2009 Conference Postponed - Message from Dean Tuninga

Dear Colleagues,

Today in the Management Team meeting we have decided to postpone the Partner’s Conference which originally was planned for the end of June 2009. We are in the process to redesign this meeting and value any input you may have to make the future MSM Conference an even bigger success. Please inform the partners and other contacts who may have been interested in attending our partner’s conference in June that we will organize another event later in the year.

Regards,

Ron
Prof. Dr. Ronald S.J. Tuninga
Director Dean

MSM’s Textbook Strategy Vindicated

Amidst increasing hype about e-books and Internet-only publishing, MSM decided that the Maastricht School of Management Series in Intercultural and Global Management should be low-cost, small and light books that rely minimally on Web interaction.  Two recent reports confirm that this was the right decision.

The Chronicle of Higher Education has just reported that many digital textbooks do not have the features that students want. According to the Chronicle, a coalition of independent student organizations surveyed 500 students from several universities. The survey showed that students feel manipulated by the “digital rights management” embodied in e-books, which limits copying and erases the book automatically at the end of the semester. “About 75 percent of those surveyed said they prefer a printed textbook over an electronic one. And 60 percent said that even if a free digital copy were available, they would still pay for a low-cost print version." 

Michael Barkoviak of DailyTech writes today that “After seeing a high level of demand for its Kindle e-book reader, Amazon plans to market its newest Kindle to high school and college students. A product weighing just 10.3 ounces and able to hold multiple textbooks could be appealing to college students who typically spend hundreds of dollars per semester on text books” and have to carry several heavy books around campus. 

Though Amazon has sold almost 300,000 Kindles, they still cost US$359, a hefty burden for many students, and they cannot yet display the color diagrams that are key to explaining many academic subjects.

Though all these technical and cost hurdles will be overcome eventually, students need a solution now.  MSM’s series is well positioned to provide that solution.

Virtual participation in 2009 conference

I hope to see you in Maastricht in June, 2009.  However, I understand that not everyone desiring to participate in the conference can travel to Maastricht at that time.  How would you like to participate in a "virtual" manner?

• If you are a Skype subscriber, we can set up a Skype connection in a session room, and receive your presentation in real-time telepresence.  You will be able to take and answer questions/comments from fellow participants - even from others who are not in Maastricht.
• Full videoconferencing is also available in the MsM building.  If your institution has a compatible machine, this makes a satisfying interactive session.
• Or - especially if your time zone is far from Maastricht's - you can post your Powerpoint presentation on a wiki page, and take questions asynchronously.

Leave a comment on this blog page, letting me know which of these options you prefer - or letting me know that you intend to come to Maastricht for the 2009 conference.

Announcement of 2009 conference

The 2009 MsM Partners' Conference will take place in Maastricht, June 28-29. The registration deadline is April 1, 2009. To register please click here After registration you will receive a confirmation email.

Meanwhile, please send the names and email addresses of your colleagues who should be invited. The conference is open to all faculty, doctoral students, and managing staff of MsM partner institutions. Send these names to phillips (at) msm (dot) nl.

Also send ideas for conference sessions! Or mention them by commenting within this blog.

MsM also solicits your interest in writing chapters and/or cases for the MsM textbook series, the "MsM Series in Intercultural and Global Management." The Call for Chapters is on this blog; click here.

Photos from 2007 conference