Dean Jelassi adressed the ICT 4 ALL Forum, an International Conference organized by Specialized United Nations Agencies (UNCTAD and ITU) and the Tunisian Government

Professor Tawfik Jelassi, Dean of the School of International Management at Ecole des Ponts ParisTech, was invited to take part in the “ICT4ALL” international conference which was organized in Hammamet (Tunisia) from November 23rd–25th 2009.  He made there a presentation on November 23rd on “The impact of the world’s financial crisis on information and communication technologies (ICT): An opportunity or a threat?”  The highlights of this presentation were covered by an article published the following day by La Presse de Tunisie, the 1st daily newspaper in Tunisia.

Dr. Jelassi was also the moderator of a discussion panel on “Public-private partnerships in information and communication technologies” which took place on November 25th and included prominent guest speakers coming from different countries.

During his presentation on the impact of the world’s financial crisis on ICT, Dr. Jelassi stressed the role that these technologies play today as a strategic enabler for business development and socio-economic growth.  He emphasized the unique features that these technologies offer for value creation and business transformation, and shared with the audience examples of related best practices.  He called for action on this front and cautioned against a prolonged “wait-and-see” attitude towards ICT, which could lead to paralysis and a threat if competitors leverage these technologies.  Dr. Jelassi emphasized the opportunities that sometimes emerge in the midst of a crisis and which require “out-of the-box” thinking, courage and entrepreneurial leadership.  He concluded by referring to Winston Churchill’s statement: "If we don't take the crisis by the hand, it is the crisis that will take us by the throat” and warned that a crisis is a terrible thing to waste!