Featured Member
- iSchools News
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Issue #9
Di Wang
Asia-Pacific Region
China
Renmin University of China
School of Information Resource Management
iSchools member since 2016
Hello Di! Please tell us a bit about you!
I am an Associate Professor at the School of Information Resource Management, Renmin University of China. I also work as the Director of the International Exchange Center in our school. I received my Ph.D. in Information Resources Management from Wuhan University in China and another Ph.D. in Computing from Macquarie University in Australia. I joined Renmin and got a tenure position in 2023.
My research interests include open data & open science, human-AI interaction, user behavior, and data services. In particular, I want to combine technology with humanistic aspects to track and reveal the connections between human, information/data, and technology. For example, my previous research is about the flow of open government data in the data ecosystem, including data evaluation on the supply side, user behavior identification on the demand side, and the usability of data portals that connect the supply and demand sides. My latest research focuses on users’ awareness, acceptance, trust, and emotions in their interactions with AI agents in the context of library services. I also have a strong interest in conducting international research with scholars from around the world. In my research projects, I have collaborated with scholars from more than 10 countries, including Australia, Germany, the UK, the US, Japan, Indonesia, etc.
In 2022 the Asia-Pacific regional iSchools launched the Asia-Pacific Next Generation Committee, one of our iSchools communities. You are chairing this committee together with Misita Anwar from Swinburne University and it has grown a lot since its establishment. Can you tell us a bit about the AP Next?
The Asia-Pacific (AP) Next Generation Committee was launched in 2022, driven by the willingness of AP iSchools members to support early-career researchers to enhance academic initiatives and the long-term vitality of our community. The initial idea of the committee was from Prof. Atsuyuki Morishima, the current Chair of the AP iSchools. This committee seeks to enhance the visibility and collaboration of next-generation researchers, fostering mutual support and developing future leaders in the information field. It builds an international network for emerging scholars through diverse initiatives such as the annual AP-iConference, the AP iSchools Workshop Series, panel discussions, keynote presentations, collaborative research projects, and joint grant applications.
The Committee is composed of next generation researchers in the field of information from AP iSchools members, the International Conference on Asia-Pacific Digital Libraries (ICADL), and the Asia-Pacific Library and Information Education and Practice Conference (A-LIEP) communities. Until now, we have 36 members from 23 AP iSchools in 9 countries. I am the current chair, and Dr. Misita Anwar from Swinburne University of Technology in Australia will become the chair next year with a term of service of 2 years.
Misita and you applied also for the iSchools Research Grant this year and your project was one of the winning submissions! Congratulations on that! Can you tell us what you plan to do in your project?
Thank you! Our team is truly grateful for this opportunity and excited to take the project forward under the iSchools Research Grant. The topic of our project is “Deconstructing AI Literacy to Boost Library and Information Science Education Transformation: The Asia-Pacific iSchools Focus”. We aim to “deconstruct” the concept of AI literacy in order to explore how AI literacy can be effectively integrated into library and information science (LIS) education to support a strategic transformation of curricula, pedagogy, and competencies across the AP region.
This is the first collaborative research initiative submitted by the iSchools Asia-Pacific Next Generation Committee. We are happy to see it brings together 17 early-career researchers from 15 iSchools across six Asia-Pacific countries. This diverse and interdisciplinary collaboration reflects the Committee’s mission to empower emerging scholars and strengthen regional cooperation within the iSchools community. We will collaborate to carry out the project, to collect data from various AP countries and iSchools institutions, and to compare the data with a mixed-methods approach. We also plan to disseminate the research outcomes among the iSchools community and contribute to regional innovation and global dialogue on AI literacy in LIS education.
Your research focuses on open data policy, open data services, and human-AI interaction at your iSchool. Can you tell us a bit more about your iSchool?
The School of Information Resource Management (iSchool) at Renmin University of China is a leading institution of higher education in the field of information management in China. Founded in 1952, the iSchool of Renmin is the birthplace of archival studies in China. With a domestic leading power and a continuously growing global reputation, our iSchool has cultivated numerous scholars, public leaders, and practitioners in archives, libraries, information and knowledge management, information systems, digital humanities, and other related fields.
The iSchool of Renmin is a member of the iSchools Organization and a C-class member of the International Archives Council (ICA). We run the Digital Humanities Research Institute of Renmin University of China, the Lab of Data and Knowledge Engineering by the Ministry of Education of China, the Lab of the National Archives Administration of China for Multi-Modal Archives Protection & Development, and serve as the UNESCO World Memory Project Academic Center.
We recently launched the Asia-Pacific Digital Humanities Education Collaboration Committee, dedicated to advancing digital humanities education and fostering cross-institutional collaboration among committee members in the Asia-Pacific region. More than 30 institutions and personal scholars from four countries have joined the committee. We warmly welcome new members to join and together shape the future of digital humanities education in the AP region, foster cross-cultural dialogue, and strengthen regional and global networks that support inclusive, interdisciplinary, and forward-looking scholarship.
What benefits do you see in belonging to the global iSchools? How has it impacted you personally?
Belonging to the global iSchools community offers institutional members a wealth of opportunities for visibility, collaboration, and recognition. As part of a worldwide network of leading information schools, iSchools members gain access to an inclusive platform that connects educators, researchers, practitioners, and students dedicated to advancing the information field. The community fosters interdisciplinary dialogue across library science, information management, data science, digital humanities, information technologies, etc., encouraging the exchange of ideas and innovative practices. Through global events such as the iConference, research collaborations, grant opportunities, and shared educational initiatives, iSchools members benefit from enhanced academic engagement and international recognition.
As an early-career researcher and an individual member of the iSchools Organization, I personally benefit a lot from our community. It provides a supportive environment, mentorship, and collaboration opportunities for me to develop my academic career. I can gain access to cutting-edge research in our field from the annual iConference, workshops, panels, and the iSchools’ newsletters and Feature Story. The iSchools community also encourages leadership development and interdisciplinary engagement, helping early-career academics strengthen their research capacity, expand their professional networks, and contribute to shaping the future of the information field with innovation and social impact.
If you could give just one advice to future information scientists, what would it be?
My advice to future information scientists would be to actively communicate and connect with other scholars. Considering the fast development of technology and the rapidly growing amount of data and information in this era, research in the information field thrives on collaboration. Meaningful dialogue with peers can spark new ideas, reveal diverse perspectives, and inspire innovative approaches to complex problems. Engaging with colleagues also opens doors to valuable feedback, mentorship, and multidisciplinary collaboration that can strengthen your work. Moreover, communicating your research widely helps you build visibility and credibility, allowing others to understand, engage with, and apply your findings. In a field that evolves as rapidly as ours, collaboration and communication are not just beneficial but are essential for both personal growth and advancing collective knowledge. Luckily, the iSchools community provides various ways and opportunities to communicate with scholars in our field. Please take full advantage of this friendly, tolerant, and innovative community.
Thank you very much, Di!
Featured Members is a new iSchools Feature series spotlighting members of iSchools who are part of the development and organization of thought provoking projects or conferences. Please contact admin@ischools-inc.org in case you would like to be featured as well.
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