Nearly 200 educators and scholars from around the world participated in the 2025 Information Systems Teaching Workshop, hosted by the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics on May 15–16. With more than 130 attending virtually and over 70 joining in person, the sold-out event brought together faculty from more than 140 universities and institutions across North America, Europe and Asia, highlighting the global momentum behind artificial intelligence (AI) in business education.
Held in UD’s FinTech Innovation Hub and Courtyard Newark-University of Delaware, the workshop featured over 20 rapid-fire presentations focused on integrating AI, data science and information systems into business school curricula. Topics ranged from AI-powered learning tools and generative AI course design to case-based instruction, ethical considerations and simulations for non-technical MBA students.
“This workshop is about more than teaching methods; it’s about transforming the way we prepare students for an AI-powered world,” said Dr. Oliver Yao, dean of the Lerner College. “We’re proud to host such a global and forward-thinking community at UD. Events like this reflect our commitment to innovation, collaboration and leadership in business and economics education.”
The event opened with a “Blooming Minds” teaching dialogue at Longwood Gardens, followed by a welcome reception and dinner. The main program on Friday, May 16, included a Dean’s Panel on “AI and the Future of Business Education,” moderated by Yao and featuring panelists Sulin Ba (DePaul University), Hemant Bhargava (University of California, Davis), Prabhudev Konana (University of Maryland), and Pamela Norris (UD College of Engineering).
“This is the leading teaching-focused workshop in the information systems field,” said Harry Wang, professor of management information systems at UD and one of the event’s organizers. “Hosting it at Lerner allows us to share our own innovations, elevate our visibility in the global academic community and strengthen our role in shaping the future of AI education.”
Beibei Li, professor of IT and Management and Anna Loomis McClandless Chair at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, was among those inspired by the exchange of ideas.
“I found the workshop incredibly helpful and inspiring; it offered exactly the kind of practical, innovative ideas I’ve been looking for to bring AI and generative technologies into my own teaching,” Li said.
“Hearing from so many thoughtful educators across different institutions made it clear just how much potential AI has to transform the classroom experience. What stood out most to me was the range of creative, concrete strategies that I can quickly adapt and apply.”
While the event centered on pedagogy, Wang noted that it also laid the groundwork for new research collaborations.
“These are top researchers as well as educators,” he said. “Many of them are editors at our field’s leading journals. This was an important networking opportunity, and a big win for UD and Lerner.”
The workshop aligns with Lerner College’s strategic focus on analytics and AI and reinforces the University of Delaware’s leadership in educational innovation for a digital economy.
For more information, including the full program, visit https://sites.udel.edu/it-teaching-workshop.