G.M. Nijssen

Gerardus Maria "Sjir" Nijssen (born 18 October 1938, Schinnen) is a Dutch computer scientist, who was full-time professor at the University of Queensland. Nijssen is considered the founder of verbalization in computer science, and one of the founders of business modeling and information analysis based on natural language.

Sjir Nijssen finished his study at the Eindhoven University of Technology in 1965, and started working at Philips at the department of Commercial Efficiency Research. From 1968 to 1970 he has been director of the educational institute "The Dutch Centre for Business and IT". In 1970 he moved to the Control Data Corporation, a pioneer in the field of computer science with the European headquarters in Brussels in Belgium. At Control Data early 1970s Nijssen started with fact-based modeling and developed NIAM, a fact based business practice and notation. During this time, he was also associated with several academic institutions and international standards organizations. He has served as founding Chairman of IFIP WG 2.6 (Databases), member of IFIP WG 8.1 (Information Systems) and member of ISO TC97/SC5/WG3 (Conceptual Schema).

During the period of 1982 to 1989 Nijssen was a full-time professor at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where he worked together with Terry Halpin amongst others in further developing NIAM. When returning to the Netherlands in 1989, he founded PNA Group, which stands for Professor Nijssen Associates, and accepted a position at the University of Maastricht, Netherlands. During this time he developed CogNIAM. He focused entirely on the most productive protocol for the development of business requirements and integrated business modeling. He recently retired, but it still involved with PNA. His son Maurice Nijssen has taken over as CEO at PNA Group in 2002. Nijssen is a member of the OMG SBVR 1.1 Revision Task Force (RTF), the OMG BPMN Revision Task Force (RTF), the OMG Architecture Ecosystem Special Interest Group (AE SIG) and the Fact Based Modeling Task Force.

Nijssen published more than 50 articles and 7 books.

• 1976. Modelling in data base management systems: Proceedings of the IFIP Working Conference on Modelling in Data Base Management Systems. Elsevier/North-Holland.
• 1979. Data Base Architecture. With G. Bracchi. Elsevier.
• 1984. Introduction to IBM SQL: Covering SQL/DS Release 2. United Enterprises.
• 1986. SQL: A textbook for Queensland secondary schools. Faith International.
• 1989. Conceptual Schema and Relational Database Design: A Fact Oriented Approach. With Terry Halpin. Prentice Hall.

• G.M. Nijssen List of publications from the DBLP Bibliography Server.