Academic Community Rallies Behind South African Scholars After ICIS 2028 Podcast Controversy
“Western-centric” podcast hosts portrayed South Africa primarily as a tourist destination and questioned the appropriateness of holding a major academic conference here.
The international academic community is rallying behind South Africa’s Information Systems (IS) scholars following criticism of the country as a host destination for the prestigious International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) 2028.
In a strongly worded statement dated 24 June 2026, the Editorial Board of the leading journal Information Technology for Development (ITD) declared its solidarity with the South African Chapter of the Association for Information Systems (AISSAC) after comments made in a recent podcast questioned South Africa’s suitability as a conference venue.
The controversy stems from an episode of the podcast This IS Research, titled “How to Pick the Perfect Conference Location”, released on 10 June 2026.
According to the ITD statement, the podcast hosts portrayed South Africa primarily as a tourist destination and questioned the appropriateness of holding a major academic conference there. They also reportedly cast doubt on the visibility and significance of Information Systems researchers from South Africa and other countries in the Global South.
Concerns Over Western-Centric Perspectives
The ITD Editorial Board criticised what it described as a “remarkably Western-centric” perspective in the podcast discussion. The board argued that the comments privileged the convenience of researchers based in North America and Europe while overlooking the realities and contributions of scholars from other regions.
The statement highlighted that Information Systems research communities in countries such as South Africa and Thailand have long been producing valuable scholarship, often under resource-constrained conditions. The board warned that questioning the relevance or visibility of these communities’ risks dismissing decades of academic work and knowledge production.
Defence of Global South Scholarship
Since its establishment in 1986, ITD has published research from countries across Africa, Asia and other parts of the Majority World. The editorial board described this diversity of knowledge as one of the journal’s greatest strengths and a vital contribution to the broader Information Systems field.
The board expressed concern that the podcast remarks effectively undermined the existence and achievements of scholars working outside traditional Western academic centres. According to the statement, such attitudes not only silence important voices but also weaken a discipline that thrives on collaboration, shared experiences and global perspectives.
Support for AISSAC’s Call to Action
The ITD Editorial Board formally endorsed AISSAC’s response and its call for corrective action. These recommendations include a public correction of the record by the podcast hosts, a future episode dedicated to meaningful engagement with Information Systems scholarship from the Majority World, and the application of the same evidential standards to discussions about non-Western academic communities as are applied elsewhere in the discipline.
Importantly, the board said its position was motivated by accountability rather than confrontation, expressing hope that the episode would encourage greater awareness and appreciation of research contributions from developing regions.
A Broader Debate About Inclusion
The dispute has sparked a wider conversation about representation, inclusivity and geographic equity in global academia. As South Africa prepares to host ICIS 2028, the response from ITD and AISSAC underscores growing demands for international scholarly communities to recognise and value research excellence wherever it is produced.
For many African academics, the controversy serves as a reminder that global knowledge production is increasingly diverse and that conferences, journals and professional associations have a responsibility to ensure scholars from all regions are treated with equal respect and recognition.
The statement by the Editorial Board of Information Technology for Development, was released earlier today, 24 June 2026.
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