Richard Heeks

Richard Heeks is a Professor of Digital Development at the University of Manchester's Global Development Institute, part of the School of Environment, Education and Development. He leads the Centre for Digital Development, the world’s largest academic group researching digital technologies and development. His career spans over 30 years, with a focus on Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D), including seminal work on India’s software industry and digital platforms in global South economies.

Education: BA/MA in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge; MPhil and PhD in Information Systems from the Open University. He has held roles at Leicester, Loughborough, and Manchester Universities, with global advisory experience for bodies like DFID, GIZ, and UNIDO.

Research Interests:

• Digital Uplands: Digital systems in mountain regions addressing climate change, socio-economic inclusion, and ecosystem services.
• China’s Digital Expansion: Geopolitical implications of China’s digital influence in global South countries.
• Data Justice: Equity in datafication, including adverse digital incorporation and urban data justice.
• Platform Economy: Fair work standards in gig economies through the Fairwork project.
• DX4D: Digital transformation for development, including twin transitions in upland regions.

Grants & Projects: Over £1.8M in research funding, including leadership of the ESRC-funded Fairwork project and the Development Implications of Digital Economies network. Supervised 27 PhD students and 170+ Masters students, co-developed the world’s first MSc in Digital Development.

Awards: Recipient of the Neil Doherty Best Paper Award. Active in policy advocacy, editorial roles for journals like Development Studies Research, and global conferences.

Labs/Teams: Directs the Centre for Digital Development, which publishes working papers and the ICT4D blog. Leads initiatives like the Urban Data Justice Case Collection and Data-Powered Positive Deviance research.