As information technologies become ubiquitous, they increasingly need to interact with human beings in socially complex settings. It is important for IT systems to make efficient decisions based not only on a rational understanding of the situation, but also on empathizing with the user’s affective states. Moreover, the interactions with IT need to become more intuitive and dissolve seamlessly into everyday activities.

 

In this issue of IJIT, we have selected research and application papers contributed by scientists from China, India, Singapore, Thailand, and the U.S. trying to address these important issues. We hope these papers will make up an exciting reading list for our readers, and seed more innovative ideas in the future.