Guest professors strengthen research, education, and international relations

2025-05-07

Guest professors are continuously invited to the university. Their contributions to the institution are of great importance for the quality of research and education, and for strengthening relationships with universities and institutions in other countries.

"Guest professors contribute to the university's activities with their world-leading expertise and experience, which enhances the quality of both research and education. We invite the guest professors who can best contribute to our development. This happens in various ways; they can, for example, be responsible for leading or coordinating research applications or writing articles, and they can help us identify goals and strategies for our research areas. Their contributions increase the university's international profile and competitiveness, improve the quality of research and education, and strengthen relationships with international institutions," said Kim Bolton, Pro-Vice-Chancellor.

One of several guest professors, who have succeeded each other in the research environment of Business and IT, is John Venable, who is visiting the Department of Information Technology for a couple of months.

He has extensive international experience, having grown up in the USA and, through doctoral studies there and in Denmark, ended up on the other side of the world in New Zealand and Australia as a researcher. Today, he is retired and can devote himself to research entirely on his own terms – and he is more than happy to share his experiences as a guest professor. Currently, the focus is on presenting various methods for how to structure research at the host institution from a socio-technical perspective.

How did you end up as a guest professor at the University of Borås?

"I came into contact with a couple of the university's researchers years ago and when they visited Curtin University where I was working, we saw that we had common interests in research on systems design, but especially in Design Science Research (DSR), which is research that designs and evaluates new means for improving on undesirable situations, including but not limited to information systems and technology). More recently, we discussed how I could assist the Department of IT and the Tech Borås project in their efforts to steer research towards the DSR research approach."

"My great interest is research on DSR and developing methods, techniques, and tools for developing and managing DSR projects. This is something that is in demand here at the university, and I am very happy to contribute my expertise."

During his time as a guest professor, John Venable will hold workshops on research, how to structure research projects, and how to integrate research methods from a socio-technical perspective related to DSR. However, he explains that these methods can be used in all applied subject areas.

"I am also recording videos about research in Design Science Research and some of the research methods and tools I have developed in my own projects or in collaboration with other DSR researchers. These videos will then become available resources for both research and education here at the university and can be shared in broader contexts. I will also take the opportunity to learn some Swedish, as a complement to my knowledge of Danish."

What is your impression of Borås and the University of Borås?

"I really enjoy being here. It is a relatively small town and it is easy to get around, I walk everywhere. The staff at the university are really friendly and the environment is good. And I love seeing the spring flowers, such things do not exist back home in Perth, and I enjoy taking long walks in the forest."

What is the best thing about being a guest professor?

"I get to research what I want, and I get support in doing so. I get to see new cultures, new food, new ways of socializing and listening to music. I have the opportunity to travel and see new places in Sweden or in other countries, if I want. I can take holidays, just like everyone else at the university, and I get paid for all of this."