Prof. Patrick Chau, Provost and Chair Professor of Beijing Normal–Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU), has been honoured with the LEO Award by the Association for Information Systems (AIS) recently, one of the most prestigious international recognitions in the field of information systems. The award ceremony was held on 15 December 2025 in the US, and Prof. Chau is the sixth scholar from Asia to receive this honour since the award’s inception in 1999.

Often described as a “lifetime achievement award” in information systems research, the LEO Award, named for the world’s first business application of computing, the Lyons Electronic Office, recognises truly outstanding individuals who have made a global impact in the field of information systems. Each year, no more than four scholars worldwide are selected for this distinction, and this year, only three were awarded.

Prof. Patrick CHAU (right) on the award ceremony

Often described as a “lifetime achievement award” in information systems research, the LEO Award, named for the world’s first business application of computing, the Lyons Electronic Office, recognises truly outstanding individuals who have made a global impact in the field of information systems. Each year, no more than four scholars worldwide are selected for this distinction, and this year, only three were awarded.

Published more than 100 papers related to IT adoption and electronic commerce in prestigious journals, Prof Chau’s magnificent contribution to the field is recognised worldwide. A leading figure in the area of information systems, he has been an active member of AIS since 1997, and served as AIS President from 2021 to 2022. He has also been listed among Elsevier’s World’s Top 2% Scientists since its first release. As of now, his Google Scholar citations exceed 31,000 with an H-index of 65.

In his award acceptance speech, Prof. Chau addressed the challenges and opportunities facing the information systems field in the era of artificial intelligence, highlighting the need to strengthen its public visibility as a discipline and expand its global influence in collaboration with AIS.

Since joining BNBU, Prof. Chau has been a critical driving force of the university’s development. His recognition by AIS further underscores BNBU’s growing global profile and its commitment to academic excellence.

From: MPRO