Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office, Dr. Tobias Lindner, was available for an exciting interview with Prof. Dr. Christof Weinhardt and Dr. Jonas Fegert for the Business & Information Systems Engineering journal (BISE). The interview took place in Berlin on October 16, 2024. It offers thoughtful insights from Dr. Lindner on the interplay between academic education and politics and was published this week, on February 18.

Dr. Lindner explains how his interdisciplinary education in economics and technical studies at KIT has shaped his approach to political decision-making in the digital age. He underscores the importance of abstract thinking and technical competence as digital transformation redefines the roles of data, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity in both governance and international policy. Furthermore, he advocates for enhancing academic curricula in information systems by incorporating a basic programming course as a standard component of education to better prepare future leaders for the challenges of a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

For the full interview, please visit https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12599-025-00927-5