LSE Department of Information Systems

 

 

In Memory of Claudio Ciborra 1951 - 2005
Claudio Ciborra 1951-2005

Professor Claudio Ciborra died in Milan on 13 February 2005

Claudio was convenor of our department from 2000 until he went on sick leave in 2004. We will miss him greatly.

Claudio Ciborra, Professor and Convenor of Information Systems at LSE, died in Milan, his hometown, on Sunday 13th February 2005, aged 53; finally losing his battle against cancer.

Claudio had inspired many of us (and not just in Information Systems) with his innovative thinking about Information Technology and organizations long before he came to our department. We watched him at conferences defending surprisingly new and refreshing ideas, confronting the established gurus from the business schools – and always dressed in impeccable Italian style for such performances. 

In 1998 he was invited to join the Department as a visiting professor, then in 2000 he was appointed to a full chair. When offering him the post, the selection committee asked if he was willing to take on the role of head of department. His answer, so typical of Claudio, was “I want to be on the sun deck, not in the engine room.” He took on the convenor’s role and from the beginning he steered firmly from that deck, though he never lost touch with the engine room. He brought Italian style to our department, and one of his first acts was to employ architects, and completely redesign the ambience of our offices. 

Claudio was an intellectually demanding leader. He expected us not only to do well in terms of conventional academic performance, but also, and more importantly, to secure an international reputation for creative thinking and forthright delivery. Always an iconoclast, he broke several conventions. His direct way of letting you know what he thought, and in particular what he didn’t like, was challenging but never malicious, although he often angered even his closest friends – although no-one could stay angry for long with such a charming man. 

Claudio loved being at the LSE, where he totally submerged himself in the School’s intellectual and social life. He enjoyed living in London, and made many friends beyond the department and the School, making the most of the capital’s multiple facets: the avant-garde East End, the Royal Opera, even the salsa nightclub at the basement of the LSE. He was also a true cosmopolitan, visiting friends and juggling professional engagements across Europe and North America, hopping from London to Oslo, to Berlin, to Milan, to Barcelona, to Boston with equal enthusiasm, to give a keynote speech, or organize a new research agenda, hear the Berlin Philharmonic, or to take part in swimming races.

Truly intellectual, daring and uncompromising, yet always playful in his work as well as his personal life. Claudio leaves a huge influence in the shaping of a growing research stream on the social study of information and communication technology.

Index of tributes

The tributes were published in a limited edition book. You can download a pdf file of the book (caution 50mb)

Messages from Claudio's family

Dear Claudio's friends, colleagues and students from around the world,

Your heartfelt words of condolence, tribute and remembrance for him have triggered, day after day, never ending recurrent waves of emotion and sadness to me and my family.

We have felt gathered with you all, hands in hands, in the "in memory of Claudio" site, like in an unforgettable "virtual cathedral" , where emotions meet with sorrow and memories intensively reverberate on all new friends entering the site for the last farewell.

Thank so much for having given back to him through the Net a new virtual life , he will ever remain alive in the collective memory of all of us.

Our warmest thanks

Carlo, Claudio's eldest brother

Bruno, Claudio's brother

Grazia, his sister in law

His nieces Valentina and Marta and nephew, Federico

Bruno Ciborra writes:

...almost two months have passed since the death of my brother,Claudio Ciborra.

I would like to thank all the friends and collegues for their nice thoughts,memories and tales here collected. His entire work(books,lessons,conferences..) is here to stay as privileged witness of his life.....Virtus non timet quod facit. (virtue is not afraid of action)....

I would also like to inform you that I have implemented a prize—In Memory of Claudio Ciborra—for the best dissertation on "Large corporates infrastructures and information technology" for students of the Politecnico di Milano (Technical University of Milan) where Claudio gained his degree in Electronic Engineering. You shortly be able to see further detailsof this scholarship.

Milan april 12. 2005

To add your comment to this site, send an e-mail to In_Memory_Of_Claudio@lse.ac.uk

Page last updated 24 April, 2008
Copyright LSE Department of Information Systems 2005