The renowned journal Information Systems Research (ISR) has presented the Best Paper Award 2025 to Prof. Dr. Stefan Klein, long-standing member of the Department of Information Systems and recently retired, together with his co-authors Ojelanki Ngwenyama, Frantz Rowe, and Helle Zinner Henriksen. The award-winning paper is titled “The Open Prison of the Big Data Revolution: False Consciousness, Faustian Bargains, and Digital Entrapment.”

Das renommierte Fachjournal Information Systems Research (ISR) hat den Best Paper Award 2025 an Prof. Dr. Stefan Klein, langjähriges Mitglied des Instituts für Wirtschaftsinformatik und kürzlich in den Ruhestand getreten, sowie seine Co-Autor:innen Ojelanki Ngwenyama, Frantz Rowe und Helle Zinner Henriksen verliehen. Ausgezeichnet wurde das Paper „The Open Prison of the Big Data Revolution: False Consciousness, Faustian Bargains, and Digital Entrapment“.

From September 17 to 18, the University of Münster will host the second bootcamp of the EU-funded CURATE project. The bootcamp will be led by Prof. Tobias Brandt and Shariga Sivanathan from the Chair of Digital Innovation and the Public Sector. The aim of the project is to strengthen students from various European countries in their entrepreneurial and in dealing with artificial intelligence. 

Around 70 students from the partner universities Haaga-Helia (Finland), MCI The Entrepreneurial School (Austria), Université Côte d'Azur (France) und Technical University of Košice (Slovakia) are expected to attend the bootcamp, accompanied by coaches and experts. At the heart of the event are the challenge pitches, where the teams will present their solutions.

Over the past months, the participants have worked in international teams on practice-oriented challenges set by companies, focusing on the use of AI and digital technologies. At the bootcamp, the students will present their results as the project concludes.

A pre-pitch training will support the students in sharpening their presentation skills and delivering their results convincingly. In this way, the bootcamp not only serves as a platform for innovative ideas, but also as a hands-on learning environment in which young talents can demonstrate their skills in an international setting. 

The paper “The Open Prison of the Big Data Revolution: False Consciousness, Faustian Bargains, and Digital Entrapment” written by Ojelanki Ngwenyama, Frantz Rowe, Stefan Klein (long-time member of our department and recent retiree), and Helle Zinner Henriksen, was awarded the ISR Best Paper Award 2025. The paper addresses the fact that, while some scholars warn of the social harms caused by Big Data practices, there is a little critical social theory (CST) Information Systems research has been conducted into the structures and dynamics that drive these practices.

In this research, the authors examine how tech firms strategically shape social practices and platform design to encourage individuals to accept datafication and data assetization. While these strategies create positive network effects for companies, they often produce negative outcomes for individuals – including privacy violations, economic loss, and reduced freedom.

Drawing on the work of Heidegger and Marcuse, the paper introduces concepts such as false consciousness, digital entrapment, and Faustian bargains to explain how people become socially conditioned into a digital habitus and identify as homo digitalis, seeing all their social and economic relations as digital. The study uses the case of Microsoft Viva to illustrate how even everyday digital tools can shape reality and tether users to platforms, creating what the authors call an open prison.

The paper offers both a critique of the Big Data paradigm and a research agenda aimed at understanding and addressing the social consequences of these practices. It encourages further research into solutions that can reduce digital entrapment and protect freedom, privacy, and individual agency in the digital age.

The full paper can be found here.

43.000 Studierende, 8.000 Beschäftigte in Lehre, Forschung und Verwaltung, die gemeinsam Zukunftsperspektiven gestalten – das ist die Universität Münster. Eingebettet in die Atmosphäre der Stadt Münster mit ihrer hohen Lebensqualität zieht sie mit ihrem vielfältigen Forschungsprofil und attraktiven Lehrangeboten Studierende und Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler aus dem In- und Ausland an.

In part 20 of the Alumni Stories, we feature Dr. Maik Lindner, who studied Information Systems at the University of Münster, where he also earned his doctorate. After completing his academic training, his career first took him to SAP in Belfast, followed by further positions in international technology companies such as Virtustream and TidalScale. Today, as Chief Information Security Officer and Innovation Lead at the U.S.-based health-tech company OMNY Health, he is responsible for the strategic development of security architectures and the implementation of innovative technologies in healthcare.

In Teil 20 der Alumni Stories porträtieren wir Dr. Maik Lindner, der an der Universität Münster Wirtschaftsinformatik studierte und dort auch promovierte. Nach seiner akademischen Ausbildung führte ihn sein Weg zunächst zu SAP nach Belfast, später zu weiteren Stationen in internationalen Technologieunternehmen wie Virtustream und TidalScale. Heute verantwortet er als Chief Information Security Officer und Innovation Lead beim US-amerikanischen Health-Tech-Unternehmen OMNY Health die strategische Weiterentwicklung von Sicherheitsarchitekturen und den Einsatz innovativer Technologien im Gesundheitswesen.

When experienced employees retire, valuable knowledge often disappears with them. This is exactly where Implora comes in – an AI-based knowledge management system that won first place in the Headventures innovation competition organized by the REACH EUREGIO Start-up Center. The idea was developed by Business Development student Vincent Nelles and two teammates. In this interview, he talks about how his studies supported him in turning an initial idea into a viable business model – and why Business Development is the right program for anyone who doesn’t just want to learn about entrepreneurship, but actually experience it.

Wenn erfahrene Mitarbeitende in Rente gehen, verschwindet oft wertvolles Wissen mit ihnen. Genau hier setzt Implora an – ein KI-basiertes Wissensmanagement-System, das beim Innovationswettbewerb Headventures des REACH EUREGIO Start-up Centers den ersten Platz belegt hat. Entwickelt wurde die Idee von Business-Development-Student Vincent Nelles und zwei Mitstreitern. Im Interview spricht er darüber, wie das Studium ihn dabei unterstützt hat, aus einer ersten Idee ein tragfähiges Geschäftsmodell zu formen – und warum Business Development der richtige Studiengang für alle ist, die Unternehmertum nicht nur lernen, sondern erleben wollen.

Am 18. Juli 2025 wurde Karen Schürmeyer im Rahmen einer feierlichen Preisverleihung mit dem „Zonta Women in Business Leadership Award 2025“ des Zonta Clubs Münster ausgezeichnet. Der Zonta Club Münster ehrt mit dem Women in Business Leadership Award junge Frauen, die durch besondere Führungsstärke, unternehmerischen Geist sowie durch ihr Engagement in gesellschaftlich relevanten Themenbereichen wie der Förderung von Frauen und Mädchen oder dem Einsatz für Klimagerechtigkeit überzeugen.

Das ZDF greift im heute-Bericht zur anhaltenden Krise der Deutschen Bahn auf die Expertise von Prof. Thomas Ehrmann vom Institut für Strategisches Management der Universität Münster zurück. Er hebt hervor, dass das eigentliche Problem im Güterverkehr liegt: DB Cargo schreibe seit 2009 Verluste und habe kein tragfähiges Geschäftsmodell. Die Kosten pro Zugkilometer liegen rund ein Drittel über denen der Konkurrenz, während private Wettbewerber Gewinne erzielen.

The Interdisciplinary Center for Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Disease Dynamics (IMMIDD) at the University of Münster recently held its first symposium on July 10, 2025, entitled, “From Chaos to Cohesion – The Future of Infectious Disease Modeling.” Drawing over 100 participants from across the globe, to examine how advanced modeling – enhanced by powerful information systems – can support effective decision-making in the face of global health challenges.

Das Interdisciplinary Center for Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Disease Dynamics (IMMIDD) an der Universität Münster veranstaltete am 10. Juli 2025 sein erstes Symposium mit dem Titel “From Chaos to Cohesion – The Future of Infectious Disease Modeling”. Die Veranstaltung zog über 100 Teilnehmer*innen aus aller Welt an, um zu untersuchen, wie fortschrittliche Modellierung – unterstützt durch leistungsfähige Informationssysteme – eine effektive Entscheidungsfindung angesichts globaler Gesundheitsherausforderungen unterstützen kann.

The European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) promises to significantly enhance the convenience and security of end-users' identity-related online activities, such as registration, log-in to a service or application, or the bank account opening process, by using cryptographic key pairs and digitally signed documents (attestations of attributes). However, while the EUDI Wallet is marketed as a privacy-centric solution and indeed designed to enhance privacy substantially compared to today's prevailing approaches to digital identity management, such as "log-in with Google", there is still room for improvement.

The paper “The impact of zero-knowledge proofs on data minimization compliance of digital identity wallets” is a collaboration between the researchers Emanuela Podda (Università degli Studi di Milano), Pol Hölzmer, Alexandre Amard and Gilbert Fridgen (University of Luxembourg), and Johannes Sedlmeir (University of Münster). It describes some remaining shortcomings regarding privacy in the current cryptographic formats used for attestations of attributes in the EUDI Wallet and argues that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)'s mandate for data minimization should be continuously re-evaluated given the fast progress in privacy-enhancing technologies, particularly zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) (see, e.g., the work by Google researchers Abhi Shelat and Matto Frigo on anonymous credentials from ECDSA). ZKPs allow for maintaining the verifiability of the integrity, authenticity, and validity of digital identity-related documents while reducing the amount of information revealed to the relying party to what can formally be considered the bare minimum.

The researchers hope their findings encourage decision-makers working on the EUDI wallet to maintain the high initial ambitions regarding privacy, as specified by the regulation which literally mandates unlinkability, after the first rollout of the EUDI wallet in late 2026. However, it is highly unlikely that ZKPs will be incorporated at this stage, as their practical implementation is still very complex and lacks standardization and audits by national and international certification bodies.

The full paper can be found here.

The Interdisciplinary Center for Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Disease Dynamics (IMMIDD) at the University of Münster recently held its first symposium on July 10, 2025, entitled, “From Chaos to Cohesion – The Future of Infectious Disease Modeling.”

Drawing over 100 participants from across the globe, the event brought together leading experts in epidemiology, mathematics, economics, and public health to examine how advanced modeling – enhanced by powerful information systems – can support effective decision-making in the face of global health challenges.

Topics ranged from breakthroughs in data-driven forecasting and novel interdisciplinary collaborations to the integration of economic and technological perspectives in public health strategies. One clear conclusion emerged: the combination of mathematical modeling and information systems is vital for developing robust, actionable tools for epidemic forecasting and preparedness.

IMMIDD brings together expertise from various institutes at the University of Münster: the Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, the Institute of Virology, the Institute for Analysis and Numerics, the Institute for Geoinformatics, the Department of Information Systems, and the Institute of Theoretical Physics. The Department of Information Systems, represented by Prof. Bernd Hellingrath and his group, enriched the symposium with their expertise in epidemic modeling and decision-support systems, contributing to shaping the future of pandemic response.

Further information on the IMMIDD can be found here.

In part 19 of the Alumni Stories, we introduce Dirk Schlotböller, who studied economics at the University of Münster and graduated as a Diplom-Volkswirt (graduate economist). Following his time as a research associate at the Center for Applied Economic Research (CAWM) and early professional roles in academia and at the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), he now serves as Head of Division for "Macroeconomics and Statistics" at the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action, and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia. In the interview, he shares how his studies in Münster shaped him, and how he views the role of science in political decision-making.

In Teil 19 der Alumni Stories stellen wir Dirk Schlotböller vor, der an der Universität Münster Volkswirtschaftslehre studierte und als Diplom-Volkswirt abschloss. Nach seiner Zeit als wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am Centrum für angewandte Wirtschaftsforschung (CAWM) und ersten beruflichen Stationen in der Lehre sowie beim Deutschen Industrie- und Handelskammertag (DIHK), ist er heute Referatsleiter für „Volkswirtschaft und Statistik“ im Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Industrie, Klimaschutz und Energie des Landes NRW. Im Gespräch berichtet er, wie ihn sein Studium in Münster geprägt hat und wie er die Rolle der Wissenschaft in der politischen Entscheidungsfindung sieht.

How do risks affect decisions in financial markets and the economy? These and other questions about economic uncertainties are being examined by a new research group. The German Research Foundation is funding the group for four years with around €3.2 million. Prof. Dr. Nicole Branger from the Finance Center Münster is one of the seven applicants.

Wie wirken sich Risiken auf Entscheidungen in den Finanzmärkten und in der Wirtschaft aus? Diese und andere Fragen zu ökonomischen Unwägbarkeiten nimmt eine neue Forschungsgruppe in den Blick. Die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft fördert den Verbund über vier Jahre mit rund 3,2 Millionen Euro. Zu den sieben Antragstellerinnen gehört auch Prof. Dr. Nicole Branger vom Finance Center Münster.

It is the largest AI acquisition in Europe to date and a strong sign of AI expertise in Germany: The start-up Cognigy, a leading CX AI platform, has announced a definitive agreement to be acquired by Nasdaq-listed NiCE for almost $1 billion. A graduate of the University of Münster is behind this success.

Philipp Heltewig, CEO and co-founder of Cognigy, studied Information Systems (MSc) at the University of Münster from 2002 to 2007 and spent a year abroad at our ERCIS Partner, the QUT in Brisbane Australia.