Professor Niall Hayes

Profile

Niall Hayes is a Professor of Technology and Organisation and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Business. Niall joined the University of Leeds from Nottingham Trent University (NTU) in March 2024. At NTU, Niall was a Professor and an Executive Dean. He provided strategic leadership across educational gain, student success, whole-person development, and graduate outcomes. Prior to NTU, Niall worked at Lancaster University for 23 years, where he was a Professor of Information and Organisation until 2022. During Niall's time at Lancaster University, he occupied various institutional roles, including Programme Director, Research Centre Director, Head of Department and Associate Dean. He also led and contributed to a number of institution-wide strategic projects. Before joining Lancaster University, he was a Lecturer at the University of Manchester. He was awarded his PhD and MSc from Lancaster University and his BSc from Edge Hill University.

Responsibilities

• Deputy Dean

Research interests

Professor Hayes's research work can most specifically be located within the social studies of information systems. Niall's current research interests are fourfold:

• digital innovation and the public sector
• digital inclusion (older adults and/or rural locations)
• information technology and international development
• participatory design.

His research has been published in leading international journals and is well-cited.   These include Human Relations, Organisation Studies, Organization, Information and Organization, The Journal of Information Technology, and Computer Supported Cooperative Work. Due to the multi-disciplinarity nature of his work, he has published in journals in areas such as computing, education, and health research. He has been a keynote speaker, served in editorial positions for leading international journals and chaired several international conferences.  

Niall was the Principal Investigator for a €2,986,163 Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Action entitled Mobile-Age. He has also received funding totalling approximately £300,000 from the Higher Education Academy for a project called Student Diversity and Academic Writing. Most recently, Professor Hayes secured funding from the British Academy in the domain of digital poverty in rural areas.

Professor Hayes has worked closely with many public and private sector organisations. He has presented his work at the European Parliament, Westminster and Regional Government Authorities.

Qualifications

• PhD Management
• MSc Information Management
• PG Dip Higher Education Teaching and Learning
• BSc Organisation and Management Studies

Professional memberships

• Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA)

Student education

Professor Hayes has extensive experience teaching undergraduate, postgraduate, MBA and executive programmes. He has taught a wide range of subjects, including management information systems development, technology and society, organisational change, knowledge management, and systems thinking. He is an External Examiner at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences.

As well as leading student education at the faculty and university levels, Niall has been involved in shaping the Teaching Excellence Framework submissions at Lancaster University and at NTU. Both of which were rated Gold.   Niall is also a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.