Simulation-based education (SE) refers to the use of simulation software, tools, and serious games to enrich the teaching and learning processes. Advances in both computer hardware and software allow for employing innovative methodologies that make use of SE tools to enhance the learning experience. Moreover, thanks to the globalisation of e-learning practices, these educational experiences can be made available to students from different geographical regions and universities, which promotes the development of international and inter-university cooperation in education. This paper provides a review of recent works in the SE subject, with a focus on the areas of engineering, science, and management. It also discusses some experiences in SE involving different European universities and learning models. Finally, it also points out open challenges as well as noticeable trends.

This paper is based on a panel presented at ECIS 2003 that sought to explore the extent of diversity in practice in PhD programmes within AIS region 2. It presents respondents from six European countries: Germany, Norway, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. The participants address questions about the nature of their PhD programme in terms of such factors as admission, funding, style of dissertation, format of examination, employment prospects. Whilst some patterns exist amongst the experiences, diversity is still considerable. The paper concludes with a discussion of the impact of this evidence for the global field of information systems.

Business Schools are experiencing increased competitive pressures, and one way to differentiate and compete distinctively is through the adoption of innovative uses of information technology. However, the integration of information technology to business education is by no means trivial. This research seeks to provide some guidance about the effect of these new information technologies in the field of high-level executive education, providing a conceptual framework of the main key factors that have to be taken into account for the efficient and effective design of an executive education course.