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Photo of Tim Unwin (2025)

Tim Unwin, CMG

Professor, Emeritus Professor of Geography

 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5326-661X

  • TW20 0EX

Personal profile

Personal profile

Tim Unwin is Emeritus Professor of Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London, Catalyst of the ICT4D Collective, and also an Honorary Professor at Lanzhou Univeristy in China.

He was Secretary General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) from 2011-2015, and was Chair of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission from 2009-2014, having been a Commissioner since 2004.  He has written or edited 17 books and more than 250 academic papers and chapters, many of which focus on the use of technology in development practices.  His edited book, Information and Communication Technologies for Development,was published by Cambridge University Press in 2009, and his latest single-authored book entitled Reclaiming Information and Communication Technologies for Development was published by Oxford University Press in 2017.  His upcoming book, Digitial Inclusion in an Unequal World: an Emancipatory Manifesto is due to be published by Routledge early in 2026.

For more information do visit his blog: https://timunwin.blog  - which has more extensive and up-to-date information.

External positions

Secretary General, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation

2011 → 2014

Programme Director (2007-2008) and then Senior Advisor (2008-2011), Partnerships for Education, , World Economic Forum

2007 → 2011

Team Leader: Imfundo, Department for International Development (DFID)

2001 → 2004

Keywords

  • ICT4D
  • Historical Geography
  • Rural Development
  • Disabilities

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  1. SDG 1 - No Poverty
    SDG 1 No Poverty
  2. SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
    SDG 2 Zero Hunger
  3. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
  4. SDG 4 - Quality Education
    SDG 4 Quality Education
  5. SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
    SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  6. SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
    SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
  7. SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
    SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
  8. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
    SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
  9. SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
    SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  10. SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals
    SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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View all 112 research outputs
View all 15 projects
  • 2 Participation in a conference
View all 10 prizes