme Concept”, which describes a useful application of methods and technology within the specific context of wind-based energy generation. Both of these papers provide valuable and incremental insights into interesting and important problems, and should yield a lively and engaging discussion at the conference.