The iConference is an annual academic event organized by iSchools, a foundation of information schools around the world. Since 2005, the iConference series has provided a valuable forum in which researchers and professionals share their insights on critical issues related to information in contemporary societies. This conference has grown into a major event in the community of information science, attracting growing numbers of participants and high-quality research papers and at the same time opening myriad opportunities for engagement and collaboration.

iConference 2021, the 16^th event in this conference series, will be hosted by the School of Information Resource Management at Renmin University of China. The theme of this year’s conference is Diversity, Divergence, and Dialogue. We are hoping this conference to be participated by researchers and professionals from diverse backgrounds, who respect different views and opinions from each other and share the common interest to work together at the nexus between information, technology, and society.

This conference is organized by the preparatory working group within the School of Information Resource Management. Established in April 2019, the working group consists of 22 faculty members from the school and has received full supports from the university and school leadership. Every member of the group has been working diligently to ensure a successful conference and we are excited to present this conference as a venue for scholarly communication during the pandemic.

As of March 4, 2021, the enrolment of iConference 2021 has exceeded 380. We continue to welcome everyone to register for this conference via the iSchools website (https://ischools.org/iConference) before March 17, the first day of the conference.