Stephen Little
Professor Extraordinaire
Hume Institute for Postgraduate Studies
AI & Data summit

Dr Stephen Little has degrees in Architecture and Applied Psychology and a PhD in Design Research.
He has been researching technology and organisations since leaving architectural practice in 1981 to undertake a PhD at the Department of Design Research, Royal College of Art, London. Currently he supervises doctoral students at the Centre for Islamic Finance, University of Greater Manchester (https://www.greatermanchester.ac.uk).
He is also Director of the Centre for Pan-African Studies at the Hume Institute for Postgraduate Studies, Lausanne (https://humelausanne.ch).
As Professor Extraordinaire, Tshwane University of Technology, Gauteng he is collaborating with both research and the delivery of a Technology Venture Creation Module requiring Masters students to establish viable businesses.
He is a member of the Southern African Regional Universities Association (https://sarua.africa) working group on digital transformation.
In March 2024 he delivered the initial presentation of a Strategic Management for Sustainability module for the MBA programme at Osiri University, a new online initiative (https://www.osiriuniversity.org). This continues as 'Managing in a Changing World'
In April 2025 he began a two year appointment as Adjunct Professor in the College of Business and Economics, University of Gondar (https://uog.edu.et)
He developed extensive contacts in the Pacific Rim during ten years in Australia teaching information systems development and co-editing books and journal issues covering the development of the Asian economies, intelligent urban development and meta-governance.
He worked on major studies on international manufacturing technology transfer and the diffusion of knowledge-based systems before returning to the U.K. in 1996. He continued his interest in Asia through the Asia Pacific Technology Network which he chaired from 2005 to 2016.
He was senior lecturer in knowledge management at the Open University Business School, UK from 1999 to 2013 holding visiting posts at the Rotterdam School of Management and the University of Bolton researching the implications of cross-cultural knowledge flows in the global economy.
Current interests include the contribution of major science projects to regional development, and the role of place branding in the attraction of inward flows of investment and intellectual capital.
He has been researching technology and organisations since leaving architectural practice in 1981 to undertake a PhD at the Department of Design Research, Royal College of Art, London. Currently he supervises doctoral students at the Centre for Islamic Finance, University of Greater Manchester (https://www.greatermanchester.ac.uk).
He is also Director of the Centre for Pan-African Studies at the Hume Institute for Postgraduate Studies, Lausanne (https://humelausanne.ch).
As Professor Extraordinaire, Tshwane University of Technology, Gauteng he is collaborating with both research and the delivery of a Technology Venture Creation Module requiring Masters students to establish viable businesses.
He is a member of the Southern African Regional Universities Association (https://sarua.africa) working group on digital transformation.
In March 2024 he delivered the initial presentation of a Strategic Management for Sustainability module for the MBA programme at Osiri University, a new online initiative (https://www.osiriuniversity.org). This continues as 'Managing in a Changing World'
In April 2025 he began a two year appointment as Adjunct Professor in the College of Business and Economics, University of Gondar (https://uog.edu.et)
He developed extensive contacts in the Pacific Rim during ten years in Australia teaching information systems development and co-editing books and journal issues covering the development of the Asian economies, intelligent urban development and meta-governance.
He worked on major studies on international manufacturing technology transfer and the diffusion of knowledge-based systems before returning to the U.K. in 1996. He continued his interest in Asia through the Asia Pacific Technology Network which he chaired from 2005 to 2016.
He was senior lecturer in knowledge management at the Open University Business School, UK from 1999 to 2013 holding visiting posts at the Rotterdam School of Management and the University of Bolton researching the implications of cross-cultural knowledge flows in the global economy.
Current interests include the contribution of major science projects to regional development, and the role of place branding in the attraction of inward flows of investment and intellectual capital.
